Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-27

One of the localities where the city
can be seen to grow is out 18th street
extended. During the last year aston
fishing progress has been made toward
the north. The line of closely built-up
streets is being extended farther and
farther. For two or three squares north
of Park road, which for long time was
the terminus of at least the city portion
of 18th street, houses it would seem to
the casual visitor, have gone up almost
like magic.
Not alone is the frontage on 18th
street on the east side built up, but also
the side streetS-at least as far east as
Holmead avenue. All these east and
west streets. namely, Newton, Meridian
and Oak streets, have been practically
bordered with houses on both sides, and
now men and teams are at work opening
and grading a new east and west thor
oughfare to be known as Otis street.
Demand for Homes.
The new thoroughfare is not being
opened just as an experiment., but because
the money is waiting to be put in dwell
Ings to be erected just as soon as the
ground is in readiness for that purpose.
But in the meantime there are tiers of
lots on some of the other streets that
have not been filled, and so swarms of
workmen are seen. and there are piles
of building material and all the disorder
that is usual in the vicinity of building
operations. There are houses in all stages
of construction, and also those entirely
done or perhaps with only the finishing
touches to be added are already being
visited daily by people wanting to buy
homes
1t has been the experience of Shannon
e. Luchs they say, who have sold a large
number of the houses recently put up IN
this locality, that for every house there
is also buyer and in some cases more
than one buyer Hence 1t is that more
houses are going up, and this new resi-
dence section is pushing to the north
ward. Where few weeks or months
ago there were fields and pastures of the
country, now there are rows of houses.
What is more, all these homes are occu-
pied, showing that this is not mere
speculative movement, but an attempt to
meet genuine need of the market
Piney Branch Ravine.
But the northWard progress along 14th
street does not stop south of Spring road.
although at that point is the ravine Of
Piney branch, which. unlike the survivor
of that ancient stream still has its old
time width and depth with room for a
the stretch of the Potomac just above
the city. The contrast between the rather
tiny rivulet of the present stream and
the tremendous gorge provided for its re-
ception illustrates the changes which have
taken place in the locality. However, the
gorge has to be provided for, even if the
stream can no be hidden away in a con-
crete tunnel of comparatively small bore.
At the point in question. however, eX-
cept the great fill TO carry the roadway
from n a
the problem of how to get over and
around has been solved for the time
being by merely going on, SO that the
line of houses fronting on 18th street
merely pauSeS on the south side of the
gorge and then jsmps to the other side.
where there is another section of houses
which are also occupied.
Scenery and Subdivisions.
Such pathway for stream ma
for Piney branch furnishes good deal
of variety in the landscape and gives
those effects which admirers of what is
called the romantic or picturesque in
scenery are apt to approve. But when
the maker of a city subdivision comes
to deal with such a bit of landscape and
has not full swing as TO where he will
place the streets and the width assigned
to each, as he certainly has not anywhere
is apt to wish most heartily that ma
ture had been more practical and less
pOetical.
Farther along to the north the problem
of the gorge of the Piney branch has
been solved through the expenditure of
money on the part of Mr. Saul and the
District of Columbia, that at the
present time this stream beginning at
Brightwood or Georgia avenue has dis
appeared from view and passes through
a concrete pathway some distance below
the surface of Arkansas avenue. The
tunnel has a diameter of nine feet.
Region of Detached Houses.
In this way the subdivision made by
Mr.. Saul. and where a good many houses
of the detached style have been and are
being built, has an uninterrupted sweep
from 14th street, where it begins north
Of the junction with Decatur street, over
to Georgia avenue. South of this prop
erty the course of the gorge is through
the property acquired by the District for
the tuberculosis Hospital AS this tract
of land will remain as whole it will
not be necessary to adapt fixed system
Of city streets to piece of ground that
is very irregular and broken.
The dwellings throughout Sauls d.
vision. which is handled by n. l.. Sans
bury. extend to the old nth street or
pineX Branch road which inst I'm tba