The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-06
WANTS BOULEVARDS
BUILT ALONG RIVER
a. B. CasseIman Urges Roads
From City to Great Falls
and Mt. Vernon.

A boulevard on both sides of the
Potomac river from Washington 10
Great Falls.
A bridge across the Potomac at
Great Falls connecting these boule-
wards.
A boulevard from Washington south
to Mt. Vernon, connecting with the
upper Potomac Park development.
These, in brief. were the sugges-
tions made to the National Park
Conference yesterday by A B. Cas-
selman, as the next stage in the de-
velopment of Washington's park sys-
tenn.
Mr.. Casselman, an employee OF the
Interior Department, has made a pro
longed study of the scenic beauties
OF the Potomac, with a view to adapt
ing a park plan to make them acces-
sible.
He Cites Editorial.
az wish I could read you an edi-
toriaI from the New York Sun OF re-
cent date" Mr.. Casselman said, (which
points to the splendid way New York
State has taken advantage of the
scenery along the Hudson river TO
establish the great Palisades Park.
The Sun states that a million and a
half persons visited. that park during
the past summer, that 5000 Boy
Scouts were encamped there, ana
outlines the other outings it made
possible.
Mr.. Casselman told how that park
had been made possible by private
philanthropies in the beginning, when
j. p. Morgan, John d. Rockefeller,
Mrs. Hartman and others raised q
fund of $4,000, 900, which was dupli-
Gated by the State, and expended upon
the project.
Now 1 believe the upper Potomac
never will be developed unless there
Is a great public demand for It." Mr..
Casselman said. "a much smaller
philanthropy might be obtained for
the building of a bridge across the
river at Great Falls, a point where
hidden beauties now abound that
would be made accessible to the pub
lie by such a bridge"
Warrington 10 Interested.
Mr.. Casselman pointed out the pro-
priety of connecting the Great Falls
boulevard with Mr.. Vernon because
George Washington was deeply inter
ested in Great Falls and helped dig
the canals there, the first In this
country.
Below the Highway bridge, and
north of Alexandria, he said, there lie
400 or 500 acres of shallow river
which should be reclaimed.
Some of the O0rfion NJ tha a-f-f-~Y
District Of Columbia, ceded back to
Virginia in 1876, Mr.. Casselman said.
should be restored to the National
Government, because the Government
has interests OF great magnitude, es-
pecially those in the power site at
Great Falls, along both sides of the
river.
Endorsed by Taft.
He said that President Taft had
recommended the acquisition by the
Government OF a portion of the Viz
ginia tract, and that Ambassador
Bryce had said: at is an ingratituds
to Providence IL the country does not
use the great natural beauty of the
upper Potomac" Nowhere in this
country, Mr.. Casselman said, does
such scenery within easy distance OF
a great city as that this side of the
falls.
He said that II the plan to have
a great lake at Little Falls is car
ried out that makes the development
OF the land above Little Falls all the
more desirable.
The beauty OF Washington, he con-
tinued, is no longer a matter of local,
but of national interest.
ut will not be many decades" he
predicted, until Washington has a
million population, and then 1t will be
too late to acquire the territory need
ed for the Great Falls Park plan