Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-08
WOULD BUY FORTS.
District Surveyor Wants Them
for Public Parks.
EARLY ACTION NECESSARY
Plans Are Under Way to Divide
Property in Question Into
Building Lots.

Recommending a number of street and
park improvements. the annual report of
District Surveyor NJ. G. Hazen was sub
mitted to the Commissioners today.
The Commissioners, ii is understood.
probable that number of the improve
ments outlined will be'provided for in the
next annual estimates for the District
The principal park improvement rec
commended by the surveyor is the pur-
chase of Fort Davis and Fort Dupont
and the widening of Bowen road, which
extends between them. Fort Davis lies
near the intersection of Pennsylvania
avenue and Bowen road southeast. while
Fort Dupont is located at the intersec-
ton of Bowen and Ridge roads.
Acreage of Reservations.
The property in the fort reservations
contains about forty-one acres and can
be purchased, it is estimated. for about
$1,000. The condemnation of land for
the purpose of widening Bowen road
from its present width of thirty feet to
80 feet would make the total cost of the
project, it is estimated, about $4,000.
Declaring that the scheme for making
ticable Surveyor Hazen asserts that ac-
ton must be taken soon for the reason
that subdivisions will be made and streets
condemned and opened through these
tracts.
Condemnation of two streets-Spring
road and 9Th Street-are urged by the
surveyor The former, he declares. should
be condemned, in accordance with the
highway plan, from Georgia avenue to
Rock Creek Park. There is no part ef
the District developing more rapidly than
this section it is pointed out, and this
street should be acquired before i'm
prorements are constructed in its lines.
Fifth street should be condemned from
Mcmillan Park to Park road, asserts the
surveyor.
Extension of Highway.
Referring to the proposed highway
along the .Anacostia river, for which
survey has been made. Mr.. Hazen de-
clares that, in his opinion, the highway
should be extended from Monroe street
to the District line, on the east side of
the Anacostia river. and from the north
east boundary of the city to the District
lire on the west side of the river.
This would be for all time the bound
airy between private owners and the
government states the report, and II
is very probable that it would save litisa-
ton, such as was the case in the famous
Norris agt United States. known as the
Potomac flats case.
Receipts From Private Work.
According to the surveyors report.
the total receipts during the year for
work done for private persons amount
ed to s21,496.17. This is a decrease
compared with last year. but is greater
than the amount received during any
year prior to 1910 which was a banner
year.
The work done for the various de-
partments of the District government
and for the United States government,
it is stated. recorded a big increase
over any previous year. Also, it is
stated. there was an increase in the
number of cases filed in court for the
condemnat ton of streets and alleys.
Surveyor Hazen declares that the
pl; ing of the street extension office
unlc. the supervision of the surveyor
has proven satisfactory, notwithstand-
ing the fact that it has greatly in
creased the amount of work.