Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-03
WASA|NGTON|N1 $50
Interesting Description by an
Old Geographer.
SAW A GREAT FUTURE
Site Of City Commended for Con-
venience, Salubrity and Beauty.
BISECTED BY TIBER CREEK
Then the Anacostia River Was
Navigable for Large Ships as
Far Up as Bladensburg.
B1sEcTED BY TIBER CREEK

Jedidiah Morse, a. NJ. of Charlestown,
Mass. about 179o, wrote a book which he
called 1.-THE American Universal Geog-
raphy Of All the Empires, Kingdoms.
States and Republics Of the Known
World, and Of the United States Of Amer
lea In Particular" An act Of Congress
provided for the publication OF the work,
which was the most pretentious of its
kind compiled in America up to that time.
In this work the author describes the
newly coded territory Of Columbia and
the just-established city Of Washington
In manner amusing to Washingtonians
Of today.
This city. which is now building" he
says, Stands at the junction Of the River
Patomak and the Eastern branch, ex-
tending nearly four miles up each, and
including a tract Of territory exceeded, in
point of convenience. salubrity and
beauty, by none In America For, al
though the land in general appears level
yet by gentle and gradual swellings a
variety of elegant prospects are produced
and sufficient descent formed for car
rying OF the water occasioned by rain"
Many Excellent Springs.
That the problem Of a sufficient water
supply for the new capital Of the nation
was prominent even as long ago as the
time at which MOrse's American Uni
versal Geography" was written is shown
by the authors statement that within
the limits of the city are q great number
OF excellent springs, and by dlgging wells,
water Of the best quality may readily be
had. Besides, the never-fatiing streams
that run through that territory may be
collected for the use of the city,
/. Concerning water supply for the Pres.
ident's house and the Capitol, the old
geographer says: The waters of Reedy
branch and Ttber creek may be conveyed
to the Presidents house, adding tnat
about 238 feet above the level of the tide
In said creek and as the Ler-
penddcular height Of the ground on which
the Capitol is to stand Is seventy-eight
feet above the tide In Tiber creek. the
water Of Tiber creek may therefore be
conveyed to the Capitol, and, after wa.
tering that part Of the city, may be des-
tined to other useful purposes"
Course Of Tiber Greek.
Tiber creek used to flow almost south
from near what was once known as
''Swampoodle'- north Of the Union sta
ton and east Of the government printing
office-passing the site of the Plaza Hotel
crossing Pennsylvania avenue near I'd
street. and flowing through what is now
the Botanic Garden and on into the
''Patomak.' The creek has long been
covered over and converted into a sewer
this sewer. one of the largest in the
city's sewer system. passing beneath a
corner of the Plaza Hotel. But the
creek existed as a creek long after the
building Of the Capitol was begun, and
was navigable for small skiffs and sail
boats at least as far up as the Capitol
grounds. as Is shown by an old photograph
reproduced here. Reedy branch was a
branch OF Tfber creek; 1t is now covered
over and forms part of the L street
sewer.
The Anacostia Navigable.
The geographer describes the Eastern
branch-which he really should have
called Anacostia river1as lone of the
safest and most commod:ous harbors in
America" saying that it was Sufficiently
deep for the largest ships for about four
miles above its mouth Bladensburg, on
the Eastern branch, he describes as a
promising commercial point in Maryland
OF the greater river on the west side OF
the city he says:
The Patomak, although only navisable
for small craft for a considerable dis
lance from its banks next to the city
excepting about half mile above the
junction OF the rlvers), will, nevertheless,
afford a capacious summer harbor, as an
immense number Of ships may ride in the
great channel opposite to and below the
city, The great channel has been