The Washington times., 1919-09-23

/ TO PROTECT VISTA

Urging the Senate District Commit
tee % take steps 20 prevent the cut
ing on OF the view Of Washington
from Meridian Hin Park. Mrs. John
81. Henderson of s22OO sixteenth street
northwest, wei known in Washing
ten thrOpEh her efforts to beauty
the city, yesterday submitted q letter
- the committee The letter was
7 amOnr several sdbmitted az the hear
inEB On proposed regulation Of the
heights Of buildings fronting Meridian
Hlil Park.
The letter follows:
ITO hrst speak Of the value 6f an
extended city view, ] will say that
-there- are very few Of them on earth
plenty Of horizon sky views which
are seen everywhere on the ocean
but they are quite different from city
vieWs-and especially city views at
important national capitals. The two
nest famous ones are, hrst, that view
of the city Of Rome ag seen from the
riheian Hiu Park, which, in central
location. in size and On height corre-
spends almOGt exactly with our Meri-
dian HIu Park. The second most Ia
nous city view iG that Of Paris as
seen from the Are De Triumphe at
TIE head Of the most beautiful city
avenue IN the World-the Champs
Elygee8. Here 81 again another parel-
lei, beth Sixteenth street and the
Champs EIygees are the most impor-
tnnt central avenues OF the national
CAPITALS Of B6th France and America.
0ls leads from the White House, the
residence Of our National President, /
and the other from the Tuileries, the
foFmer residence Of French Kings. /
There viii undoubtedly some day be a
gfpat arch at the head Of Sixteenth /
street.
Confsr1 VIA n. Ju1seraud.
II have lately had a talk with /
Madame Jun1eran6, who tells me that 4
hoth she and the French ambassador 1
are distressed by any desecration /
whatever Of the city view from Meri- 1
dian HIIl Park.
f"she told me that all around the /
circle surrounding the Arc de Tri-
umphe the city view has been sacred
II protected; that on the drst square /
e ground surrounding the arch the 4
buildiugB have 70 be quite low and 4
only a little higher on the surround /
iEg second square; that on one OCca-
son g hotel building beyond the limit 4
oi height went up 50 quietly and 4
quickly on the second square that the /
people Of Paris at first did not notice 7
Construction Of the building but theVi
Eoon caught on, and the commOtiSni /
o. the people Of Paris was such that a l
coaEiderabls height had 20 come on /
that building. The people Of Paris 4
ven appreclate that beauty Is one OF 4
q eity'G greatest assets.
This but repeats the experience OF
the people Of Boston who took OF q i
couple Of stories Of a certain hotel 4
W8ich inteFfsFed with the city view.
HoEed 10 glve Triangle.
Nov a national calamity happened !
when q Wardmau apartment house /
building went up on the triangle at /
II and Sixteenth streets, Immediately 4
in front OF the Congressional Club (
House. When 7 gave this club the 4
ground and helped them 70 build a I
club-hOuse Of their own the only 4
hii of GglflGkueEs had in the matter 4
was the hope that the women Of I
Congress Would save that triangle di- 4
Fectly in front Of them But nobody /,
bat myself Feaiised the calamity Of /
the building, it went up 50 very fast 4
This building, although on the sec
end square away from the Meridian 4
Hiu Park, gttll cuts off q consider
able segment or the central city
view. including that OF the White
House.
Nov smother building company
does not hesitate 20 ask the privilege
a1d right 70 not only erect a solid
vail covering the Wardman decora-
ten, but they wish 70 extend the i
butlding along the entire front Of the
tUrk-the whole distance between
Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets some /
go feet IN length. To be sure the
present permit calls only for the I
first section Of the building, q 100
feet on Florida avenue and some
three or four hundred feet on the
line OF Sixteenth street.
HWhen seen from near the Sixteenth
street edge Of the park the segment
Of q central city view now cut off
By the Wardman establishment, holds i,
The same with this proposed Boyle
IlGbertgOn structure; but when one
sands in the center Of the park or
tWay frbm the Sixteenth street prox-
Unity, one views the top Of the pro-
bsed building from different angle,