The Washington herald., 1922-07-28

u in the District of Columbia. 1t has been
properly named Dead mans curve" Whoever
attempts to cross it at any hour OF the day or
night steps off the curb with the feeling of
soldier at zero hour. Traffic comes from eight
directions Automobiles and street from at
least three directions must be watched in navi-
eating the passage. Drivers, at least so it seems
to the pedestrian, rely upon the walkers to take
care of themselves.
When war workers first flocked to WASH
ington and the Capital in many respects resem-
bed army camp there were a number OF
appropriate parodies on popular songs floating
about. One of these is applicable today as
then:
"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,
If Dupont don't get you then Thomas
must"
But Dupont Circle, or Scott Circle Iowa
Circle, compared to Thomas Circle, safe
the parlor of old ladies' home compared to
the wave-washed deck of ship during a heavy
storm in mid-ocean The pedestrian has little
chance. Sometimes in order to safe cross
ing, he must wait from FIVE to ten minutes the
curb and then cross at hop, skip and jump.
Accidents are rather common They are so
common, in fact that they have come to be con-
sidered matter OF routine.
Seldom is a policeman to be within
block of the circle. During the rush hour in the
late afternoon, believe, has been on
duty but he never has spent the entire day there
Everyone who has occasion to cross Thomas
Circle often lives in constant expectation of sud-
den death Residents thereabouts have their
peace made with the Lord, their wills filed away
and lovely green plots selected In their favorite
cemeteries At the circle and NJ street there is
large office building filled entirely with doc
tors who have only to sit at their windows at any
ho,tr II he dav i0ht all
regarding the growth of their business. We recon-
mend location at the circle for young practi-
TONERS who want plenty OF cases.
To folks who live in the neighborhood the
condition has become familiar that it no
longer appears unusual They take it for granted
that they will be killed sooner or later-just as
others take it for granted that some day they will
die natural deaths. Once in a while there comes
hopeless wall from poor soul who fears
death but does not know what to do about it.
Rarely indeed comes constructive sugges-
ton. The Herald received one this morning from
G.. w. Ayers whose plan offer for what it may
be worth. Here it is:
/. Take away the park benches around
the circle.
?. Close the sidewalk to pedestrians
3. Direct pedestrians by appropriate signs
at the intersection of each street to take the
longer way around In other words, use the
sidewalk on the outer periphery OF the circle,
for the streets narrower there and one
has only to watch traffic from two ways
instead of not less than three when crossing
Thomas Circle at the point Of greatest
diameter
T. Even with these directions followed it
might be wise to place red-light iron mounds
at such intervals in each street and avenue as
would compel automobiles to slow up and
to follow certain path.
Park benches could very easily be placed
on the sidewalks next to the curbing of the
streets At these points most of the side
walks are very wide. There are also some
shade trees, while there is not on the outer
edge of the grass plot of the circle. The
present location of the benches and the
"unobstructed crossing" are only tempta-
ton to meet accident or death halfway
The present traffic arrangements for
Thomas Cicle totally inadequate To
change suggested would cost almost moth
ing but the signs. 1t would do away with
the one policeman that is occasionally sta
toned at the circle