Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03
WATERWAY is FAVORED
AS AVENUE OF TRIUMPH
Park Commission Studies Identification
of Potomac and AnacOstia River
Shores Near City.

tory as the great Pennsylvania avenue
over which all the great must travel
at some time during the period when
they are to be honored by the Nation.
They would pass Wakefield, the birth.
place of the first President, George
Washington, and a little later his
home, standing as the national shrine
of freedom on the west bank, even be.
fore they approached the forts which
in the early days of military strategy
played such an important part in the
military plan for the defense of the
National Capital against an attack by
water.
Lindbergh Visit Recalled.
That the possibility Is a real one
and not a mere dream Of the city
planner was evidenced when Col.
Lindbergh came up the river. At
that time the shores were we'll lined
with people, who got a closeup OF
the distinguished aviator as he stood
on the bridge of the Navy's crack
cruiser, better view perhaps than
they could have obtained had they
been damned in crowds around the
Union Station or even along Washing.
tons historic parade route, Pennsyl.
vania avenue.
Hams Point in East Potomac Park
was TANNED with people, who came
afoot and by automobile to get d
glimpse of Col. Lindbergh and the
trim fighting craft which bore him
here to receive national honors at the
hands of the Chief Executive for his
world-renowned feat of travelling from
New York to Paris by air without
stopping. All the way from Fort
Foote to Washington, river craft,
large and small, hove TO on the chan
nels edge to watch the coming of the
great, and then fell in behind as a
water escort of honor, warning him
of greater honors and applause yet to
come when he set foot on the dock
at the Washington Navy Yard, an.
other important link in the Natien's
historical chain.
Land From River.
Laying down of such a scheme for
a gigantic park system as a part of
the triumphal approach would mark
the beginning of park lands out of
the very river itself. For the United
States Supreme Court has decided
that when the Federal Government
pumps silt from the river to the ad.
joining flats and raises the land above
the water level the land belongs to
the Government and not the riparian
owners of the property on the present
shore. 1t was decided that way on the
theory that the Government being the
| owner of the bed Of a navigable
stream, still owns land when the bed
is raised above the water level. And
1t was decided in a case close to
Washington, the Battery Cove case.
Battery Cove is that land lying Just
behind the Jones Point Light House,
where the original boundary of the
District of Columbia ran, and which
| is better known as the Alexa ndria
ship yard. used for the construction
of ships during the world conflict.
When the war started il was mud
flats and marshes, but the Govern.
ment reclaimed it by pumping mud
from the channel to the banks and
successfully contested efforts Of
private parties to claim it.
There Is a great expanse of water
opposite Alexandria on the District Of
Columbia side Of the river. almost i'm.
mediately fronting Blue Plains, the
home of the District poorhouse. For
years sand and gravel dredges have
been cutting in here. taking out ma
terials used for building in the Dis.
trict. 1t is a great expanse of water
now, but when the dredges have
cleaned out all the materials there will
be left the possibility of a great park
as part of the Districts system for
then the United States Army engineer
dredges engaged in deepening the Pc.
tomac's channels could discharge their
dredgings on this spot and raise the
bed above level. later to be improved
into beautiful park lands.
Water Route Favored.
On the other side of the river, Just
above Alexandria is Gravelly Point,
now mentioned prominently as the site
OF commercial airport for the city.
Gravelly point, as a matter Of fact, IL
also under water, and before 1t can be.
come the low. fiat place needed for an
adequate airport, 1t. too, must be
reclaimed by pumping silt from the
channel. This would bring the shore
line on the Virginia shore close to the
river and to the present Potomac
Park, and would provide another van.
tage point for hundreds of thousands
wishing to get glimpse of those com.
ing to the Capital to be honored.
Officials are enthusiastic over the
proposition which has been speeded
forward by the manner in which Col.
Lindbergh approached the Capital, and
are now giving 1t serious study, to the
end that in the future the water route
will be the only entrance to properly
and successfully usher into the city
those personages who have distin.
guished themselves in some endeavor,
which has sent the Nation officially for.
ward to grasp them within its official
arms at the Capital to pay them HON.
age, which could not be done in a bet.
ter or more fitting way than to give
them a real glimpse of what a beauti.
full world capital Is.