Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-06
BELL WANTSNEW
CUMBERLAND ROAD
CanaI-LeveI Highway and
Federal Control of Potomac
Urged to ZihIman.

Legislation granting to some Fed
eral agency control of the power and
water rights of the Potomac River
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
between Washington and Cumberland,
with authority to develop them. Is
urged today by Engineer Commits
sioner ]. Franklin Bell in a letter to
Representative Frederick n. Zihlman
Of Maryland, chairman Of the House
District committee.
The letter also revealed ambitious
plans for development of a national
boulevard along the canal from Wash
ington to Cumberland and paving the
way for the projected Great Falls
power development. The letter
follows:
"Since our conversation relative to
securing and preserving the power
and water rights of the Potomac
River / have discussed the matter
with the chief engineer of the Fed
eral Power Commission. My assistant,
Mai. Covell, has started the compila-
ton of the statistics needed on which
to base the proposed legislation.
Asks Varied Powers.
81 believe that this legislation
should grant to some administrative
Federal agency the following powers
and responsibilities:
IA Control of the power and
water rights Of the Potomac River.
with the authority to condemn any
conflicting rights heretofore granted
TO private parties or companies.
lfrr11 T1fn 9n n ~ "a
should be accepted.
''(b) Authority to acquire by pur-
chase or condemnation canal land
and rights between Washington, d.
c., and Cumberland, Md. 1t does not
follow that the operations of the
canal company should be terminated.
The idea is merely that the rights of
that company shall not be permitted
to interfere with the power and water
rights to be secured from the river.
The construction of a national boule-
ward along the canal from Washing
ton to Cumberland should be consid.
cred. Any one who has driven over
the mountains from Cumberland can
visualize how necessary it will be in the
future to have a canal level boulevard
for bus, truck and automobile traffic
from Cumberland to the National Cap
ital. have made no attempt to com.
pute the saving of time and power for
this enormous and growing traffic in
dollars and cents, but 1t is apparent
that it might be very large. The
boulevard would leave the canal line
at points to avoid curves and to keep
down construction costs. This boule-
ward plan may be impracticable, but
the success of the Bear Mountain road
and park plan, as well as somewhat
similar developments elsewhere, leads
to optimism. Perhaps the develop
ment OF traffic along the line of the
canal will encourage the use of that
canal for heavy freight by providing
adequate access to the canal, with
transfer facilities at various points.
Electric or gasoline power would
probably be used for the canal boats.
Thinks Purchase Easy.
"(c) Authority to acquire by pur.
chase or condemnation any properties
necessary to develop these power and
water rights or the proposed boule
ward. / do not believe it would be
wise to incorporate in the proposed
legislation any plan for power devel.
opment such as that proposed at Great
Falls, or any proposal to construct the
boulevard to Cumberland. The legiS
lation proposed would. however, Sc
cure and preserve to the Government
the rights needed SO that future plans
of this nature by Government or other
authorized agencies will not be made
prohibitive by excessive costs. What
is proposed can very probably be Sc
cured at the present time at reason
able figure, as there Is very little traf
fic on the canal, and the power and
water rights have not been utilized tc
any extent.
'Of course, this is a matter thai
concerns all our members of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, but it is of vital interest tt
you, not only on account of your in
terest in the National Capital as chair
man of the committee on District af
fairs in the House of Representative!
and as member of the planning com
mission, but on account of the vita
interest of your constituents in Mary
land in what is proposed. The peo
pie of the Potomac Valley in Mary
land and Virginia will undoubtedl!
join in supporting the proposed legis
lation.
II should like to have your views
at your convenience, and meanwhile,
we shall be getting together the infor
nation necessary to support what
ever legislation you may deem wise.
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