Evening star., 1921-09-27
SUGGESTS BRIDGE
ACROSS CHANNEL
Fine Arts Commission Would
Connect Water Street With
Potomac Park.

bridge across the Washington
channel from Water street to East
Potomac Park and a recreation pier
in the channel for children were sug-
gested by the Fine Arts Commission
today as two projects that might be
made part of the plan for improv-
ing the water front.
The. suggestions were contained in
letter addressed by the commissi
to the J. Maury Dove Company, q copy
of which was sent to the District
Commissioners. -
ciaripg the action Of 4tIae Eonahnts-
s5oners IN AnnbunctRg their tnteafldn
OF Cleaning up the water front" is
Interpreted by the business men of
Washington as indicating an inten-
tion on the part Of the Commissioners
to decrease and possibly prohibit use
Of the water front for commercial
purposes, the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress also forwarded to-
day letter to the District Commits
sioners protesting against proposed
curtaifment of commercial use of the
river front.
The letter cites figures to show the
amount spent on improving the chan
mel to fit it for commercial purposes.
and to illustrate the amount of tom
mage which comes to Washington by
water.
,,,t The letter from h the Fine Arts
note from Col. Clarence o. Sheriff.,
secretary of the fine arts organiza-
ton, commencing the District Com
missioners for their determined
stand in the water front matter and
expressing the hope that the improve
ments will be accomplished at an
early date.
Commission's Letter.
The commissions letter, in part,
follows:
THE President and Commissioners
who laid out the city of Washington
reserved for public uses the entire
water front of the Potomac river and
Eastern branch. together with the
vacant space left adjacent thereto .tas
shown on the L'Enfant, Ellicott and
Dermott maps), to form a street, to
be called Water street, Tor convenient
access to such docks and wharves as
might be constructed in the interests
of commerce, and navigation of the
city. which street should form the
southern boundary of the city Such
being the decision of the Supreme
Court, Congress placed the custody
of the vacant space in the control Of
the District COMM SStOnerS, who are
now undertaking to regulate the use
thereof in the interests of the public
THE plan of 1901 contemplates that
Water street, with it's unusual width,
should form a portion of the series of
boulevards and parkways encircling
the CITY, This development is not in
consistent with commercial uses of
the water front-such uses as are rep
resented by the municipal fish mar
kets and the landings Of river steam
ers, provided always that the property
be maintained in an orderly condi-
tion.
OpDOxed POwerh0use.
This commission did oppose with
vigor the erection on the water front
of a powerhouse. Such action was
based on the fact that in its very ma
ture a powerhouse would be a dis
turbing and dominating feature in a
park area.
This commission has noted with
satisfaction that the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia have en-
tered upon the systematic develop
ment and improvement of Water
street in such manner as to make it
a satisfactory connection between the
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