Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-20
Members Fear Project Would
Be Dangerous TO
Capital.
INDUSTRY MIGHT CHANGE
CHARACTER OF CITY
Letter Calls Attention to Nom Com
mercial Spirit Desired by
Founders.

velopment of water power at Great
Falls would change the character of
the National Capital by encoura ging
industrial growth, and citing dangers
to which the city might be exposed IL
a. dam built across the Upper Potomac
should fail, the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission today trans
mitted its views on the proposed Po-
tomac power project to the Federal
Power Commission.
While the letter of the Park Com
mission deals primarily with descrip.
ton of the natural beauties of the
region that it believes would be de-
stroyed by power development, the
commission touches upon what might
result should unexpected trouble occur
at dam.
ITO be sure" the commission wrote.
dams are always designed to be safe
against any foreseeable cause Of
failure and certainly the structures
for this project will be designed and
built by expert engineers and with
every precaution to ensure safety;
but still dams do at times fail con-
trary to all expectations. In addition
to such an accident the possibility OF
destruction by hostile air attack or
demolition in time of war must be con-
sidered.
Text of Letter.
"Since an added discharge Of about
100000 cubic feet per second raises
the Potomac River at Washington to
about feet above mean low water.
it is evident that the sudden release
from the Chain Bridge Dam of 4,560,-
600 900 cubic feet of water, with
maximum head of lis feet, would be
no less than great catastrophe, I'M
periling the foundations of the Lin
coin Memorial, the Washington Mon
ument, such important buildings as the
Academy of Sciences, the Parliament
can Building, the Arlington Memorial
Bridge and many lesser structures, as
we'll as involving great loss OF life
and property.
Another matter, which gives the
commission concern and which from
a purely planning standpoint indi'
Gates 1t TO be inadvisable to approve
this water-power development at the
very doors of Washington, is the
change of character of the city that
must follow throwing volume OF
power on the market so far exceed
ing the existing demand. The studies
heretofore made do not indicate the
likelihood of developing water.power
at cost sufficiently below that Of
steam-generated power to justify the
hope that any great reduction in cost
to the consumers will be possible, but
they uniformly indicated that an
of power considerably exceed
ing the present requirements must be
generated and sold if the project is
to be financially feasible at all. The
availability of such large output
means that market will have to be
created for it by modern intensive
selling methods, which can only be
done by artiflcially inducing rapid
development of industries requiring
electric power.
New City Opposed.
I'm this connection it is submitted
that the building of a new city in a
district especially set aside for this
purpose, and for no other. and the
reservation in the Constitution itself
of exclusive jurisdiction by Congress
over the said district, sufficiently show
the intention of the Nation to estab.
lish here a city for the special pur.
pose of being it's capital, and that no
administrative act should be taken,
such as the granting of a permit for
this power project, which is incon-
sistent with the preservation of this
as the city's dominant characteristics,
or likely to bring here industries, com.
mercial establishments, and perhaps
a population which will necessarily
reproduce the conditions that it was
sought to avoid and that make the
other cities of the country less suit
able for the seat of government.
In view of the foregoing considera-
tons, the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. therefore, re.
spectfully requests, on behalf of the
public interests with which it is more
especially charged, that the great
value to the public of preserving the
natural character of Great Falls and
Gorge OF the Potomac River by carry
ing out the approved park project be
carefully weighed against any none
tary advantage that your commission
may find to be promised by the water
power project. Should it become an
economic necessity in the future. the
water power project can always be
constructed. Once destroyed, the pres.
ent natural wonder of the Falls and
rapids and palisades, with their fauna
and flora could probably never be re.
produced, certainly not for centuries.
THE planning commission would
welcome an opportunity to visit the
valley and Great Falls, in company
with the members and officers of the
Federal Power Commission, in order
to discuss the problem upon the
ground. 1t is desired to supplement-
this statement with some photographs
as soon as they are ready"
Resolutions Quoted.
The Park and Planning Commission
began its presentation of views by
pointing out that it was charged by
Congress with the duty of preserving
forests and scenery in and about
and to provide for the
systematic and con.
tinuous development of parks and
in the National Capital
and its environs.
The commission then quoted the
resolution 1t adopted June 90, taking
the stand that a power project on
the upper Potomac would destroy the
chief scenic values Of the Falls and
the gorge of the river below. The
resolution asserted that the area
around Great Falls takes In the out
scenic features of the Wash
ngton region. The resolution con-
cluded by placing the commission on
record as in favor of creating park
that would preserve the falls, the
gorge and the palisades OF the
Potomac as a major feature Of the
regional plan of the National Capital.
The letter reminds the power com
mission that the park deyelopment Of