Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-18
District Surveyor Would Con-
meet Historic Forts Near CITY.
WANTS QUICK ACTION
Proposed Chain of Roadways to Be
Twenty-Five Miles Long.
BUILD FIVE MILES A YEAR
Many Historic Spots Have Been OBJ
liberated by Subdivisions,
Says Report.

The building of a mammoth boulevar
to connect the chain Of historic forts tina
surrounds the National Capital will b.
accomplished in five years II the Com
missioners of the District of Columbi;
and Congress approve a plan which ha
| been worked out by District Surveyo
| Melvin c. Hazen.
In his annual report, submitted to thu
Commissioners today. Surveyor Hazer
points to the necessity Of making i'm
mediate provision for the fort drive
which was recommended by the parI
commission in 1907
| He does not recommend what amount
| for this purpose shall be included in tn
Commissioners next estimate but it i:
| understood that the plan of the surveyor
| calls for the condemnation of about ffv,
| miles of the proposed roadway each yea
| until the project has been completed. A
this rate, the boulevard would be a real
| 1ty in five years. as 1t is to have tota
| length of about twenty-five miles,
| To Include All Forts.
| Congress, in the current District ap-
preparation act, provided for the con-
demnation of Forts Davis and Dupont,
northeast of Anacostia. and the build
ing Of a roadway between the two old
| fertilization points. This improvement
will mark the beginning of the plan
| to build Northumberland fifty foot
wide boulevard around the capital,
old forts built for the protection of
Washington during the civil war.
Among the old Notifications are Forts
Staunton, Saratoga, Reno, Stevens, Lin
Totten and others. Surveyor Hazen. in
his report. calls attention to the fact that
many of the forts have been obliterated
| as a result of the laying out of subdivi-
sions, and that if the boulevard is to be-
come a reality it is imperative that
there be no delay in the acquisition of the
necessary ground.
The proposed roadway will be situated
upon the highest ground in the District
of Columbia and at practically every
point will afford splendid view of the
city. Many of the forts now are almost
| inaccessible.
Proposes Other Improvements.
| Other recommendations made by Mr..
Hazen, and which are in accordance with
the highway plan. are:
The widening Of Georgia avenue from
! Florida avenue to the District line.
| The widening Of Wisconsin avenue
| from its intersection with 37th street
| to the District line.
The extension Of 18th street from
Spring road to Longfellow street
| northwest.
1t is set forth in the report that Georgia
| avenue and Wisconsin avenue are the
| most Travelled highways leading from the
city into Maryland, and that they should
| be widened before improvements will
| make their widening prohibitory.
| If the 18th street Improvement is made,
| it is stated, it will open up and connect
a number of the most active subdivisions
| in that part of the District, giving them
the only outlet to the city that Is not now
occupied by street cars.
The surveyor again urges that provision
be made for the acquisition of Mount
Hamilton Park, Piney Branch Parkway
and Klingle Road Valley Park. Items
the Commissioners last estimates. but
the desired appropriations were not au-
| thorized by Congress.
In Keeping With Plans.
These matters have been before Con-
gress, and the proposed parks are in
keeping with the plan as provided by
| the park commission which was sub
mitted in 1902" states the report. They
are Of great Importance to the entire
District and the public at large in
| order to carry out a system of parking
| which will make Washington the city
l
| of these parks is being destroyed by
the encroachment of improvements and
| the land becoming a public dump, which
will in time render them unfit for natural
parks, the great beauty of which has
| been provided by nature.
| The value of the land for these parks
| is increasing, and their acquisition, If de-
| layed, will become more expensive each
year. This is shown by the recent assess
| ment as compared with the prior triennial
| assessment The P1ney Branch parkway
| will show an increase of more than 26 pei
! cent An increase will be shown in al
| of the other proposed parks"
Enactment into law of the following
| bills, now pending in Congress, is urged
| by Surveyor HaZen:
| Senate bill No. 4s5EProviding for the
| condemnation and opening Of all streets
| in the Barry farm.
Senate biil No. 5a:as-For the widening
| and extension of Spring road. Georgia
avenue to Goth street
| Senate bill No. 41O7--Givng the Com
missioners authority to institute condem-
nation proceedings for the extension OF
streets.
House bill No. 1216O-Senate bill No
| 1069eFor the condemnation Of Minnesota
avenue in accordance with the highway
plan.
Bill providing for the widening of Ben
ming road northeast.
| Bill for the extension Of 14th street and
Alaska avenue northwest.
| Bill for the extension Of Oak street
northwest to 14th street.
Alley Cases Increase.
The report shows that fees received
] during the last fiscal year by the sur
| veyor's office for work done for pri-
vate parties amounted to $19,50455
the number of private orders being
| greater than in any previous year
| Among the large tracts subdivided dur
| ing the year were Congress Heights
Extension, Chillum Castle Heights
Fairlawn, Chevy Chase Grove. Bradbury
| Heights and Villa Park Heights
| Accompanying Mr.. Hazen's report was
report by the assistant surveyor of the
| District, j. B. Shinn. This shows q
| large increase in the number of alley
| cases filed, there being twenty flour cases
| of this kind as compared with fifteen
during the year previous. twenty-five
cases for parks and streets were filed
| The cost of land and improvements con.
| demned for alley purposes during the
year was $1s,464.S4. while the cost OF
land and improvements for streets
| amounted to 1855, 1871 70.
CAR SERVICE AGAIN NORMAL,