Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-13
TRADE BODY BACKS
SKATING CARNIVAL
Committee to Be Appointed
to Cooperate With Plan
ming Commission.

Plans for providing annually a five
month Winter ice-skating carnival on
the Lincoln Memorial Rejecting Basin,
by installation of permanent water
freezing apparatus IN the pool, moved
a step forward today when the Board
Of Trade announced plans to sponsor
the project. ..-
Members Of the Board of Directors
and the Executive Committee of the
trade body have voted to back the plan
and a special committee will be named
to cooperate with the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission in the
matter, it is reported by Robert j. Cot
trell, executive secretary of the board.
The plan, first proposed to Frederic
A. Delano, chairman of the Planning
Commission and forwarded by him to
the trade body, would provide, when
carried to completion, a new national
attraction in Washington that would
bring half million followers of out
door sports to the Lincoln pool each
Winter, it is estimated.
Grant Gives Unofficial o. X.
Col. U. S. Grant, Sd. director of Pub
lie Buildings and Parks, has given his
personal but unofficial approval to the
general plan, 1t is announced.
Mr.. Delano. in laying the matter be-
fore the Board of Trade stated:
THE plan would provide Washington
With the largest artificial ice-Skating
rink in the world. 1t Is known to you
that the Lincoln Memorial Rejecting
Pool measures $50 feet in breadth by
1000 feet in length. Our proposal is to
install ammonia pipes throughout the
pool and to construct refrigerating
plant nearby. The pipes would extend
the length of. the entire body of water
and would create constant freezing
temperature sufficiently cold to main
tain a sturdy ice surface during at
least five OF the Winter months
although neither Col Grant nor
myself are at present in a position to
estimate accurately the probable cost of
this project, I believe it would entail
a sum between $4,000 and 100000.
The undertaking presents no engineer
ing problem OF very great Importance
and could be commenced as soon as
the money is raised. Preliminary plans
are now in the making and will be
submitted to you with an accurate es-
Would Be Attraction.
Assuming that it would be practical
to provide skating on the rejecting
pool from the first of November to the
last of March, there is no reason why
the Capital of the United States should
not promote a Winter Ice Carnival of
such vast proportions that people would
be drawn to this city for the spectacle
from all over the Atlantic Seaboard
The possibilities of such a carnival
on body of ice SO large as the re-
fiecting pool are almost unlimited. IN
Ger arc lights at night, parades, pa
geants and masquerades might be held.
There would be room on the pool for a
race course and perhaps 10 hockey
Kinks. Hockey games and skating tour
namentS could be held throughout the
Winter. A band might play in the
afternoon and evening. 1t is not I'M
reasonable to suppose that the number
of skaters using the rink during the
five Winter months would reach half
million
Aside from offering city benefit by
providing outdoor recreation to thou
sands over a long period, Mr.. Delano
cited the advantage of such an ex-
tended carnival to the business inter-
ests of the city by attracting additional
trade to local business establishments
by drawing additional thousands of
visitors to the capital during Winter
months.