The Washington times., 1902-01-16

ranged so as to accommodate skaters in
winter. should be important features at
the points where the park Is reached by
main lines of transportation, and bathing
facilities should be freely provided.
Control OF Water Front.
Provision should be made for the pub
lie control of the entire water front from
the Government property at the southern
end of the District to Anacostia Park at
Massachusetts Avenue. Along the Po-
tomac. from Shepherds Landing TO Gles
boro Point, the shores are nearly level
agricultural land ten or twenty feet above
the river. A margin about 200 feet in
width should here be acquired, with
view to the construction of road and
such other means of making the water
front available as the development of the
back country may ultimately require.
"On the Washington side OF the Anacos-
tia River it is especially important that
the permanent public control of the water
front should be made a part of the chan
mel improvement and that consistent,
comprehensive project should be adopted
for its treatment in connection with the
improvement of the western water front
along Washington channel, recently
brought under public control by the de-
cision of the courts.
Potomac Park Described.
Potomac Park is a low-lying tract of
land and water about 739 acres in extent
between Washington Channel and the Po
tomac River.
The form and situation of the land
suggest at once the landscape of natural
river bottoms-a suggestion that can
hardly be improved upon as a guide in the
development of the park. or the many
types of river bottom scenery, the one
which seems best adapted TO the condi-
tions is that of great. open meadows.
fringed by trees along the water side, and
diversified by occasional outstanding
masses and single trees serving to focus
the meadow area into series OF connect
ing compositions without completely OBJ
scuring its extent. On account OF the
view of the water and the sweep OF
breezes through the Potomac Valley. the
pleasantest portion of the park is bound
to be the strip along the river side Here
should be carried the principal drive and
paths. running almost continually within
river trees. which will afford shade with
out seriously obstructing the summer
breeze, which is said 10 blow here with
more frequency than at any point within
the city.
The central part of the area should be
kept as simple as possible, in meadows
unbroten by paths and roads, except for
a few cross connections devised TO fit in
with such occasional trees as the land
lie Fn~ vr1ri eli a-j
Washington Channel would be another
nearly continuous mass of foliage. II such
treatment is adopted ii will be unneCes-
sary to fill the whole area of the park
above the level of the extreme floods. for
if the sides were raised to that level they
would serve as dikes, and their slight ele-
Vation above the central meadow would
enhance the effect of the landscape, espe--
cially II the inner slopes are made very
gradual A similar treatment in respect
to the dikes is to be seen at Budapest,
in the park of Margaret -Insel, in the
Danube where the views from the paths
that run along the dixie are very beau
tiful, both inward toward the meadow
and outward toward the river.
Not the least advantage of such an
extremely simple and absolutely Informal
landscape for Potomac Park is due to its
position next to the strongly formal and
elaborate scheme OF the central group. to
which it would serve as very happy foil
and contrast.
Work Should Begin ut Once.
"Omitting the northern portion, which
is required for the completion of the
Nall and its connections the whole area
of Potomac Park should at once be care
fully laid out in accordance with the
above general scheme, the proportions
and ferns OF its different open and plant
ed areas carefully studied, and the lines
and grades of roads and paths worked out
in detail in conformity with these masses
and with the necessary approaches to the
new Long Bridge and railroad bridge, in
order that the filling now going on may
be economically applied toward definite