The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-11
TUBES SEEN.
AS CURE FOR
CONGESTION
Public Grounds Officer Feels
City Ideally Built for Under
ground Highways.

The congestion in the downtown
sections Of the city is becoming so
great that an adequate system Of
subways will be required in the
near future. This was the opinion
expressed today by Lieut.. Col. C..
o. Sheriff., officer in charge of
public buildings and grounds at
the luncheon of the Washington
Real Estate Board at the Hotel
Lafayette. If it is possible to do
so, all the surface cars should be
removed from the streets of the
business section of the city, he
said.
City Well Planned.
There 10 probably no other city in
the world that is better planned for
the development of subway system
than Washington, she said. The NIL
merous small parks and circles would
prove admirable entrances to the sub
way system and would not mar the
city with unsightly entrances.
Colonel Sheriff. spoke on the devel.
opment of the Rock Creek and Po-
tomac Park systems, and told what
was being planned to eventually con-
meet up the two big parks of the Capt
plan that would encircle the city.
In the estimates that will be sub
mitted to Congress next December
Colonel Sheriff. said appropriations
for the development of the Anacostia
Park, between the Eleventh street and
Pennsylvania avenue bridges, would
be sought.
Other appropriations to be urged
are the completion Of the seawall 1t
the Potomac end of Rock Creek Park.
way; the completion of the field house
in East Potomac Park: the completion
of the rejecting pool fronting Lincoln
Memorial; the construction of roads In
ne wareas in Rock Creek Park, and
a golf course in the same general area
opposite Walter Reed Hospital.
Delayed by Finances.
Colonel Sheriff. said, however, that
with the present state OF the nation q
finances and the urgent necessity for
the most rigid economy, the granting
of the appropriations was doubtful.
Referring to the proposed connect
ing Of the Potomac and Rock Creek
Parks, Colonel Sheriff. said:
1.-THE preliminary plan for the de-
velopment of this parkway, provides
for a continuous low level drive, to-
gether with walks, bride paths and
decorative shrubbery throughout its
length. From a point just below
Pennsyivania avenue to the mouth OF
Rock creek the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal and the creek occupy the same
channel. II is proposed to place the
creek and the canal In separate chan
nels with the main low level drive
carried on the embankment between
them.
Between Pennsylvania avenue and
O street, border drives on both sides
OF the valley and substantially at the
same elevation as the abutting build
ing blocks, are under consideration.
These border drives are intended to
afford a splendid frontage overlooking
Rock creek valley.
Describes Plans.
Between O street and Mass. ave-
nue., owing to the narrowness OF the
valley and the fact that the parkway
does not enter upon the lands Of the
Oak Hill Cemtery. no border drives are
contemplated. From Massachusetts,
avenue to Calvert street, border drives
on both sides of the valley are planned:
From Massachusetts, avenue to Con-
necticut avenue on the east side Of
the Creek Belmont road becomes ma
turally a border road. which is to be
ultimately extended around to the Cal
vert srteet bridge. On the west side
of the creek from Massachusetts ave-
nue. to Twenty-eighth street, Rock
Creek drive becomes a border road
and will probably ultimately extend to
Calvert street.
There is probably no more insight
" portion of Washington, at the pres
ent time, than the lower part OF Rock
Creek valley, and the contrast be-
tween the present condition and the
condition that will exist along this
portion when the PARKWAY is COM
pleted Is so great as to induce all real
estate men to do all that reasonably
can be done to facilitate the compile
ton of the purchases for the com
mencement of the development work.
The first piece Of construction work
for this parkway was initiated recently
by the commencement of work on the
sea-wall in the vicinity of the foot of
New Hampshire avenue, where a
memorial Is in the near future to be
erected to the victims Of the Titanic
disaster.
Up to June 80, 1921, $3.50, 900 has
been appropriated and expended, and
the United States now owns about 90
per cent of the area within the taking
lines.