Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-27
OBSERVATORY GROUNDS
PROPOSED ENLARGEMENT DIS
CUssED IN REPORT.
Admiral Chester Suggests q Plan OF
Purchase -. Surrounding
Sanitary Conditions.

Many details regarding the proposed &C
auirement of the land occupied by the In
dustrial Home School of the District for the
United States Naval Observatory are con-
tanned in a report made by Rear Admiral
Chester. superintendent Of the observatory.
He says that to complete the plot Of land
lying within a radius Of 1000 feet OF the
observatory's clock-room. as contemplated
by the act of Congress OF August /. 1894,
there still remains to be acquired the tract
belonging to Mr.. Philip Young and the
tract belonging to the Normanstone estate;
also the property belonging to the District
of Columbia. containing 8764 ocres. occu-
pied by the Industrial Home School The
question of title to the first two pieces
of property remains in the District courts,
to which 1t was referred on appeal from
the decision of a board which condemned
the land for government use.
The superintendent details the negotia-
tons between the Navy Department and
the District Commissioners having in view
the preparation of a measure for the con-
sideration of Congress at the coming ses-
sion. designed to fully protect the interests
of the observatory and the Industrial Home
School He summarizes the agreement
reached In the following words:
Plan of Purchase.
1.-THE Navy Department to acquire by
purchase legal title from the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia to the plot of
ground that Is situated within the Naval
Observatory Circle, amounting to 6764
acres. more or less being parts of lands
generally known as the Industrial Home
School property, for the sum of s74, 4O4. To
secure a lease from the District Commits
sioners at a nominal rental until such time
as the land os the most of it may be re-
quired for street purposes that other por
ton of the said Home School property
described as follows: Begin on the Observ-
atory Circle where IL interseets the north
boundary of the Industrial Home School
grounds; thence south 10 degrees % min
utes west along said boundary a distance
of 2S5 feet; thence south 275 feet; thence
east about 100 feet to said Observatory
Circle; thence northeastery along said OBJ
servatory Circle to place of beginning; about
40 acres. To acquire by purchase title to
all buildings the aforesaid pieces of
property at a cost of $4,000; total of
$751; 404.''
Admiral Chester urges that this plan be
submitted to Congress at the coming ses-
sion, with view to securing the neceS-
sary authority to carry 1t into effect If
the scheme is carried through. he says that
the buildings which 1t is proposed to buy
and which in any event must be paid for
q will for the time being at least relieve
the demand for new quarters for the
major part of the staff of the observatory,
who required to take late night obser-
vations.
Sanitary Conditions.
Regarding the condition of the grounds of
the observatory. Superintendent Chester
says:
"A large portion of this property which
must eventually become one of the most
conspicuous park reservations of the Dis
trict of Columbia, is still as undeveloped as
when IL was a forest portion.
known as the Dumbarton estate. which
was acquired by the government in 1907,
is stlll In the crude condition in which 1t
was received. The rapid progress made
during the year in grading Massachusetts
avenue. now nearing completion, demands
some treatment for this contiguous piece
OF ground at an early date.
A medical board appointed by the Navy
Department to examine the sanitary con-
dition of the observatory grounds reported
that two pockets, parts of former ravines,
one about 300 feet to the east and the
other about 400 feet to the north from
the superintendent quarters, have been
formed by the work of grading Massachu-
sets avenue. and are Objectionable from
a sanitary standpoint, being without drain
age and forming basins for the collection
of surface water and refuse which would
be favorable to the development of mala-
rial and other fevers.
The board also reported that lat the west
ern limit of the observatory grounds Is
located the property of the Industrial Home
School, and here the board found a most
objectionable, unsightly. malodorous and
insanitary condition, a veritable nuisance,
menacing the health OF the whole locality"
Admiral Chester describes the work per-
formed during the past year to fill In the
pockets and remedy the other defects re-
ported by the medical board, and says:
Regarding the Industrial Home School
property, while the conditions have been
bettered by the placing of a pumping plant
to carry the sewage OF the school into the
sewer on the Tenleytown road. the remedy
is only partial and can never be satisfac-
tory while the present control is MAIN
tanned. Knowing that the government must