Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-20

Bridge creating a lake up to the foot
of Great Falls, and (2) a dam and
power house just above Great Falls,
which would utilize elsewhere the
water now passing over the falls and
return it to the river below. leaving
the falls practically dry.
''These works would do away with
the Great Falls, Little Falls and
rapids, and would entirely change the
character of the gorge, repeating
artiticially wide quiet bodies Of water
and relatively low banks of the lower
river. The picturesque value and
special rough and torrential interest
of the gorge as nature produced 1t,
with it's special vegetation and animal
life, would be destroyed.
Lake Washington, or Lake Meigs
as it Is called in the reports, would
have a water surface of about 1900
acres and would stretch upstream 8
miles to point opposite the pavilion
on the Virginia bank overlooking the
Great Falls. Some idea Of the effect
of the flooding of the gorge may be
gained by realization that only the
highest points on High Island, Her
zog, Cupid's Bower and Plummer Is
lands would remain visible and that
water would flood the valley of Cabin
John Creek close under the highest
point of the arch of the famous bridge
and upstream to Gibson Grove Church
on the Seven Lock road. A draw-down
of the lake to provide water for the
power plant during dry seasons must
be kept in mind as q possibility. !,
Beauty OF Gorge Mentioned.
1.-THE Tyler report differs from the
Langfitt report in recommending the
use of the lake by canal boats to avoid
complete relocation Of the canal. New
locks will, of course, have to be pro
vided. While the lake might be used
for boating as a recreational pastime,
stroyed. The possible attractiveness
of such large lake Is not denied. but
the value of the gorge in its present
state as contrast. in scenic, biologic
and geologic character to the broad
valley of the Potomac below cannot
be too strongly emphasized as one OF
the chief natural assets of the location
of Washington.
The dam at Great Falls. proposed
by Mai. Tyler, would extend from
the rock bluff 600 feet below the
Aqueduct Dam on the Maryland side
to the rock bluff $500 feet below the
end Of the Acqueduct Dam on the
Virginia side" The point mentioned
on the Maryland side is approximate
iy the location of lock 19-the next
lock below the one at the Lock Tav-
ern. 1t is proposed "to fix this pool
elevation at 215 feet above sea level.
which means a dam 60 feet high
above the present towpath. The pow
err plant would be located near the
MARYLAND bank and, "in order to
minimize the back-water effect OF
freshet flows, a diversion means the
drying up of Great Falls and would
leave, on an island, the canal locks
said to have been built under the
personal direction Of George Wash
| ington.
"a city, especially set aside for the
seat of government of great and en-
| lightened country, in the building of
which millions of the national treasure
have been expended. on which the best
| thought and efforts of its greatest
citizens have been lavished, and in
which are archives, State mementoes
and works of art, both irreplaceable
and of inestimable administrative ana
| historic value--such city surely seems
to deserve special solicitude and pro-
lection against every avoidable risk.
A Capital like this need hardly be eX-
posed to even such an unlikely danger,
| as might be gladly and perhaps wise
ly' accepted by q city dependent upon
promptly grasping every economic ad-
vantage to survive in the competition
for existence with its rivals"
The letter was prepared by Lieut..
Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, executive OF the
Park Commission.