The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-24

Ill llcTeaSc Ill tHc "tlci supply 40 WIN
make possible the copious and even
lavish use of water in fountains.
ain Washington the extensive use
of the present bathing beach shows
how welcome would be the constluc-
tion of modern buildings with ample
bathing facilities. Moreover, the op-
portunities offered by an extended riv-
er front should be utilized in furnish
ing opportunities for free public baths,
especially for the people of that sec
tion of the city between the Mall and
the Potomac.
The report then takes up in success
sion the different parks and park pro
jects of the city in order, dealing first
with the Mall. OF the contemplated
improvements there it says:
"In outline the commission propose,
by simple device of planting, to bring
the Monument into the Capitol vista,
so that the observer standing on the
western terrace of the Capitol shall
look off over green carpet. hordercd
on each sil, hv f'rrr = rs =, rln>. to
the Monument, rising from a plain.
Walks and driveways, shaded by the
elms, give access from east to west,
while the streets continue on the sur
face level from nor II to south. Be
hind these trees should stand the white
marble buildings devoted to the scicn-
tiiic work OF the government.
SITE FOR A LINCOLN MONUMENT.
The distance from the Capitol 10
the Monument is about one and half
miles, and the reclamation of the Po-
tomac flats has added nearly mile to
this space, thus giving opportunity
both for an extension of the treatment
accorded to the Mall and also for a
new and great memorial to stand on
the axis of the Capitol and the Mnnu-
ment. near the bank of the Potomac.
Abraham Lincoln is the one name in
our national history that the world
has agreed to couple with Washing
tons. and as no adequate memorial OF
him exists at this Capital, the place
and the opportunity would seem to
agree in setting apart this great site
as an cmincntly suitable spot for a
Lincoln monument.
Again, hy placing a garden direct
ly west of the monument the plans not
only give added i,nprcss!veness to that
structure, but also create an aNial re-
lation with the White House; and 10
this simple and direct manner the
l. 'Enfant i,lea of placing the Waslln :
ton memorial on the axis of both the
Capitol and the White House is real
lied. Moreover, this garden, sur
rounded 10y terraces carrying gro> >cs
of elms, becomes the gem of the entire
park system.
"Sou,h of the Monument the space
is devoted TO out-of-duor sports-to
gymnasiums and play grounds, to
swimming pools IN summer and skat-
ing parks in winter. Here, too. is Il
great rond point which !ittingly may
carry some symbolic figure typicyl Of
the republic.
"In the plans the Lincoln memorial
site becomes point of divergence
from which proceeds the driveway
leading southwesterly to the Potomac
Park, the memorial bridge leading d.
rectly to the mansion house at Airing
ton, and the cmbankmcnt carrying the
driveway to the mouth Of II ,c!l Creek 9,
whence the driveway leads through
the picturesqu. valley to the Zoo!ogi-
cal and Rock Greek parks.
ARCHING OF CREEK DANGEROUS.
"Thc valley Of Ro:k Creek forms
the natural come ctlon b, tween the
Potomac Park and the Geological and
Rock Creek parks. There is no ques,
tion in the minds Of the commission or
of this committee that the most con-
venient, the least expensive, and the
most satisfactory Way Of treating Rock
Greek is to improve the banks, build
roalways along them, and secure such
control of the spaces along the top of the
banks as will allow adequate policing
A stream, even a small stream, run.
ming between picturesque banks, in
the midst of Il city like Washington
offers opportunities for park improve
ment that should not be ignored. The
alternative of arching over the creek
and filling in b,tween the banks fol
the purpose of constructing a boulc
yard on a level with the streets is high
ly expensive, and is dangerous in case
of the sudden melting of SHOWS or of i
! cloudbursl in the upper valley.
For the section west of Rock Greek
the plans not only contemplate i'm
proving the rare opportunities for en-
loving the beauties of the Potomac
gorge, even to tue Great Falls, but
they also provide suitable diagona
connections (tlrough picturesque val
| leys) with Rock Creek Park.
"Between the parks on Rock Creel
and the grounds Of the Soldiers HOME
the connection is, first, 10y way of th'
valley of Piney Branch, a region no
less beautiful than the Rock Creel
Valley; and, second, along Savannah
street, widencd into parkway. Thi