The Washington times., 1915-09-08
PLAN PLAY SPACE
FOR WIDEST STREET
Civic Workers Urge Beauty Spot
for Canal Street In South
west Section.

washington's widest street II efforts
Of civic workers succeed. may be clear
ed of ramshackle buildings in its center
and may be made a beautiful thorousn-
fare. as well as play space Tor tho
cty's most congested section.
No, the city's widest street Is not
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. That Is the gem
eral belief. But wider by eighty feet
Ia stretch Of five blocks Of Cauai
street southwest. which runs from car
f,cld Park in a northwesterly direction
~ Maryland avenue aand Third street
southwest.
An effort is to be made during the
coming winter to get the District to
remove from the middle of this
thoroughfare the unsightly sheds. sta
bles, lumber piles and blacksmith shops
that now make 1t an eyesore. Congress
already has passed a law turning over
the tracts in the middle OF the street.
occupied by the District. to the control
Of the chief of engineers. and as soon
as the District moves. the office OF pub
lie buildings and grounds Is expected
to take steps to beautify the street.
probably with wide parking. similar
to that on Pennsylvania avenue south
Bringing Up Pressure.
Though the portion Of the street
which has passed from the Commis-
sioners' control Is in the southwest,
members Of tho Southeast Washington
Citizens Association as we'll as promi-
nent workers in the Monday Evening
Club are quietly planning to bring
pressure to bear to have the street i'm
proved. At early meetings Ief both
these organizations the matt@F Is ex-
Canal street is e4o feet wide from
building line to building line. The
vais aSenue s,rtf the captoi and
the Treasury, which is 1so feet from
building line to building line.
Canal street has an interesting his
BY the fact that the historic James
Greek canal ran through the middle OF
It for many years IT. This canal e9nneet nnrs
town canal. which ran from the mouth
Of the Eastern branch past the site Of
the, present Center Market. This canal
Canal street near south csRitol ana
as the Tiber Creek canal because the
old Tiber creek emptied into IT,
there until recent years. When there
was high tide. or when there were
proved a source Of danger. Drownings
occurred frequently. Finally they were
filled in. and the water that drained
through them diverted into underground
culverts.
Jurisdiction Settled.
When the canals filled in there arose
the question of Jurisdiction The Dis
trict took control of 1t. and some pri-
vate tenants OF the District settled
upon 1t. These became convinced that
they had "squatters' rights" to the land
and to clear UP the question Congress.
Tor the year ending Jun June 80. 1915, in.
serted this clause:
An public spaces resulting from the
Of Washington, not. now under the
Jurisdiction Of the chief OF engineers of
the y. g. A.. except such portions as
actual use as roadways and sidewalks.
and except the portions assigned by law
TO the District OF Columbia for use as
sewage pumping station. respectively.
are placed under the Jurisdiction Of the
chief of engineers, U. 8. A.. and shall
be laid out as reservations as part
OF the park system Of the District of
Columbia
The Canal street spaces now used by
the District are not assigned to It by
any previous law. but. according TO
engineers office. This fact is recog-
nized by the District and they retain
their shops and stables there by tenn
porary permits granted by the chief of
engineers.
Playground Needs.
With the single exception Of Willow
Tree alley. there are no Fairgrounds in
the southwest section. Children there
must play on narrow streets. or not
play at all. School officials and other
friends Of the children long have been
Tying to devise a means of getting a
playground for them without heavy ex-
penditures.
These citizens now are pointing to the
space IN Canal street as an opportunity
Tor such play space. The parking would
afford children ample room. and it
would greatly add to the beauty Of the
crowded section. The Anacostia and
Congress Heights cars run through one
of the divisions Of the street along the
long. low. rickety, dingy buildings. in
which there are blacksmith shops. piles
of rubbish which constitute a fire
menace. and old wagons stored by the