Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22

Y ACK of coordination Of Govern
ment agencies involved in the
laying of the new steam tunnel
IL on Capitol Hill has resulted in
the probable destruction of a
row of stately 50-year-old elms which
will ruin the beautiful vista Of the
Capitol dome as viewed from the East
Capitol street approach.
In digging ditch for the steam
pipes workmen have cut off sharply
root sections on one side of the whole
row of trees on the south side of the
street between First and Second streets.
AS the trees on the other side are hem
med in by the curb along the pavement
Clifford Lanham, superintendent ~
trees and parking of the District, has
declared that all of them are certain
to die. Oflcials of the Office of the
architect of the Capitol in charge of
construction of the tunnel are of the
opinion that they will survive.
Mrs. Frank B. Noyes, chairman of
the Committee of the National Capital
of the Garden Club of America, yester-
day branded the cutting of the roots
Of the trees as absolute ruthless de-
struction of one of the great avenues
leading to the Capitol"
Construction Of Tunnel.
line SUSdTu I1oS US6u Gull
structed along the sidewalk of East
Capitol street nearest the tree side,
between First and Second streets, to
provide steam heat for the new Su-
preme Court Building, the Library Of
Congress and the new annex of the
Library of Congress.
In digging the excavation, the roots
Of the trees we're cut off close to the
trunks to depth of several feet. -Four
of the trees in the row had to be cut
down, because they were so far under
mined by the tunnel there was danger
of their falling down. One Of the trees
remaining is SO undermined by a man
hole constructed directly beside the tree
that a great part of its root system in
that direction has been destroyed.
when they destroy trees, such as
these old elms," said Mrs. Noyes, they
destroy something invaluable to Wash
ington which cannot be replaced. To
put in the place of these large. trees,
new ones of comparatively tiny size,
does not replace the beauty, the vista
and the shade which was destroyed in
the older trees. I am told that the
elrns, which will have to be cut down
on East Capitol street, would have
had at least 100 more years OF life,
had their roots not been Sacrit1ced."
CORRECTIVE IS OEBcu'
Something should be done to elm
mate such lack of coordination and
destruction of trees, Mrs. Noyes de-
clared, even if it were found necessary
to set up a new agency in the Govern
ment which would be in charge OF all
growing things" in the Nations Capital.
Neither the Government through any
of its agencies, nor any commercial In
terestS, such as builders, should be per-
mitted to destroy trees in this city, Mrs.
Noyes said. A new coordination effort,
she thinks should prevent such destruc-
ton, should protect the trees.
Asked how soon the trees would die,
Mr.. Lanham said 1t was impossible to
tell exactly, as they might linger along
for while. A tree has a root system
as large as its overhead, he explained.
The trees on East Capitol street al
ready had their roots cut on the street
side and received little nourishment
from that side. Now all their roots
have been cut off the other side, leav-
ing only small root system going
straight down, he explained.
Trees along the streets are grown
under the most adverse conditions" he
| said. THE surrounding ground is gen.
J orally poor. This department provides
an excavation of approximately SO cubic