Evening star., 1925-04-27
SOUTH AMERICAN HINTS FOR US IN
CAPITAL UPBUILDINC, In AVENUE,
HARBOR AND PARK DEVEI IOPMENT.

| IN its environment of green hills and
yellow curying coast line, attractive
in the islands with which it is adorned
and in the luxuriance Of tropical vege-
tation which covers both hills and is
lands, and so extensive in area as to
furnish so miles of harbor.
Among the features in detail
of the Rio improvement plan
were the construction of a quay
| following the shore line, 1-6 miles
long, costing from twenty-five to
| forty-two millions, according to vary
| ing estimates "a hint to US in our pro-
| jected harbor improvemenU; a broad
avenue parallel with the quay and of
the same length; rectification and pro-
longation to the sea of the Mangue
Canal, with an avenue on either side
! nearly 2 miles in length and 131 feet in
breadth; elevation of steam railroad
beds; enlargement of city's water sup
ply and revision of sewerage system:
construction of a bayside drive Az
miles long and lis feet wide, the beau
tlfui Avenida Beira Mar Uhe Massachu-
setts avenue or Sixteenth street of
Riol, boulevard lined with artistical-
ly designed residences set in gardens
OF palms, bamboos and bright flowers,
and a driveway unsurpassed in the
whole world for picturesque beauty:
the broadening with the result Of de-
Stroying 1900 houses) embellishing
and repaVing with asphalt a multi
tude of old streets and avenues: and
OF especial interest to Washingtonian
the construction of the great Avenida
Rio BrancO tthe Pennsylvania avenue
of RiO), rs miles in length, 1O8 feet
broad, running i'm straight line from
sea to sea and serving as the prin-
cIpal outlet of the CongeSted business
section, especially of the quay and the
river front. Over 800 buildings were
demolished in preparing the way,
5000 labOrers working night and day.
Its construction was commenced No
vember Is, 1905, and completed i'm 22
months at cost of about S11 800 900,
which covers clearing of the ground.
paving, construction of electric lighted
buildings and opening of avenue to
traffic. Among the fine buildings on
this made-tO-Order avenue are the
Municipal Opera House, costing about
S5,000,0 900; National Library. National
School of Fine Arts and the attrac-
tive Monroe Palace.
Fine Example Set by Rio.
Rio expended $500. 900 on model
homes for laborers. Between 1904 and
1906 it made large expenditures in
municipal sanitation. The great
period of pulling down and rebuilding
was between 1904 and 1905, when, on
those two objects, $50 900, 900 was ex-
pended. The total expenditure is eS-
timated at 100000 900.
In condemning land for the Avenida
Rio Branco the government secured
the building lots on both sides of the
new highway. Sale of these lots con-
tributed a considerable amount toward
the expense of the work and through
their ownership the government was
able to control the general architec-
tural design of new buildings. Pur-
chasers were obliged to observe GER
tain rules in the construction of
facades and to submit all archltec-
tural designs to the approval OF a
special commission, with the result
that the avenue is described as the
handsomest. business thoroughfare In
the Western world.
The public improvement in which
Rio is now engaged is that of COM
pleting the project of leveling the
MORO do Castillo, a historic hill in
the heart of the old city, rising
abruptly about 200 feet and covering
an area equal to about 20 city blocks.
The business district of Rio is to be
enlarged by leveline the hill and by
filling in part OF the bay with the
earth that is thus removed.
Compare these vast works, so rap
idly completed, with the neglect of
Washington's original magnificent
plan, and of the city itself for three
fourths of a century, and with the
delays, waverings and occasional
picayune methods of dealing with the
problem of Transforming and re-
creating Washington, which pre-