Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-20
Lower Rock Creek.

Attorney General Wickersham's pro-
eeedings to secure possession for the
United States of a strip of land adjacent
70 Rock creek below X street are i'm
portant in the possibility that they will
result in the investment in the United
states OF title to a territory forming
part Of the proposed park driveway join
Ing Potomac Park and the reservation
OF the upper Rock Creek valley. This
move, however. is not calculated to ad-
vance materially the enterprise of drive
way creation which has Jagged for sew
eral years In Congress and which should
long since have been inaugurated by leg
islative enactment.
The territory now brought into question
IN court is a very small part Of that in
volyed in the projected plan. Its &C
quisition by way Of writ of ejectment is
not likely to be accomplished for several
years, inasmuch as the proceedings will
Of course be resisted vigorously by the
present occupants of the land. Mean
while the shorter cut to the rescue of
the lower Rock Creek valley from its
present deplorable condition should be
taken by Congress.
For many years the condition of lower
Rock creek has been an affront to the
dweilers in the District. 1t has offended
the eye in its own appearance. with its
miscellaneous huddle Of uniovely struc-
lures and its promiscuous piles of refuse.
Harder to bear even than the unsghtli-
ness of the valley has been the waste of
opportunity, the neglect Of natural
field of park-mak king operations. The
sngulhng OF Rock creek by the steadily
encroaching dumps has shocked the civic
spirit soreiy. and year after year a cry
Of protest has been raised to Congress
TO hasten The decision as to the best
method of treating this territory.
Two broad propositions have been ad-
vanced. one TO preserve the creek as far
rs possible In it's natural condition and
terrace the banks for driveways and
gardens. and the other to arch II over,
converting II below the Massachusetts,
Avenue bridge into a veritable sewer and
either pre-empting the surface for park
uses or permitting it to be transformed
into building lots and factory sites The
Senate park commission in it's report filed
I'm ieO2, after an exhaustive study of the
ofsetting advantages and disadvantages
of the two plans. reached the conclusion
that the Rock creek parkway should be
treated as an open valley. crossed as
often az may be necessary by handsome
and substantial bridges. fanked by traffic
roads connecting on a level with the
adjacent city streets and including at
lower level near the stream a drive or
drives and such paths as may be needed"
1t was contemplated by the park COM
mission that by means Of this treatment
the Rock Creek valley would be estab-
lished as a connection between the great
system of parks and reservations lying
west OF the Capitol and south of the
White House and that which lies within
the northern reach of the creek valley.
1t Is impossible to conceive that this
grand plan, upon which all students Of
the park possibilities of Washington
agree as the browning glory of the fed
erai city, should be neglected In so vital
q particular And 1t is dificult to under
stand why Congress should delay so long
In approaching this question Every year
will add TO the cost of land acquisition
and Of execution. The court proceedings
just started by the Attorney General
should not operate to delay congressional
desired to take these lands as a whole
for park purposes the question of COM
pensation for those parts. the title to
which is in doubt, could be relegated TO
the courts for settlement even as now
the United States is seeking to wrest
possession from those whom IL regards
AS in unlawful occupancy.