Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-12

efforts of the late Senator Mcmillan. has
included this magnificent hill in Its general
scheme. but, strangely enough has treated
1t simply as a bit of parking, unembellished,
save by the retention of the old and his
torical building. How this tempting morsel
Of landscape escaped the commissions at
tention is indeed surprising. when 1t created
any number of attractions in the hot plain
below. Possibly when the members got
that far westward they had no public
exhausted in the fiat land. Or was the
site too far to the northward from their
main axial line to which they adhered 80
conscientiously? Why did they not recog-
nize the beauty Of this spot and propose
the establishment of an extensive terracing
with a coiumnating belvidere Of goodiy size
and attitude for which this place seems to
be emfnently suited IL the park features are
their plans a model Of the future Washing
ton as they wished to make it-no fndica-
ton Of a cluster of hospital buildings scent
ed with iodoform 10 the mental nostrils of
man even in photographs of the establish
ments taken to the leeward a mile or two
away. that are of necessity characterized
by semi-prison elevation. and they no;
pleasant objects to behold for any man
who suffers alphabetically with his fell
low beings. They would no doubt now in
dividually and collectively resent the u5e
OF part of their park system, even If they
didn't make much of it in their scheme. to
prOpriate as a naval hospital on this hill.
which possibly they left perfectly unadoru-
ed on account of its very natural attract
iveness. which as beauty unadorned' can
stand alone as to it's intrinsic merits.
Col. Thomas w. Symons, who first in as
ISOLATION with Architect Paul J. Pelz pre-
pared two separate designs for a memorial
bridge across the Potomac river some time
in 1886, fixed on this hill his easterly
starting point crossing the lowlands, the
stream, the southern end of AnalOstan
Island and Little river beyond at an eleva-
ton of fifty-five feet above the stream,
landing on United States ground nea the
first gate to Arlington cemetery. His plan
as to location was followed In the design IF
the four competitors officially invited alb nut
three years ago for the preparation of plans
for such bridge, and also by Architect
Keller OF Hartford Conn, who did not like
the Others follow the mid-stream pier fea-
ture Of the Symons-Pelz design, but who
shut up the harbor of Georgetown to mast
ed vessels as far as his design goes.
Suggested Solution.
1t would appear that the solution of the
problem would be high masonry bridge,
say one hundred or more feet above the
river. from Observatory Hill to u corrc-
spending level on the Virginia side. crea-
ton mostly of the best combined architec-
tural and engineering skill OF the country,
no matter what 1t cost. even II double that
OF low DfloSe, anu, possibly, COL 5yInOnS
readvent as commissioner Of public build
ings and grounds will bring about a happy
solution of that grand problem of which he
is the originator, as he was the first man
to set himself at work upon it.
How would a naval hospital appear as a
''Tete de pont' on the main shore? The
Germans would say that 1t would fit as a
fist does on another mans eye, Le., there
could hardly be anything more uniting to
the purpose.
Mr.. Franklin W. Smith has given the
aggrandizement of Washington much study,
and his views are laid down In Doc. No :aD,
Fifty-sixth Congress. first session. oc-
tavo OF fully one inch thickness, with cop
ious Illustrations In it, part 3, page 81 ct
seq. he gives description of the Naval
Hygienic Museum and Its contents. MIR.
Smith IL opposed to the latest evolution.
worse even than the savory detail Of the
museum. He advocates most strenaaoiisly
a scheme connecting the White Lot zystem
Of public buildings and grounds. Inclusive
of the Corcoran Art Gallery. with hail OF
fame located on Observatory Eli. by
series Of buildings typical OF the evolutIan
Of architectural art
There mar be 0thsf claimants to the
place for useful and artistic establishment.
but thy are Nnknown to the writer except