Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-10
Commission HALTS
AIRPORT HEARING TO
WEIGH TESTIMONY
u. S. Engineers to Gather
Data About Inland Sites
for Comparative Study.
CAPITAL is PICTURED
AS GREAT AIR CENTER
Congressman Indicate Washington
to Be Provided With Terminal
as Soon as Possible.

Although the site remains to be
Joint Airport Commission have indicat-
ed that Washington will be provided
with an adequate air terminal as quick
ly as possible.
The commission yesterday afternoon
took a recess after two days of hearings
and before another meeting Is held
Government engineers will gather in
formation regarding several inland sites
north and east Of the city, to be COM
pared with the data already available
for the Gravelly Point site on the Po-
tomac, below Hams Point.
Finance Question Remains.
1t was explained that this does not
mean the commission has turned its
back on the Gravelly Point proposal
but that the members want to weigh
carefully the various arguments brought
out during the heafings as to the rela-
tive advantages and disadvantages OF
waterfront site and an inland To-
cation.
The question of how the airport in
the National Capital should be financed
also remains for later determination.
Summarizing the proceedings thus
far. two points stand out. One is that
the Senators and Representatives named
to handle the subject are interested
deeply in obtaining all the facts they
can in order to reach q satisfactory
solution of the airport needs Of the
Capital, and the other is that every one
is agreed Washington will become an
important center in air transportation
when adequate facilities for landing
and handling planes are available.
Executive Session Is Held.
The commission held brief executive
session after the hearings had adj
no action was taken, other than to have
more information concerning the sites
that have been suggested in addition to
Gravelly Point.
During the afternoon session yester-
day Senator Bingham put this question
to Lieut.. Nathaniel Duffy. director of
the Buffalo municipal airport:
Would you advise, in view Of the fact
that Gravelly Point is going to be filled
in more or less by the Government, that
it would be advisable to leave that as a
future outlet and develop Immediately
some of the land that can be acquired
now?"
The witness answered in the AFFIRM
alive, adding his belief that the 800
acres of airport space to be made avail
able at Gravelly Point three years from
now would not begin to take care of
the needs at that time" He further
suggested that since Gravelly Point is
close. to the city, it might be made a
landing station for mail and passengers.
Large cities, Lieut.. Duffy continued,
will have to come to the policy of having
Awwr<. a4v- - Ia .Er y
passengers and the other at a more
and other trafic not requiring speed in
distribution of cargoes.
Local Witnesses Favor Point.
Virtually all of the local witnesses and
several Government officials who testi-
fed during the two days favored Grav-
ely Point, which would be filled in by
the Army Engineer Corps, with material
dredged from the river.
The most serious objection raised to
Gravelly Point was the testimony that
fog conditions would be more pro-
nounced along the river than at a site
inland. The Post once Department
informed the commission that fog near
the river hampered the air mail. Other
witnesses testified that a fog bad
enough to prevent landing near the
waterfront probably would extend over
this whole area. The commission is
going to get more detailed information
on this question from the Weather
Bureau before reaching decision.
Another question that the commission
will consider carefully in comparing
Gravelly Point with inland sites near
the District is the length of time II
would take to put each site in shape
for use. The testimony was that the
first unit of 800 acres of made ground
at Gravelly Point would be ready in
three years. other testimony was given
to the effect that some of the proposed
inland sites In. Maryland could be pur-
chased and put in use In much
shorter time.
Combined Service Is Factor.
Still another question is the de-
STABILITY of having the main municipal
airport near the river, so that land and
seaplane service could be co-ordinated
Another factor to be weighed is how
long it would take to reach the center
of the city from the various sites, it
being argued that for the development
of passenger air service the airport
must be so located that time saved in
flying is not lost in getting to and from
the port.
All of these phases Of the problem
will be gone into thoroughly by the
commission before it settles upon a
location. The two inland sites most
frequently discussed during the hear
ings were one at Chillum, Md, just
north of the city between Takoma Park
and Brookland, and another near Camp
Springs, Md, in a southeasterly dircc-
ton from the city. There were num-
Der of others In nearby Maryland and
Virginia marked of on a map prepared
by the Park and Planning Commission.
Baltimore's Plans Outlined.
Charles r. Goob, chief engineer of
the City of Baltimore, outlined yes
terday afternoon how Baltimore plans
to establish an airport in much the
same manner as is proposed at GraveDy
Point. He said the city will build a
bulkhead on the riverfront and an area
of made land will be built up as the
Army dredges the river to provide an
anchorage basin for Baltimore harbor
The city also has acquired tract
of higher ground back Of the water
front and, in grading this down, SOL
will be obtained to top OIL the made
area. He said Baltimore ultimately will
have an airport of 966 acres Z miles
from the City Hall.
------------o ----------
n..~t.. - -. OK Fat Fell