Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-23
ROCK CREEK PLANS
Two Methods of Treatment to
to Be Considered.
AS TO USE OF A CULVERT
Natural Beauty of the Gorge Find
Advocates.
FACTS ABOUT A vExED QUESTION
Entire Matter to Be Made Subject of
Thorough Examination
and Report.
FACTS ABOUT VEXED QUESTION

The proper treatment Of Rock creek, or,
rather the portion which passes through
the older section of the city, has been for
some time past the subject of considerable
difference of opinion among the people who
have been honestly intent upon securing
the most useful improvements of that wa
terway. At times this divergence of views
has threatened to become acute and re-
suit in acrimonious interchange, If nothing
else came from it.
For that and other rccSonS the settle
ment which has been reached, as far as
such matter could be settled outside of
Congress, is specially welcome and happy
1t is now proposed that sum of money
be appropriated for the purpose of securing
an examination and report upon the two
methods of treatment which have been
adyoca ted-namely, covering the creek from
the Massachusetts avenue bridge to its
mouth with a culvert or keeping 1t as an
open waterway controlled by the public
and with the sides of the gorge improved
by grass and foliage plants.
The Commissioners have recommended to
congress that this course be pursued and in
addition to its harmonizing influence there
is perhaps the superior advantage in Sc
curing for a question of great Importance
to the city full and complete considera-
ton.
There are reasons, of course, that will
at once occur to any one who gives the
subject any attention to be advanced for
both OF these metnOQS. IN the HTSt place
there is the advantage of doing away with
bridges throughout the entire section and
welding more closely the outskirts of what
was formerly two towns Building lots
which have. been on the fringe of both
places would in this way be brought right
into desira BILE relations with the rest of the
town. This is not only a portion of the
argument advanced for the culvert treat
ment but it is also recognized as logical
result
As City Outskirts.
Making the two sections which were for
merly organically separate and are now
united as far as the city government is con-
cerned physically one seems to be right in
line with the nature of things. On the other
hand there is a question in some minds
whether the obliteration of the creek as a
barrier would change conditions which have
existed for years and which, to large eX-
tent seems to have fixed the character OF
the two localities.
However, the argument against the cul-
vert scheme is not directed toward the i'm
probability of bringing houses and improve
ments of a good class throughout a section
where the opposite kind have, to large ex-
tent occupied the space. and that, too. for a
good many years. What the advocates OF
the open treatment or the retention of the
gorge of Rock creek and its adornment
claim is that the city cannot afford to give
up q place of great natural beauty which,
in the midst of such unaccustomed and I'M
usual surroundings is bit of genuine ma
ture At present the banks have been
turned into ash dumps and a large area
now has the unlovely aspect which such a
treatment implies.
Chance for Both Sides.
All this can be changed, 1t is claimed