The Washington herald., 1907-12-01
By W. r. DENNIS.
IE.ns-,ltir.. IN.-.r....

General opinion commendS the plan OF
the city of Washington. the governmental
buildings, the park system. and prob
along esthetic lines. But one part OF the
city has been ignored. and no plan ac-
ceDted for its public Improvement
Neither time nor private effort VIII
change a condition already hideous.
which must intensity as the years pass.
The section of the city referred 70 is
the lower Rock Creek valley. particu-
larry between Q street and l. street. the
former point adjacent to Sheridan Circle.
and the latter 10. the entrance into the
creek Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
To see this valley dishgured by waste
dumps. made without supervision as 10
material, emplacement. or proper
grades, and without hope that the char
acter Of the made ground will be ever
utillzable for anything but a shanty-
town development, occasions astonish-
ment that topographic control should
have been unformulated for so long
time. From an economic standpoint.
the salient disadvantage is that the lack
Of improvement, or the bad character
OF the partial private Improvement. rem
ders impossible the building development
OF a whole district, and introduces a
break in the continuity Of the city. In
Gliding some Of the property deprecated
by adjaceuey TO the valley. this area
may be taken as equivalent TO d width
of quarter OF a mile wide by length
north of half mile This area is near
the central business section Of the city,
and to lines of communication. and be-
tween two portions OF the city already
built up.
Recognition OF the present deplorable
condition has stimulated pressure for the
control OF the stream by masonry con-
struction, either along the creek line or
along a diverted line. Masonry control Of
the creek IS, of course, the basic condi-
ton of any beginning at real improve
ment. but masonry control without full
control Of the entire area will simply
postpone the trouble and perpetuate I'M
desirable conditions. With the masonry
in. haphazard and uncontrolled filing will
continue, Of a character that will not
support buildings and give constant
menace 10 sewer lines, and even to the
creek masonry itself, from sliding ten
denotes OF the material.
The accretions TO the valley by its use
as a public dumping ground might per-
haps. fill il in q century. but at the end
of that time the area as building ground
would be unfit. The interference Of prop
critics that desired filling with those that
might not will inevitably leave sections
in holes and depressions. and there Is no
escape from the conclusion that the best
ultimate fate to be expected would be
the creation OF a slum district
The situation demands that the Rock
Creek Valley, from the Geological Park
to the river. should be considered for
improvement as whole.
From the circumstance that filing the
upper valley would be too expensive per
acre Of utilizable ground, that economic
conditions and street system do not de-
mand its residential development. and
that from. Its typographical adaptabilitv
to park purposes with the creek in its
natural channel, the obvious development
from the Geological Park to a point
somewhere about 800 feet west of Sheri-
dan Circle would be narrow park. oc-
oupying the bottom Of the valley. and as
much of the side slopes as desirable. The
construction expense would be that OF
road building. regarding some Of the
waste dumps and a masonry viaduct for
Massachusetts, avenue.
From a point on the creek about $50