Evening star., 1927-08-26
ENGINEER TO STUDY.
GREAT FALLS ISSUE.
Mai. Somerve|I to Probe
Mass of Testimony Taken
in Power Hearing.

With a mass of testimony taker
during the past two days before him
Mai Brehon Somervell, United States
engineer for this area, will devote q
month to a careful study of whether
the Potomac River Corporation of Del
aware should be given a preliminary
hermit for a huge water-power devei
opment on the upper Potomac. stel
which many organizations believe
would destroy one Of the outstanding
scenic attractions near the Capital
Led hv the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. group OF
representative organizations. natlonal
as well as local. told Mai. Somerveii
at the hearing in the Interior Building
Yesterday afternoon that the valley OF
the Potomac with its picturesque
Great Falls should be preserved TOT
park purposes.
Many Protests Filed.
Among those who supported the
stand of the National Capltai falh
and Planning Commission were SPEAK.
ers from the American lnstitu'e u
Architects. member OF the Arts [.u"
cf Washington. the Federation OF Il,l-
zens' Associations. the American ci.N
Association. the National Associd'ioi'
Of Audubon Societies. the Moh'soiirv,.s a.,...
S,car,ora Club. the Women's City
.~,,,n ana n number o. individuals.
eide from, officials OF the company
~asi<;nu the permit. the project was
es,.nrad hv q, NJ. Kile of the Citizens
ASSOCIATION Of Glen Echo Heights Md
ans T elan Barton. an individual prop
srtv owner. who argued that estnetm'
considerations should not prevent All
mower development.
The Maryland and District OF 20
,,,,,hia Federation of Labor, througn
Frank Coleman, opposed the appllca'
ZION If the Potomac River Corpora
tton On the ground that the power
should be developed by the Govern
nent.
Power Official Asks Proof.
Tba Potomac Electric Power Co.
-enresented by Vice President :. H.
poxen questioned whether it is pos
sible to develop hydro-electrie power
of Create Falls cheaper than by stean.
and contended the applicant snouIo
IA required to demonstrate that there
yroula he n saving. The local power
comnanv official further asserted tne
anniicant should be required to snow
that there is a public necessity ioI
the nroiect. Mr.. Bowen also calieo
attention TO the rights which he SAID
a re- possessed by the Great FANS row
er Co. a subsidiary OF the Wasning
TON Railway & Electric Co. to use
the water power Of the falls.
Francis r. Weller OF the water sup
pIy committee of the washington
Board Of Trade also took the positlons
that the applicant should oe requnv,.u
~ show what economies would result
"since if there is no reduction of the
cost of generated power certainly
then. this development. which to
large extent will destroy the naturai
beauty of the upper Potomac gorge
should not be made at this time.
Commission Has Last Word.
The decision of Mai. Somervell. ex'
pected late in September, will be In
the nature of a recommendation 10
the Federal Power Commission, when
must take final action. The preHmi.
nary permit sought at this time wouio
not empower the Potomac River Cor
poration to begin construction or Its
dams. but II would give that company
nrioritv over any other applicant in
anplying later for the license to con.
Beauty Held Enhanced.
It has been the contention OF Rob-
ert ]. Bulklay and Col. Charles Keller.
speaking for the corporation. that the
dams at Chain Bridge and above
Great Falls would not destroy the
beauty of that region. but. on the con-
trarv. would add to the attractiveness
of the region by creating large BODIES
of deep, still water.
When Lieut.. Col. u. q. Grant. 30.
appeared at the hearing yesterday to
present the protest OF the park COM
mission he answered this argument
by telling Mai. Somerveh tnat tne
lakes created by the power cams
would merely repeat the same charac-
ter of scenery already existing below
Kew Bridge, whereas the chief scenic
value of the gorge OF the upper TO
tomac is its rugged, natural appear.
ence in contrast to the calm water
of the lower Potomac.
Mai Somervell quizzed Col. Grant
as TO she relative benefits OF the pro-
nosed park along the upper Potomac
and the proposed power project. Col.
Grant replied that the park commis-
sion is leaving the economic merits
of the power development TO De
studied by the power commission
feeling that its duty was to call atten-
ton to the harmful ERECT the power
dams would have on the park pro-
posal
Below Park Area.
Mai Somervell also wanted 70
know how the available park area IN
washington compares with park facil.
tiles in other cities. Col. Grant said
washington has about 5000 acres Oh
mark land. or 6-10 Of an acre per hum
dred of population. Using acre per
hundred of inhabitants as a standard:
the colonel said the National Capitai
has only about two-thirds OF the park
area it should have.
"Tt Ia evident we have there a scenic
attraction that Is hard to find near
large city," Col. Grant continued, re.
ferring to the Falls and the gorge of
the Potomac.
Mai. Somervell then wanter an esti-
mate of the cost of the park project
he planning commission has in mind.
Col. Grant said it was difficult to esti-
mate land prices in advance, but on
the basis of present knowledge he fig.
ured 1t would be between $4,000, 900
and $3,0o0,000.
Protest OF Architects.
Asked how it would be paid for.
Col Grant explained that at present
all the funds Of the park commission
come from the District Of Columbia
and that the commission has not ac-
auired any land outside the District
because 1t felt the Federal Govern
ment, Maryland and Virginia should
toin In such acquisitions.
Horace w. Peaslee. presenting the
protest of the American Institute OF
A rchitoctS dacla red that MANY Ameri-