Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
ALONG THE WATER FRONT
BY Carroll KLOTZBACH.

clutter up the highways with the debris
of their business, why should they oe
permitted the freedom of the river in
this respect?
Two supposedly surface sewers open
into the channel, the odors arising
therefrom are ample proof OF matter
other than surface water being dis.
charged. Small matters, one may say,
but. witness the fate Of some OF our
Midwestern streams that through mat
tention and neglect have become moth.
ing more than open sewers to carry on
the wastes of cities and manufacturing
plants. sans fish, sans beauty, sans
boatmen!
Now that the highways are becoming
more and more crowded the interest OF
the public is turning more and more to
the water and water sports, and cities
all over the country are making plans
and provision for the boom in boating
that has arrived. Here in Washington
the old order is proving inadequate, ana,
using other cities as yardsticks, the
facilities for the prospective as well al
present boat owner are practically NIL.
The coming Winter will find many
boats either froZen-in in the anchor"
age or compelled to lie banging to-
gether in old slips and piers like de-
commissioned warships in navy yard:
to the detriment of planking and
paint. and the disgust OF the owners.
the placing of berths along the wall
in Potomac Park, temporary pilings
might be driven at small cost that
would suffice until some better arrange
ment might be made. The present
available anchorage would be more
efficiently used. accommodating more
boats than there is at present room
for, and in safer and better manner.
The Gravelly Point plan has many
Objectionable features, among them be-.
ing the distance from the city, too
close to the proposed airport, nearness
to a cinder-Spouting railroad and the
fact that bridge now unable TO take
care of present traffic must be crossed
in order to reach 1t. "a
Some have voiced the objection that
commercial expansion would eventually
force all the yachts from the Wash
ington Channel. 1t is hoped that any
future commercial expansion will be
in another part of the river, the chan.
mel is too small for anything of this
nature-how ridiculous to construct a
beautiful park on one side, on the
other a motley assortment OF brick
wharves, steamer landings, cargo docks.
etc. A curious wedding-Beauty and
the Beast. Provide space for the boats
and the great god commercial expan-
sion will be satisfied in another man
ner, in the sale of ice provisions and
other supplies to those who will throng
the harbor.
At present the 2-cent tax collected on
gasoline is rebated the buyer that uses
it in his boat-if he has time and
patience to collect it. Were this tax
used in the improvement of the harbor
and not related we are sure that no
boat owner in the vicinity would raise
an objection. .'H
The cost of construction and upkeep
would soon be taken up by the rental
from these slips, and later, as the
moneys mounted up, these temporary
pilings could be replaced by more last
ing and approximate structures of con-
crete or stone. Allotments of berths
might be made to the clubs that de-
sired them. the-clubhouse, located in the
park available to all using the basin.
One club, rather than the many now
located here, with unity of action and
control and the large membership pos
Sible under these circumstances, could
work wonders in the improvement fof
our local waters, be power in f1sh and
game conservation, and become really
important part of the social and sport
ing life of the community. ORION
= rsEHsf7
Oliver p. Merryman and a party OF
friends aboard Nellie NJ, of the Corin-
THAN feet. have been cruising the lower
river since the middle of July. visiting
the many interesting creeks and bays to
be found in these waters.
OF interest to the cruising boatmen Is
a communication from the commissioner
of lighthouses in regard to the aids to
navigation in West River, wherein the
sub-station of the Corinthian Club Is 10
Gated. 1t follows: 1.-THE bureau plans in
the near future to change Cedar Point
special can buoy with prismatic refiec-
tor. Cedar Point Shoal Buoy (spar)
TO third-clsSs special can buoy. no re-
Hector. and Galloways Point Shoal Buoy
2 70 . third-class special nun buoy
Without xeflectors. s.....ss 49, :.