Evening star., 1923-01-07
The Anacostia Park Work.

In the latest District appropriation
bill now pending are provisions for
continuing the dredging work in the
Anacostia below Benning bridge,
$4,000 being granted. leaving to
be accomplished only the sea-wall con-
struction, which will require future
appropriations OF about S500,000 The
bill atso carries an item Of $4,000,
estirn tied at one.third of the total sum
necessary to develop the reclaimed
area as a recreation park, this sum to
be applied to the south shore between
the Anacostia and Pennsylvania Ave
nue. tridges.
Both Of these items are in line with
the Program OF Anacostia park de.
velopIuent heretofore adopted. Still
the general project, however near
complete below Benning bridge, Is
halted by reason OF stipulation pre-
viously made by Congress to make no
beginning on the plan above that
bridge. In another part of The Star to.
day is printed an article which sets
forth the reasons for an early assump-
ton Of this upper branch OF the work.
The civic organizations Of the District
have all expressed themselves strongly
in favor Of the prosecution Of the work
above the bridge. Certain plans ap-
proved by the Fine Arts Commission
and by other bodies concerned in the
development of the capital are halted.
and until Congress lifts the ban
against the pressing Of the work north
of the bridge this great improvement
will remain incomplete.
II Is not to be contemplated that this
work will permanently stand in this
present condition. The primary rea-
son for the reclamation Of the Ana.
costa is the improvement Of the pub
lie health, through the Transformation
Of the marshes into solid ground
above the reach Of high tide and their
utilization for park purposes. At pres
ent these marshes north Of the bridge.
as we'll as formerly south, are malaria
breeders, and as the population
spreads out into that region these con.
ditions will be more and more detri-
mental and injurious.
Two bridges at present block the
improvement. The one at Benning
carries, in addition to heavy vehicu-
Iar traffic, the cars Of the Washington,
Baltimore and Annapolis line and the
cars that run to Chesapeake Junction.
A new bridge Is needed. Above, the
tracks Of the Pennsylvania railroad
cross the stream on. q low bridge, and
in the event of the filling Of the fats
and the Improvement Of the reclaimed
land this line may prove an obstacle.
At Potomac Park the tracks are car
ried across both park and river at an
elevation which permits passage be-
meath. In the new Anacostia Park 1t
will be possible to assure vehicular ac-
cess throughout by spans above the
tracks.
A question has arisen as to the pro-
vision OF draws In the bridges Of the
upper portion yet to be developed. Al
present there Is practically no use Of
the stream that would call for such
spans. The question is whether with
the reclamation Of the fats and the
deepening Of the channel water trafYic
may be developed Of a nature to re-
quire draws. This would seem to be
unlikely, as there is no commercial
end to be served in the upper reaches
OF the Anacostia, though once sea-
going ships docked at Bladensburg.
This matter should be soon deter.
mined. 1t Is possible that Congress
may at the present session express Its
wish in the matter. even though no
appropriation is made for work above
the bridge during the coming fiscal
year.