Evening star., 1922-12-19
BIG |S[ANDPARK
WITH RONDPO|NT
|NBR|DGEPLANS
Beautifications Beyond Lin
coin Memorial to Include
Branch Roads.
PRESIDENTS SUGGESTION
BRINGS QUICK RESULT
Six Surveyors to Work on Airing
ton and River Scenes for
Ninety Days.

Development of a great park on Co.
Iumbia island will proceed with the
construction of the Arlington memorial
bridge across the river from the Lin
coin Memorial. under the new plan as
suggested yesterday by President
Harding for rondpoint on the island.
This was foreseen today as Col. c. o.
Sheriff.. superintendent OF public
buildings and grounds. ma-shaled his
forces for immediate WORK on the
bridge plan. which will give the Ma
tional Capital something entirely new
in the way of bridges. with an encir-
cling system of roads unique in the
country.
Survey of the environs of Arlington
national cemetery began today. pre-
liminary to making borings to deter
mine how far down the piers Of the
memorial bridge will have to go to rock.
George r. Clark. junior engineer, under
direction OF Col. Sheriff.. this morn
ing began making preliminary surveys
at the Arlington mansion.
Six surveyors. under direction or
Mr.. Clark. are at work on the surveys.
which will take about ninety days.
it was estimated. The borings in the
river will commence shortly. and will
De COTuucteQ DdTkeS, pipes uclHs
driven down to rock bottom.
Suggestion Of "Centerpiece.'
Col. Sheriff. and other officials were
enthusiastic today over the great
idea o: President Harding. suggested
by him yesterday while on the per-
sonal tour of inspection Of the pro-
posed sites for the memorial bridge.
The Presidents plan calls for the
construction of a rondpoint on CO.
lumbia Island. opposite the Lincoln
Memorial, from which shall diverge
three great roads. The location OF
such a place of divergence on the Is
land is entirely original with the
President. and at once led officials to
see that President Harding had
struck upon the very scheme TO OBJ
viate the difficulties caused by the
old plan for just one approach across
the bridge.
The memorial bridge. not to be
higher than sixty feet and sixty-four
feet in width, with no car lines upon
it. will run across the river from
the Lincoln Memorial. probably In q
line with the center Of the facade
on the Lee mansion at Arlington.
although this latter is a detail now
being worked out.
The rondpoint, to be constructed
on the island, will be the center
piece. literally and figuratlvely. OF
great park being planned for Co
iumbia Island by Col. Sheriff.. Com
plete access to tho rondpoint from
all parts of the park will be main
idea under the plan being developed
by Col. Sheriff..
City Full OF Rondpolnts.
A rondpoint is nothing more nor
less than a circle, Col. Sheriff. point
ed out today. Scot, Circle. Dupont
Circle. Iowa Circle. Thomas circle,
these and others are simply rond-
points. Washington is simply full
of them.
But to place one directly in con-
nection with a bridge is something
new.
land one road will continue directly
across the remaining portion OF the is
land to narrow boundary channel: a
small park bridge. scarcely more than
a culvert, carrying the road across this
directly up to Military road.
This center road. in effect the direct
continuation Of the memorial bridge.
will end at the Military road. A mag
nificent memorial arch Will be placed
there, leading into the cemetery. and
to the north and one to the south. will
lead by winding ways up TO the amp.i-
theater.
Equal with the main center road
will be two great roads which Will
encircle the Arlington national ceme
terry, these two encircling roads leading
directly, off from the rondpoint. If
the thumb and first two fingers OF
the hand are extended the thumb and
middle finger widely curved. with the
index finger held straight out between
the thumb and middle finger good
idea is gotten of the plan OF the three
roads The great knuckle at the base
Of the index finger will then represent
the rondpoint. The thumb will be the
road to the south around the cemetery.
and the middle finger will be the road
to the north around the cemetery. These
two great roads are entirely outside the
cemetery and. Of course. outside the
two shorter encircling roads. winding
(Continued on Page .. Column ID