The Washington herald., 1909-04-28
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

-Four events transpIring within the
month in the National Capital mark 10
the American public the growing strength
OF the nationwide movement for better
end more beautiful cities. To-day the
body Of Maj TEnfant. that genius who
planned the city Of Washington. lies
on the way 10 re-interment in Arlington
Cemetery-a short while in the roturda
os the Capitol. whose site he had Sc
lected- On May ; viii be unveiled the
statue 20 Alexander Shepherd. some time
president Of the Board Of Public Works
IN Washington. and under whom the city
received its first impetus toward its pres
ent beauty On May q. q general con-
ference. with representatives from many
cities. viii be held in Washington for
the purpose Of discussing the better plan
ming OF cities. During this month Mrs.
Taft, wife Of the President, inaugurated
a series Of afternoon band concerts on
the water front, lending a bit OF Old
World sttractiveness 10 Washington life
and at the same time introducing to the
people OF the city the beauties OF Poto-
mac Park. that most exquisite proof Of
The possibilities in reclaimed lands and
sand-bars that lie in the power Of every
riparian city.
A soldier Of France, a follower Of La
Fsyerte in the cause OF American liberty.
drawer Of plans for Buffalo, designer or
that perfect city plan that has made
Washington & good pattern for all rev
= -ro
TEnfsnt died q pensiOneT on the hos
pitality OF the Carroll family, OF Mary
land, and was buried in the family bury
ing ground on Digges farm, near I0
years ago. Il was Jefferson who sug-
gested TEnfant's services 10 Washington,
and during a week spent al Mount Yer
non, with maps Of many Old World cities
before them. the President and the
French engineer worked out the plan for
Washington. the only time in the history
OF the world that The capital city OF any
nation has been planned beforehand aEG
built according 30 the plans St Peters
burg. II Is true. was named and the site
chosen in 1903, with the view 10 its being
the Russian capital but when that city
was built in the marshes IL was with the
object of having a key 20 the Northern
seas. and the idea Of beauty was a miHo-
consideration.
Washington had seen no European city.
Glenn Brown asserts that If any AmeTi-
can city offered suggestions 70 Washing
ton n its plans they may have been An
nspoIs and Williamsburg Annapolis. il
IS remembered, was built somewhat after
the plans suggested By Sir Christopher
Wren for the rebuilding CT London after
The fire OF 1856 the TWO focal points with
radial streets being from Wren's plans.
while Williamsburg has a distinctive
mall that may have suggested 10 the first
President the mall for his Federal City.
L Enfant knew the Old World better Il
is said that the planning OF the Capitol
and the White House as axes for the
many radiating avenues was suggested 10
him by lie Notre's plan Of Versailles
There was an eye. too. for the possible
Invasion Of the capital OF the new repub
lie, and from these two centers cannon
could be trained down the various ave
nues and offer inpregnable fortress for
ruler and congress.
Whatever the origin Of the plan. Il has
proved its beauty and worth. They drew
il so that from the intersection OF any
two or more streets and avenues the
horizon can always be seen When the
Capital City celebrated its centennial in
1900 and realized that IL was no. all that
the nations head municipality should be.
a commission was sent abroad 10 study
ether cities and see what changes should
be made in TEnfant-s plan The commits
sion reported that his plan was best OF
all. and that in so far as II had not been
permanently interfered with IN Washing
ION, It should be followed
It Is possibly the eccentricity Of genius
that made the gifted Frenchman soon
zntagonistic to the committee under
which he was TO work. Cor shortly after
be had drawn his plans, had engaged
the stone from the quarries. and started
the city's building. he was removed JEFF
ferson recommended that MAJ. TEnfant
be paid for his services and suggested
thar i be liberal. The President
thinks" so jefferson wrote 10 certain
members Of Congress 80 so or S. .0Oo
but leaves the determination 70 you"
This vas in 1872 In 1910 the engineer
was voted S665.66 with interest from 1792.
In consideration OF his great work. In
vited by AIr- DiSges 70 his farm, he spent
the last quarter century o. more Of his
life there. refusing an appointment as
Instructor az West Point, II IS12, and in
the year that La Fayette paid his final
visit 70 this country, the French guest
died al The Maryland farm. and though
the family burial ground was tenanted
with the dead Of the CAROLS and Digges
families when he was first buried there.
they were later removed, and for many
years his body has laid there in company
only with that OF mysterious stranger.
who figured in some long ago romance.
and found shelter there IN death. To-
day the nation honors the dust Of the
engineer. long dead. and later il is be-
iieved a suitable memorial viii mark
his new grave in Arlington
The nation has known few men so far
seeing as FEnfant. He planned q cfty
of sixteen mile area, 70 accommodate
4 population OF 800 900. when all the people
m al the newly United States was only
! little over seven times that number. He
looked from London and Paris, cities a
thousand or 50 years IN making, and
saw as n vision. a century OF so be-
yond his day, a city OF many beautiful
buildings on hills and IowIands BY the
Potomac. He saw squares in raorasses
and obeiiskS IN trees" It has taken
over a century TO realize some OF the
dreams Of the dreamer, Ions dead. The
new city was a dreary sight for Pres7-
dent Adams and his political family. Not
until Monroe's prosperous times did the
city grow 10 12.0o0 or 1000 inhabitants.
When Sha0nerd took charge Of the r71bls~