Evening star., 1904-03-12
IMPROVING THE MALL
Hearing Before the Senate
District Committee.
ARCHITECTS PRESENT
THE POINT OF ESTABLISHING A
BUILDING LINE DISCUSSED.
Testimony Of Mr.. Galway of the
Agricultural Department, Prof.
Langley and NJ Rurnham.
ARCHITECTS PRESENT

establish a building line through the mall
from the Capitol to the Washington monu-
ment with a width of 800 feet between build
ings that may be erected there in the future
was today held In the room of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia.
Members of the House District committee
were invited to sit with the Senate commit
tee during the hearing.
Senator Gallinger called the meeting to
order The room was crowded with sena~
tors, architects and others. Senators Fora
ker, Dillingham;, Foster of Washington,
Scott, Wetmore, Newlands, Martin ana
Mallory were present.
Among those present were Charies Z.
Glover, Frank Hume, Franklin Smith, D. II.
Burnham, Chicago; c. H. McKim, New
York; F. L. Olmsted Boston; w. b. Nun
die, Chicago; George B. Post. New forK'
W. 8. Eames, St. LOUIS; Frank Miles Day
Philadelphia; Glenn Brown and d. y. dorA
blower of this city; James Knox Taylor,
supervising architect of the treasury; Leon
Dessez and G.. o. Totten Of this city; Angus
! tus St. Gaudens, sculptor. Messrs. u. oakey
Totten, jr., and Waddy b. Wood represent
ed the Washington Architects CUB; Mr.
B. T. Galway represented the secretary
Of Agriculture: Mr. T. M. Kellogg repre-
sented Rankin Kellogg & Crane. architects
for the new Department OF Agriculture.
Senator Gallinger's Statement.
In opening the hearing Senator GalliHger
stated the purpose of the meeting. He read
series of resolutions adopted by the
Washington Architectural Club protesting
against the proposition to encroach on the
800 feet of open space proposed by the park
commission for the Improvement OF the
mall.
He also read a letter from Mr.. Nicholas
Murray Butler, president of Columbian UNI
versity favoring the SO0-foot building line.
Also letter from the Secretary OF Agri-
culture favoring a reduction of the open
way through the mali to 900 feet, which
| he stated would not encroach on the park
way much as the Smithsonian 1nstitu-
ton now does. The S00-foOt plan, ne said,
would eventually result in the destruction
of the Smithsonian building, if carried out.
The first witness called on was Mr. B. T.
Galway. chairman of the building COM
mittee of the Department of Agriculture.
and representing the Secretary of Agricul-
ture. He first reviewed the legislation which
requires that the new Department of Agri-
culture building shall be in the immediate
vicinity of the present building. Their plan
is made in view of the 6O0-foot plan the
proposed building being back or south of
the present building and seventy-five feet
south of the Smithsonian. The plan was
for four buildings that would be so assem-
bled and connected to appear as one struc-
ture, the whole covering space of $50 by
LOGO feet The appropriation of $1.5O0, 900
made by Congress was for one of these
four buildings, which would be added to in
time.
All the architects, he said. preferred a
site on the north side of the mall The en-
tire structure of four buildings he said.
would probably cost from s3,500.e00 to-
81, ,000, 900.
He exhibited a series of pictures and
drawings showing the plans for the pro-
posed building and their bearings on the
mall. The Secretary, he said, protested
against the building up of the mall with
.c,-;a Of ht,tl
would be preserved natural park. IF
the people of this city had vote on the
proposition he said, IF they had an op-
portunity to vote on the proposition, they
would be unanimous in favor of retaining
the park
If the opening through the mall should
ever be made as proposed. il required little
Imagination to see car line running down
it. .-t-..-
Prof. Langley.
Prof Langley. secretary of the Smith
sonian Institution, was called on. He
spoke of the present building of the Smith
sonian being beyond the proposed SO0-foot
line 1t projects even on the proposed COO
foot width
''If this ever becomes clear roadway
undoubtedly this building would have to
CO." he said
Senator Wetmore asked whether the
Smithsonian Institute building could not
be moved to the south.
II am not an authority on engineering
Matters, he replied, but l should say 1t
might be moved to the south, and 1 should
add that the monument might be moved to
the north in the light of present engineering
skill"
He was asked whether the demands on
the Smithsonian building would not necessi-
tate its enlargement, and said he thought
that is a finished institution. The National
Museum is growing institution.
Mr.. d. Fl Burnham, chairman of the
thxv
for the Improvement of the mall
The desra bility, he said, for a proper
plan for grouping Of buildings was brought
out prominently in the Chicago worlds fair,
where the grouping showed what could be
done. 1t was the effect of the plan for that
fair that had resulted in the proposition for
the Improvement of the city. He mentioned
the names of others who had been associ-
ated with him in the work. When he men,
toned the name of Mr.. McKim Senator
Scott asked:
rs that the architect who built the office
building for the White House?'
Mr. Burnham--.1 would like to talk about
that matter"
Senator Scott think 1t would take
more than a word.
Some one suggested that Mr.. McKim was
present and might speak for himself.
Senator Newlands-'That Office building
was merely temporary structure
Senator Gallinger. suggested that the Of
flee building was not the subject of the
hearing.
Washington's Conception.
Mr. Burnham then referred to the scheme
of Washington in the laying out of the city:
He said town near Connellsville, Pa, had
been seen by the commission whose park
was laid out by Washington himself. and
its similarity Of plan with the plan of this
city proved that the plan for streets and
avenues in this city is the conception OF
Washington himself.
They had then sought by every possible
way to discover the intentions of Washing
ton in the laying out of this city, went
abroad and visited places in this country
to seek the best ideas for the improvements
to be made in this city 80
The proposed Improvement OF the mali
he said. was finally decided on as the ouly
NIT ng one for such parkway.
i do not like to hear it called A road
way or avenue" he said THAT is not an
Fropriate or fitting. 1t is properly a park
way
Their examination had resulted in caa.
vnc ng them that there should be four
rows of .rees on either side of the n,rE
way of tie mall The necessities Of fha
case were such that 500 fest would have "a
be used save -
He favored the erection of the bn,,a,r.
Tor the Department of Agriculture ON a site