Evening star., 1924-12-14
Site Within Three Hours of
Capital; Accessible to 40,.
600, 900, Formally O. KID.
SHENANDOAH SELECTED
AS RESERVATION NAME
Bill to Appropriate $40, 1000, 900 for
Immediate Work introduced
in House.
BY HAROLD X. PHILIPS.

hhftobD N.
The Blue Ridge Mountains of Vir-
ginia, rich in historical interest and
the legends of earl. America,
formally have been nominated to be-
come the site for the Easts fsst great
national park.
Simultaneous with anh6ufseement
by Secretary of the Interior Hubert
Work late yesterday that the South
ern Appalachian National Park Com
mfttee had unanimously selected the
virginia site, Representative Henry
w. Temple introduced a bill in thu
House asking Congress to make the
area The Shenandoah National
Park"
AS a result there may be create
tnere. within three hours motor ride
or the National Capital and but
days travel of 100000 persons. r
reservation that experts predict will
become Americas outstanding ma
tlonai park, mountain playground
ana natural museum covering ap-
proximately 500 square miles.
Sketch Park Beauty.
Declaring the Blue Ridge Noun
tafns to be ''the outstanding am
icSiNo pidSc III Tie Last, the Conf
mittee briefly sketched word pic
ture of what the park is hoped to be
"a skyline drive along the mountain
top looking down on either sid- into
valley and plateau from a hei.ht OF
$500 feet, surpassed by few scenic
drives in the world; an $yimai
refuge of national importapae,
garden of native a4imals
and reservation of majestic beauty.
Aside from scenic and other natural
wonders of the area, the committee
pointed out that it was persuaded In
it's decision by the nearness of the
site to more than third of the Ma
tion's population and it's Immediate
proximity to spots that have been
immortaliZed in the most sacred pages
of American history,
Accessibility mig Factor.
Although admitting that the dreat
Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and
North Carolina are superior to the
Blue Ridge in altitude and some other
features, selection Of the latter was
based on its fine scenic and recrea-
tional qualities, its immediate cltse-
ness to Washington and its ac-
cessability to such a large proportion
of the people of the country.
In this connection the committee
a hope that the expected
success of the Shenandoah National
Park would SO materialize as to- en-
courage Congress to create a second
national park in. the Great Smoky
Mountains later. Dificulty Of con-
vering that area into national
park, such as road building. and it's
1Raccessability, however, -precluded
its selection for the present.
The area recommended in the Blue
Ridge is bounded by Front Royal ON
the north, Waynesboro on the south,
the historic Shenandoah Valley on
the west and the Piedmont plains on
the east 1t lies within the counties
of Rappahannock. Page, Warren,
Madison. Greene, Albemarie, Rocking
ham and August. Some of its peaks.
engineers believe, will
touch 5000 feet in altitude when ac-
curately measured
From these slopes great prfmeval
forests gaze down upon scenes of
many of the battles of both the
War and the Civil
War: Roaring cataracts gush from
steep canyons into the valleys that
give birth of many of the Nations
presidents, and on a clear day the
Monument may be observed from
Ninety Miles from Capital.
Thirty days from now the Lee
Highway will bring the park to
within less than 90 miles of the Ma
tional Capital, accessible over a
brand new road. Another historic
the famous Spottswood
Trail, paved and in perfect condition,
sweeps straight through it en- route
from Richmond to Harrisenburg. and
to the south the jefferson Highway
touches it's boundaries.
Secretary Work, discussing the
park, declared that every member of
the Southern Appalachian National
Park committee, which he appointed
last February, was enthusiastic over
the possibilities of the Virginia area.
The report, favorably Endorsed by
every member of the committee. was
given to the Secretary at a meeting
which was also attended by Stephen
T. Mather. director of the National
Park Service, and Robert S. Yard.
executive secretary of the National
Park Association.
The committee consisted Of Repre-
sentative Temple of Pennsylvania,
who introduced the bill yesterday,
and long interested in outdoor recrea
ton advancement; w. A. Welsh, gem
eral manager of the Palisades Inter
state Park; Harlan P. Kelsey, we'll
known landscape architect of Massa
chusetts; William c. Gregg of the
National Arts Club of New York ana
Col. Glenn S. Smith, acting chief topo
graphic engineer of the Geographic
Survey.
Asks sI0,OO0.O0O Fund.
, In his bill Representative Temple
asks Congress formally to establish
the park and make an initial appro
priation of $4,000 with which to pay
the expenses of a committee to look
into the matter of purchasing and
acquiring the necessary property. 1t
is believed that some gifts of, land
will be made. This committee would
consist of five members, one to repre-
sent Secretary Work.
The committee that selected the
area served without paw and paid it's
own expenses. too. 1t will be neces-
sary for the Government to bear the
expenses of the commission that is
to make the initial survey inasmuch
as the site has now been definitely
selected and recommended to Con
gress through Secretary Work. The
report Of the committee to Secretary
Work, in part, follows:
THE members of the committee
appointed by you and designated NJ
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