Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-03

Three Sites Considered
AvaiIabIe-More Experts to
Be Consulted.


Information and knowledge about the
need for establishing municipal air
tort here. data of which will be pre-
scented to the District Commissioners
ana both District committees of Con-
gress, the utilities committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
he'd a hearing yesterday evening and
encountered such widespread senti-
nent in favor OF an air terminal that
an additional hearing, in about 10
days, was voted as necessary in order
to accommodate expert witnesses who
desired To testify, but were unable to
be heard because of the lack of time.
After emphasizing the necessity for
acting now on behalf of an airport.
the witnesses pointed to three pos
sble sites for the location Of the field.
two of which were urged as the ideal
place. The three sites are the marshy
land between Hunter and Gravelly
Points. on the Virginia side of the
Potomac and diagonally off Hams
Point; the Qdd Washington Jockey
Club properly in Benning, and an area
of ground adjoining the southern end
of Boiling Field and including the steel
plant property and Giesboro Point.
Truscott Offers Map.
Starr Truscott, aeronautical engineer
of the National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics, the first witness be-
fore the committee, which was pre-
sided over by Maj Clayton f. Emig.
acting chairman, stressed the impor-
lance of the close proximity Of the port
to the center of the city. He also
thought that the location could not
be decided by any person, but should
he 70 he National CQntfAl
Park and Planning Commission. OF
the three available sites, which he ex-
hibited before the committee on map
he prepared, the HunterGravelly Point
area is the nearest to the District
Building. requiring about 10 minutes
of automobile travel between the two
places. The time required to travel
the intervening distance between the
District Building and the Benning
site was about 30 minutes, he said
while it would take about 80 minutes
to reach the Steel Plant site.
In the Hunter-Gravely point area,
Mr.. Truscott said, there is oppor.
tunity to Guido any other city in the
United States in the way of a model
In the would ] know of which is To-
Gated 10 minutes away from it's air
port
Capt. Fl. c. Richardson, chief of the
material division, Bureau of Aeronau-
tics, and one of the pilots on the
transatlantic NC flight, Endorsed the
Hunter Point site from the airman's
viewpoint, explaining it offered the |
best approach from practically all di |
rections. He illustrated his objections |
to Instructions surrounding a field by |
pointing to the inaccessibility Of Boil |
ing Field on days when northwest |
winds are blowing, which necessitated |
"fshtailing,' Grabbing" and "side- |
slipping" into the ground to avoid /,
serious difficulty.
Linked With City Planning.
A. T. Stewart of the transportation
and communication department. |
Chamber Of Commerce of the United |
States, declared the selection of an /
airport SHOULD be definitely linked |
with city planning" and added: !
'Eearness to the business center and |
accessibility to the public are of prime |
Importance and due account should be
taken of local transportation and
communication facilities The estab-
lishment of an airport in the Capital
Is ''of special importance" he said,
and offers an opportunity to develop
an ideal port for air and seaplanes
which may serve as an example to the
CltlES Va liiC LOdliNA NJ
national chamber hopes that the eff
forts of the commercial organizations
and civic groups of this territory will
meet with early success"
Maj. Jack Jouett, office of the
chief of Air Corps, emphasized the
necessity for eliminating instructions
to planes taking off and landing. In
this respect he said he would hate
to get into the Benning Field now
If my motor quit and on taking off
If the engine stopped at two or three
hundred feet l could not come down |
without cracking up"
J. Edward Cassidy, director gen. |
eral of the United States Air Force
Association, spoke in favor of the |
Benning site and opposed the Hun |
ter Point project, explaining that ito |
get to that place requires several |
bad grade crossings and the draw |
bridge, on which I've been tied up |,
at times for two hours when the !
draw stuck" He said the Benning |
site, which is Endorsed by the Ben |
ming and Kenilworth Citizens Asso-
Citations, could be made ready for use !,
in about six months. and before the |
Hunter Point site is available for |
service many years would elapse |
and the cost would border on $4,000 |
600.
ured on a maximum expenditure of |
$4,000 for the acquisition of either /
piece of ground and the erection of |