Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-03
ATTACKS GRANTS
ENGINEER REPORTS
SomerveII Statement in Re-
ply to Criticism Questions
CoIoneI's knowledge.
CONTINUED From First Page.)


sons for his failure to reply, when be-
fore the proper committee, seem OBJ
Vious.
II am very sorry not to be able to
take Col Grants remarks concerning
flood control, power, ETC., seriously. I
did take them seriously at first, but
have been unable to do SO since I saw
his report to Gen. Jadwin, in which
he stated that the flood of 1889, which
reached its crest on June 2 of that
year, was due to an ice jam at Long
Bridge, this in June, with the tempera-
ture in the seventies. Sililarly, with
regard to power, his remarks concern
ing the collapse of dams to be built and
the destruction of the Lincoln Memorial
are too far-fetched to claim the atten-
ton of any thinking person. much less
an engineer who is supposed to know
about such matters.
Says Real Points Omitted.
"The figures presented by me to the
Senate committee were not only those
arrived at as the result Of my own call
culations, but those secured after
careful review by number Of cne:neers
and an economist. None of the real
points at issue was covered in Col.
Grants article, the idea evidently being
to becloud the issue with references to
inconSequential and irrelevant matter
more or less III the vein of previous
newspaper release by the park COM
mission In which we find the following:
In the cool shade below the steep
cliffs on the south bank are to be found
animals, insects and plants in unusual
variety. Here the fauna and flora of
the upland mountain regions meet and
hobnOb with those OF the coStal plain.
The river has brought the seeds and
animals from the hills and cut a cool
gorge for them to develop in. Capt. Joan
Smith found in this vicinity Bea!es,
Deere and other beasts and
ArgOll described all animal which pre-
Sumable was bison
Il do not claim to be a park expert.
The park laid out around the power
development proposed by this Office
follows exactly the report of the previ-
GUS Senate committee under the chair
manship Of Senator Mcmillan, which
investigated this matter. This COM
mittee had as its adviser MessrS Daniel
II. Burnham, Charles F. McKim.
Augustus st. Gaudens and Frederic Law
OlmSted. jr. They state:
Without interfering with the fu-
ture utilization Of the waterpower,
the surroundings of Great Falls on
both sides OF the river. should. in our
opinion, be converted into national
park to be connected with the city by
continuous river road
Power Firm Called Beneficiary.
"Mr. Olmsted. It seems once advo-
Gated the development with power and
once without.
(Mr. Olmsted is now a member of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. the majority OF which
favored the development of the Great
Falls area as a park, leaving the queS-
ton OF power for future determination
of Congress-
THE greatest single beneficiary from
the Cramton bill, as 1t was originally
written, would be the Potomac Electric
Power Co, as it would be able to dis
pose OF the property. which 1t has been
holding at million dollars, to the
Government, and keep out all COMPETE
tors in the District, which has evil
IDENTIFY been their purpose In buying and
holding the lands. II / am the SpokeS-
man for the Potomac River Corporation.
as suggested by Col. Grant Col Grant
must be the spokesman for the Potomac
Electric Power Co.
las stated in the beginning, how
ever, this Is no place for a debate on
the merits of this proposition. In the
event that the District committee should
take Col Grants remarks seriously, I
have written the chairman of that COM
mittee to suggest that he call on the
chief engineer OF the Federal Power
Commission for the result of the review
Of the power development made by the
engineers Of that commission. Their
investigation was made independently
of this Office and by the highest
authority or these matters in the Gov
eminent service.
Their statements will be the facts In
the case, and whether they suhstantiate
or do not SubStantiate the conclusions
reached by this Office, will be willing
to accept them. Their views should set
the question Of the economics of the
development at rest. The park COM
II it wishes to be fair in the
matter, must likewise accept the con-
illusions of the power commission as to
the economies Of the power develop
ment.
"Since the completion Of the report
made by this office on the power de-
velopment, We have assembled q great
many data bearing on navigation and
flood control and some on further power
All that we have are
available to the proper authorities and
all show an increasing value to the de-
velopment."
COMPANY ANSWERS GRANT.