Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-19
SECOND BATHING
BEACH IS PLANNED
Facilities for CoI0red Persons
in the Tidal
Basin.
DIRECTED BY NEW LAW
Opposition Manifested to Second
Beach in Tidal Basin-Would
Move Both Beaches.
DIRECTED BY NEW Law

Inc QeUcleNcy Dill, Wfllcn Ialleu OF
passage at the last session of Con-
gress and which was enacted imme-
diately after the opening of the pres
ent session contains an item for the
construction Of a bathing beach for
the Colored population of the District.
The language of this provision is as
follows:
For construction and development
work in Potomac Park on the west
shore of the Tidal Basin to provide
public bathing facilities. and for the
maintenance thereof, $50 600. to re
main available until June 80, 1925.
Provided, that the uneXpended bal
auce of the appropriation Of $4,000
contained in the District Of Columbia
appropriation act for the fiscal year
1928, for the construction of a bath
ing beach and bathhouse for the col
ored population of the city, continued
and made available during the fiscal
year 1924 by the District of Column
bia appropriation act for the fiscal
year 1924, is further continued and
made available during the fiscal year
1925 for the construction OF said bath
ing beach and bathhouse."
Under this authorization and direc-
tion plans have been prepared and
submitted for approval to the Com
mission of Fine Arts for the conStruc-
tion of such a bathing beach and
bathhUuse on the margin of the Tidal
Basin Immediately west of the foot
or seventeenth street on a slightly
projecting point of the park. Under
the language of the act the estab-
lshment could be located anywhere
on the basins edge between the statue
Of John Paul Jones and the inlet
bridge Col. Sheriff.. charged with
the duty of the construction, has
chosen the point described as Offering
minimum of objection from the
point of view of preserving the
scenic beauty of the basin and the
tree-lined shores. The accompanying
diagram shows the location.
Objections Raised.
Objections have been raised against
the addition of a second bathing
beach in the Tidal Basin on the
ground that it is a DETACHMENT of
the chief water feature Of Potomac
Park. The bathing beach for white
persons is now located at the OPP
poeite end of the basin Thus by
virtue of the provision of the def
cheney act this sheet of water will
become a bathing pool for the en-
tire population of the District.
Fears have been expressed lest in
the establishment of the bathing
beach for colored persons many of
the cherry trees given by Japan to
the United States, and now rated as
one of the most beautiful features
Of Washington in the Spring, will be
sacrificed. Col. Sheriff., in explain
ing the situation to a representative
o. The star gives assurance that by
placing this establishment at the
point chosen there will be minimum
Of disturbance of the trees Only
about half a dozen lie within the area
of the projected structure, and these
can and will be transpIanted to an
other section of the park
The site chosen lies within a clump
OF large trees, which will not be dis
turbed, and which will form a shelter
Ing cover. Other trees will be plant
cd to add to this shield. The pavilion
as designed will abut directly on the
basin. with d frontage at that point
OF about 81 feet with wings reach
Ing back at angles containing the
essential accommodations for bathers
The plans are now before the Fine
Arts commission. No work has been
started on the construction, but il is
expected that the ground will soon
be prepared and that the building will
be completed and the beach itself
established by the dumping of sand
in time for the opening of the
bathing season.
Appeal to Preserve Park.
1t is possible. however, that these
plans may be checked, as II is under
stood that appeal will be made to Con-
greSS by interests concerned in the
preservation of the park beauties of the
Capital for a repeal or amendment of
the deficiency act provision, to change
the location of this second beach In
deed, in this connection it is now being
urged that the original beach should
he moved from the Tidal Basin, and
that sheet of water should be cleared
entirely of disfigurements
The finding of a place for bathing
beach for the colored population has
been a matter of great difficulty As
stated in the paragraph in the de-
hciency act previously quoted, an ap-
preparation of $4,000 is made in the
District Of Columbia bill for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1928 1t was then
proposed to establish this beach on Co
lumbia Island, newly reclaimed from
the Potomac, along the Virginia shore
below the Arlington heights. Objection
was raised to this location on the ground
of inaccessibility. 1t was then proposed
to place 1t on the newly reclaimed Ana
costa Park. Against that site objec-
tons were raised on the score of water
impurities. No other site being avail
able, the Tidal Basin was finally chosen.
and provision to that effect was written
into the appropriation act.
1t has been suggested that the best
locations for all public bathing beaches
lie on the Virginia side of the river
one Of these is at a point just below
the southern end of Key Bridge on
ground within the jurisdiction of the
United States, where there is already
a natural beach, easy of access. This
and corresponding beach at Columbia
Island would give facilities for all of
the Districts population.
CHEl Fish EMRhRG0