The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-16
Adaptation OF PLANS TO Climate.


for the district militia and structures Of
like character.
Adaptation of Plans to Climate.
On beginning this work, the commits
sion was confronted by the fact that
while, from the first of October till about
the middle of May, the climatic conditions
of washington are most saIubrlous DUR
ing the remaining four and a half months
the city is subject to extended periods
of intense heat. Every second year con-
gress is in session usually until about the
middle of July and not infreCuently it
happens that by reason of prolonged or
special sessions during the hottest por-
ton of the summer, the city is filled with
the already great and increasing number
OF persons whose business makes neces-
sary more or less prolonged stay in
Washington. OF course nothing can be
done to change weather conditions, bur
very much can be accomplished to miti
gate the physical strain caused by sum
mer heat. Singularly enough, up to the
present the abundant facilities which ma
ture affords for healthfuI and pleasant
recreation during heated terms have been
neglected, and In this respect Washington
is far behind other states whose climatic
condition demand much less, and whose
opportunities also are less favorable
In Rome throughout the centuries it
has been the pride Of emperor and of
pope to build fountains to promote health
and to give pleasure. Mile after mile of
aqueduct has been constructed to gather
the mater even from remote hills and
bring great living streams into sSery
quarter of the city; so that from the mo-
ment of entering the Eternal City until
the time of departure the visitor is
scarcely out of sight of beautiful jets OF
water, now flung upward in great coll
umns, to add life and dignity even to
st. Peters; or, again, gushing in the form
OF cascades from some great work of
architect or sculptor, still again, dripping
refreshngly over a brim of beautiful
basin that was old when the Christian
era began. The Forum is in ruins.
basilicas and baths have been trans
formed into churches, palaces have been
turned into museums; but the fountains
of Rome are both omnipresent and eter-l
nal
If all the countains of Washington, In
stead of being left lifeless and inert as
they are during most Of the time, should
be set playing at their full capacity, they
would not use the amount of water that
bursts from the world-famous fountain
OF Treve, or splashes on the stones of
the piazza of St Petef's At the Chateau
de VaHx-le-Vicompte, near Paris the
great landscape architect, Lenotre, built
cascades, canals and fountains. using
5,0UO,O00 gallons of pure water per day
and the fountains OF Versailles are the
wonder and delight of the French people
Scarcely secondary in Importance to
fountains are public baths. The Burn
ham commission calls attention TO the
instructive lessons in this respect that
are TO be found in the experience of the
metropolitan park commission. in taking
over and equipping Revere Beach, imme-
diately north of Boston," In Washing
ton the extensive use Of the present bath
ing beach shows how welcome would be
the construction Of modern buildings
with ample facilities. Moreover, the op-
portunities offered by an extended river
front should be utilized in furnishing op-
portunities for free public baths.
History OF the Monument.
These plans have been prepared under
senate resolution adopted March
last The subcommittee of the district
committee having the matter in charge
met the representatives of the Insti-
tute of American Architects and agreed
that Daniel III. Burnham, Of Chicago.
and Frederick Law Olmstead Jr., of
Brookline, be employed as experts, with
power to add to their number. These
gentlemen accepted the task. and sub
sequently invited Charles f. McKim and
Mr.. Augustus ST. Gaudens, of New
York, to act with them in the prepara-
ticn Of plans Mr.. Charles Moore has
rendered most efficient service In Coop
Grafton with the commission. The work
as summarized in the models so soon to
be open to the public, is really COM
pletion Of the L'Enfant plan, ana wor-
thy tribute to his courage and genius.
When the city Of Washington was
planned, under the supervision OF Wash
ington and Jefferson. the relations be-
tween the capitol and the presidents
house were carefully studied. The whole
city was planned with view to the
reciprocal relations that should exist
among public buildings. Vistas and axis:
sites for monuments and museums: parks
and pleasure gardens; fountains and ca
mails: in a word, all that goes to make
a city a magnificent and consistent work
of art, were regarded as essential In the
plans prepared by LEnfant The state
ly art Of landscape architecture had
been brought from over seas by royal
governors and wealthy planters, and both
Washington ard Jefferson were familiar
with the practice OF that art L'Enfant,
man OF position and education and an
engineer Of ability. must have been fa-
miliar with these great works Of the
master Lenotre, which are still the ad-
miraticn OF the traveller and the con-
slant pleasure Of the French people.
Moreover, from his well stocked library
Jefferson sent to L,Enfant plans "en a
large and accurate scale of Paris, Am
ster1an, Frankfort, CarlsFuhe, stras- |