Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-18
Continuous Reservation Along
Rock Creek Valley Au-
thorized by Congress.
COMMISSION HAS POWER
TO ACQUIRE THE LAND
Three Cabinet Officers in Charge.
Meeting at the Treasury De-
partment This Afternoon.

Considerable interest is being manifest
ed ny inquirers at the District building
as 10 which part of the parkway connec-
tion 10 be made between Rock Creek
geological and Potomac parks will be
begun first
The recently passed law leaves the
carrying out of all its details to .he COM
mission of three cabinet officers named
mercantile Secretaries of the Treasury,
War and Agriculture. with the first
named as chairman-which has been call
cd TO meet this afternoon at o'clock at
the Treasury Depa rtment. The law speci-
hcs mat they shall acquire the land nee
essary for the park connections by ''pur-
chase, condemnation or otherwise" and
the sum Of of sl,3OO,OOO is hereby au-
shor!zed to be expended toward the ac-
auIrenent of such land but the act does
not specify at which end of the improve
ment the work shall be begun, nor which
land shall be acquired first.
This raises an interesting question: one
OF the many, no doubt, which will be con-
stantly coming up in connection with this
great work. Just after the passage of
the act Senator Sutherland, chairman of
the Senate public buildings and grounds
COMMITTEES, in an interview in The Star.
StotlSd the OIL SI,.SU,WU
was intended to be but the first of such
authorizations, and that others would fol-
low, as. to acquire all the land for the
whole Improvement. and to do all the
necessary work, will undoubtedly require
much more money.
Awaits Decision of Commission.
the District building as to what land VIII
he fire tllo Of
that question viii naturally have to wait
on the decision Of the. commission, and
the commission and it's advisers will
reaching a conclusion For this reason,
in order to get the work started as soon
as possible. the Secretary of the Treas
ury was urged to call the commission
moment, the Secretary of War, Mr.. Gar
rison, having addressed him letter ask
ing him to do SO in view of the great
public interest in the proposed improve
ment.
If the commission decides to follow out
the recommendations made by the Dis
trict Commissioners in the report on the
proper way to apply the open valley
treatment TO Rock creek, the question of
what part of the work is to be done first
will easily be settled. The report stated:
1T is recommended that the Improve
ment of Rock creek, from Massachusetts
avenue to l. street, be executed as early
as possible, as the existing conditions are
development of the abutting sections. and
are a reflection upon the entire city or
Washington
1t was also stated that delay in carry
ing out the Improvement OF this section
will not only add materially to the final
cost, but such delay will materially In
tetfere with the proper execution of the
plans.
AS most of the engineers in Washing
ton who have had to do with considering
the question of Rock creek improvement
refer to the report above quoted as an
authority on the subject. it is of interest
to note the plans that were made Tor the
open valley treatment in the section De
tween Massachusetts avenue and l.
street. which are likely to be carried out
when the work is taken up.
Projected Park Entrance.
The report says as to this, in part:
I'm the upper part of section /, a park
entrance is made. through Lovers lane
and Lovers Lane valley. In addition to
this at some future date, it will be prac
ticable to get very good entrance, with
easy grades. through the extension of 7
street to Wisconsin avenue. The connec-
ton of Rock Greek drive with T street
will also make an excellent connection
between Georgetown and Washington,
Starting from Massachusetts avenue.
the main low level drive is on the east
side of the creek and parallels it in
general way until it reaches Lyons MILL
at which point it crosses, on a masonry
bridge and from there on it continues
down Rock creek on the right bank until
just below Pennsylvania avenue, where
it recrosses the creek on second low
level bridge. From there on this low
of Rock creek until it reaches point
where the creek runs into the river, and
from there on this roadway and low
main path parallel the bank of the river
until they reach Potomac Park.
LAS stated before, this lower roadway
and it's accompanying park from l. street
south is carried upon concrete steel
viaduct at an elevation of about twenty
feet above the existing ground. The
bridge ct Lyons mill should have a face
of gneiss ashlar. and the superstructure
should be of brick. to conport in general
with the old Lyons mill, which historic
structure should be maintained. This low
level Lyons Mill bridge is to be built on
sition possible between the main low level
on the left bank and the continuation of
the same road on the right bank The old
mill road Is too steep for connection,
and therefore it has been subordinated In
this plan.
Branch of Low-Level Road.
The main low-level road branches out
into second road about go feet south
Of Massachusetts avenue. This latter