The Washington times., 1916-02-08
Cites An Example.

eliminate or minimize the smoke NUS
ances from any commercial plants
Cites An Example,
"As I dictate this letter I am look
ing from the south window of the
Treasury Department, on the second
floor and 1 can see projecting over
the top OF the Department of Agri-
culture building a small part OF the
stack OF the power plant OF that
building. 1t is hardly sufficient to be
noticed from this point That stack
Is on an elevation considerably high
er than the point where the power
plant will be erected and is undoubt-
edly more conspicuous than will DO
the two stacks from the power plant
when built and which are to be only
l75 feet high or twenty-five feet low
or than the Questionable stacks of
the Potomac Electric Power Com
pRny. 1 speak of this because II pro-
vides a very striking aud reliable
illustration Of the point in cOntro-
versy. And this stack together with
the stack on the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing, which Is the largest
of the executive group, will be re-
moved when the central plant is in
operation.
1T is pertinent, / believe, at this
point to invite your attention to an
alternative proposition which at va
rious times has been presented by the
Potomac Electric Power Company In
connection with it's proposal to the
Cove to abandon it's own CEN
tral heating, lighting and power plant
and to make ten-year contract with
the said company, This proposal of
the Potomac Electric Power Company
contemplated the enlargement of it's
ROVER plant at FourteCEth and B
streets northwest This company does
not generate steam. 1t therefore pro-
posed that il the Government would
abandon it's own plant the Potomac
Company would install at the Four
teenth and B streets plant a steam
adjunct, the initial cost of which 1t
was stated would be 100000. If tho
plans for the further beautiflcation OF
Washington, which for several years
have been under consideration are
carried into effect, that section of the
city in which the Potomac Electric
Power Companys plant Is situated
would have to be taken over by the
Government, whereupon the Govern
this plant and the additional invest
ment which would be made at that
point for supplying the Federal build
ings with steam.
Permit me to suggest that II the
efforts of art societies and civic bodies
were directed to removing the chief Of
lender against the beauty of the Mall
and the city of Washington, viz, the
conspicuous and ugly smoke stacks of
the Potomac Electric Power Company,
at Fourteenth and B streets, they would
render a genuine public service.
Il am not unmindfW of the strong
protests that have been made to Con-
gress and to the Secretary of the
Treasury against the disagreement of
Washington. If such n thing were in
contemplation It should and would
justify the resentment and the rebuke
OF the whole country. and my voice
would be raised in protest, against any
such action.
Matter of Regret.
But nothing of this character has
been contemplated, and it Is a matter
OF sincere regret that patriotic and
well-meaning citizens all over the coun-
try have, without any ip~estigation on
their part, and upon false information,
been mtsled into believing that Congress
and the Secretary of the Treasury are
seeking to establish a distressing blot
upon the face of the National Capital
which in fact and in truth they are
merely striving to remove.
shortly after the award OF the con-
tract the attention OF the Treasury De-
Partment was called to tire fact that
drawingsHand specification for the now
er.house structure had not been sub
United to the Fine Arts Commission as
required by President Wilson's execu-
tive order. This oversight was due to
the former supervising architect and
the firm of engineers hereinbefore re-
ferred to who were handling the project
independent of the regular business Of
the supervising architects Office and
kept the files OH the subject independent
or the regular office files. These files
were not distributd into the regular Of
flce files until few days after the
award Of the contract tor the construc-
ton of the plant, and about the time
that l.. b. Stillwell & Co.'S connection
with the project was terminated by the
department., Information that the Execu-
tive order had not been, complied with
came as q surprise tc the department,
and immediate steps were taken to sub
init to the Fine Arts Commission the
plans and specifications.
THE commission objects first to the
smokestacks. At the meetings held be-
fore the Senate Library Committee,
they objected not only to the smoke
stacks. but the construction OF the
plant on this or any other site, and
suggested an mpractlcable alternative
the enlargement Of the Capitol power
plant. located in Garfield Park. suffi-
ciently to serve the buildings named in
the sundry civil act. An estimate of the
cost of enlarging the Capitol power
plant to accomplish this object is ap-
Iroxmately S1,463757 (or S4,65S more
than the cost of building the new
plant. and the project would have many
Objectionable features. From the engi-
neering side it would necessitate the
transmission of steam ia miles, and
would burden plant designed to care
only for the legislative activities of the
Government.
"It can readily be demonstrated math-
matically that the smokestacks of the
new power plant will not be visible
from 90 per cent of the viewpoints re-
ferred to by the Fine Arts Commission.
] transmit herewith drawing with the
statement that an observer stationed at
any point within the shaded area will be
unable to see even the stacks of the
new plant.
II transmit also a number OF photo
graphs taken at and adjacent to the site
of the power plant, showing the condi-
tlons now existing there.
Photos Show Wharves.
"These photographs show the various
lumber wharves. coal wharves, railroad
sidings, railroad tracks, and in general
the character of the surroundings of
the selected site. l call your particular
attention to the large photograph in
which the artist has depicted to actual
scale the new power plant building in
its exact location. This view is taken
from the top of the Washington Monu-
ment, and 1t is interesting to note that
the oily point from which this photo
graph could be taken to show clearly
the power house and its stack is the
top of the Manument. approximately 5oC