Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-19
PLANNING GROUPS
d. TO STUDY GORGE
Commissioners of District
and Maryland to View
Park Area Today.

Whether the gorge Of the Potomac
from Chain Bridge to Great Falls
would be better suited to park develop.
ment in its present state, or after con-
struction of two dams and proposed
hydro-electric power plants at the
bridge and at the falls. will be the
question under intensive study today
by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission in a tour of in
spection along both sides of the river.
The trip will be made in order to
get first.hand knowledge from which
to formulate a policy in regard to the
application of the Potomac River Cor
poration of Wilmington, DEL, for a
preliminary permit from the Federal
Power Commission for the develop
ment.
Following the trip today and the
preliminary study given the question
at a meeting yesterday afternoon, the
planning commission will meet tomor-
row to draft it's program. Any OBJ
jections to the proposal for power de-
velopment of the Potomac or COM
ments thereon must be in the hands
of the power commission before July
Merrill, executive secretary to the
planning group. AS tomorrow will
be the last regular meeting of the
planning commission prior to the
power commission 3ession, 1t was pre-
dicted last night that a decision will
be reached at the meeting tomorrow,
No indication was forthcoming In ad-
vance Of the trip today as to what
the position Of the group will be.
Lieut.. Col. u. s. Grant, Sd, on
behalf Of the planning commission,
recently formally informed the power
commission that the planning group
wished to be heard in the matter.
Maryland Group to Go.
The trip will start from the new
filtration plant on Conduit road, this
morning with members Of the corre-
spending Maryland commission exer-
cising jurisdiction in the environs OF
Washington, and will proceed out
Conduit road. Members of the COM
mission from time to time will stop to
go down into the Potomac gorge to
view in its present state the scenery
where the planning commission has
for some time proposed to create a
great parkway from the Capital to
Great Falls.
Returning to Chain Bridge, the
party will meet members of the COR
responding Virginia commission and
Will proceed up the Virginia side, like
wise inspecting the sites.
Mr.. Merrill and other officials of this
body will be members of the party.
The Potomac River Corporation In
represented officially by Charles KEEL
Ter. former engineer commissioner of
the District Of Columbia.
The Park and Planning Commits
sion, 1T was emphasized last night by
Maj. Carey Brown, engineer, will not
be called on to pass on the relative
cost OF producing power by coal or
the new hydroelectric plants pro.
rosed, but will confine its cons.dera.
ton to the problem of whether the
gorge of the Potomac will be worth
more to the people of the Capital and
the people of the Nation in its present
state, or turned into two lakes with
TWO dams and powerhouses. The
planning commission wants to know
f1rSthand the relative value of the
Potomac for park or power.
Recommendation Submitted.
The formal presentation of the sub
was by Charles w. Elliot, Cd. who
submitted lengthy document, con-
tanning the letter Of the power COM
mission, recital of the two previous
surveys of the Potomac and a recon.
mendation of his own, which was not
made public. a
The two previous surveys, made bv
District Engineer Longfitt in 1913 and
by the District Engineer Tyler in 1921.
were agreed. the Elliot report said.
that hydroelectric development of the
Potomac at a point about Chain
Bridge would be feasible, from an en-
cheering and economic viewpoint.
provided a suitable market could be
assured.
The commission had before it maps
drawn from intensive surveys con.
Quoted of the area under question.
One OF these showed the, proposed
parkway on both sides of the river Is
1t would be developed from the present
state. The other showed the amount
OF land which would be flooded should
the dams be installed by the hydro.
electric project, and how the two large
lakes would be formed above Chain
Bridge, and above Great Falls.
Representatives Of the trustees OF
the Patterson tract of land in the
northeast section of the city offered
for sale for park purposes appeared
before the commission for some time
at the morning session, but no decision
was made, George r Ford an ON.