Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-05

aviators and engineers and the studies
conducted by the commission there
emerged the conviction on the part of
that body that the Capital Citys air
port needs embraced q comprehensive
plan that would provide, in the final
picture, close-in landing field and
port, as loading and unloading termt-
nal, and one or more auxiliary and
larger ports somewhat further removed,
where facilities for maintenance, Serv-
ices, overhauling and storage could be
had. With these requirements in mind,
the range of possibilities was consid-
erably narrowed.
salient advantages for the speedy
development of q municipal airport
seemed to rest in property situated i'm
mediately to the southwark of the
Highway Bridge, on the Virginia side
of the Potomac River, embracing two
flying fields known as Washington Air
port and Hoover Field. These are vir-
tually adjoining tracts, being separated
only by Military road, highway Lead
ing from the bridge terminus to Airing
ton and Alexandria. Adjacent to Hoo
yer Field on the west is the Agricul-
tural Department experimental farm,
q considerable portion of whose land is
reasonably level, while to the northward
of the property bearing the Presidents
name lies Columbia Island in the Poto-
mac, separated from the mainland by
a narrow and shallow strip of water
The requirement of the two private
ly owned properties, when thrown to-
gether and augmented by portion Of
the farm lands and q part Of the island
both Government owned, il was found
by the commission would provide q
tract of some $50 acres. Furthermore.
it was learned that both the flying
fields in question could be purchased
from their owners on what appeared to
be reasonable terms. It was recognized
by the commission that these tracts
were already operated as flying fields,
and that therefore their further and
unified development as q municipal air.
port would be q relatively simple under
taking compared with the task OF put
ting virgin lands TO such uses. As an
additional feature, the fact that these
fields are within is minutes of the bus
ness and hotel center of Washington
carried . further and potent argument
In their behalf.
In the process Of developing these
properties, it would be necessary to re-
route a portion of Military Highway, so
that there would be no dividing line
between the fields, q change that would
add very materially to the acreage OF
amount of filling would be required
also between Columbia Island and the
mainland.
Engineers Report Il Considered.
'"These improvements made and the
entire area. thrown into one tract, air
plane runway facilities half mile In
length in the direction of the stronger
winds, and four fifths of a mile in the
direction of the lighter winds could
readily be provided.
During all of its deliberations, the
joint commission has not been unmind-
full of the airport possibilities latent in
that tract bordering on the Potomac
known as Gravelly Point, located about
one half mile below Highway Bridge
on the Virginia side. In the considera-
ton Of this possible site, however, the
commission was forced to take into
account the evidence given by Army
engineers to the effect that IL Gravelly
Point were developed only through the
normal rate of filling with material
would take 40 years to provide land for
an airport that might be available to
the next generation.
Testimony from engineering experts
showed that il the Gravelly Point tract
were already filled today, it would re-
quire at least f1ve years before the Ill
would settle sufficiently to warrant the
construction of concrete rlInways. OF
| warrant proper development of grass
Nevertheless, the commission believes
that Gravelly Point possesses highly