Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-13
225, 900, Including President
and First Lady, View
Cherry Trees.
1920 AUTOMOBILES
COUNTED IN 10 HOURS
Representative Bowman, in Per-
sonal Survey, Calls Regula-
ton Success.

A record-breaking crowd, estimated
ut 225,000. which included President
and Mrs. Hoover, yesterday viewed the
japanese cherry blossoms around the
Tidal Basin.
Members of the United States Park
Police and the Metropolitan Force eSti-
mated that 34,240 automobiles crossed
the inlet bridge between $50 am. and
7:30 pm, bowling over the previous
high record of $4,000 cars for 1929.
Representative Frank L. Bowman. Re-
publican, of West Virginia and Capt.
r. c. Montgomery. U. S. A, superin-
tendent of the U. S. Park Police, in the
main pronounced the new plan for
handling traffic, sponsored by Bowman.
a success, but this was challenged in
other quarters.
The beautiful April sunshine and blue
skies yesterday brought out some $4,000
persons afoot to the Tidal Basin to walk
beneath the Oriental trees, with their
delicate pink blooms.
Visitors From White House.
The President and Mrs. Hoover paid
an unheralded visit to the Tidal Basin
yesterday afternoon. leaving their car
and walking beneath the cherry trees.
The presidential party drove to the west
side of the Tidal Basin and declined a
park police escort. Allan Hoover and
Mrs. Herbert Hoover, jr., were in the
party. The President and his party
crossed the river by Highway Bridge
and returned by way of the Key Bridge.
No serious traffic accidents were re-
ported and today the traffic schedule
was back to normal. The plan of Rep
resentative Bowman. with variations,
will be put into effect next Sunday,
under present plans.
Complaints on the new traffic plan
were heard particularly from persons
desiring to go to Virginia. Many motor
lists took exception to being sent over
the cinder roadway on he Hams Point
side of the railroad when coming out of
East Potomac Park, in order to get into
Fourteenth street.
Traffic Watched by Bowman.
Representative Bowman personally
surveyed the few of traffic from a van
tage poin1 on the railroad tracks. from
which elevation he could see the flow
CT traffic in the park and up Fourteenth
street. There was no trouble at all for
these coming out Of the Potomac Park
East in Fourteenth street" said Mr.
E7Em11: the only serious trouble was
caJe-d Es-Guse tourists were not advised
regarding the best way to get into the
p3Tk, and CO ring cut OF D street and
then south en- Fourteenth street they
cause confusion and delay at times
where We had least expected it. / am
writing to the District officials today to
try to have that situation relieved, and
feel sure that the much larger crowds
this year will have a chance TO see the
cherry blossoms without serious delay
and inconvenience.
Those opposed to his program, how
ever. said that he could see the flow of
traffic only from the railroad overpaSs
and was not in first-hand touch with
conditions elsewhere. Inspector Brown
Of the Traffic Bureau co-operated in
putting the plan into effect by having
Metropolitan officers along fourteenth
street. in the region of the Bureau Of
Engraving and Printing.
Steady Auto Procession.
Traffic began TO grow heavy about
$3.50 yesterday morning and from then
on IL became a steady procession of
cars around the Tidal Basin, with some
so traffic officers endeavoring to make
It move in orderly fashion.
-Four and five cars abreast drove
around the speedway during the peak
Of the traffic. Generally speaking,
Fourteenth street, from the Highway
Bridge to near the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing, was a one-way thor
OuSnIare Ior clty-DounQ tra1nc. VIZ
ginia-bound light traffic was detcured
over the park road. south of the Tidal
Basin, 70 make sharp right turn, near
the Highway Bridge entrance
Buses of the Alexandria. Bancroft g.
Washington Rapid Transit Co were
caught in the jam for a time and the
line got IS minutes behind schedule in
trying to buck the traffic on lower
Fourteenth street
This situation. according to r. L. May,
owner of the line, was soon corrected,
however, by the captain Of park police
at the bus owners suggestion and the
buses were turned TO the right after
crossing the bridge over the Tidal
Basin. After this action was taken the
buses made up the lost time and con-
tinued u remain on schedule, accord
ing TO Mr.. May.
Full Bloom by Wednesday.
Horticulturists of the Office Of Pub
lie Buildings and Public Parks said to-
day that the single blossom cherry.
trees, around the TIDAL Basin, are ex-
pected 10 be at their bet about We'd
nesday Of this week. and to last, with
favorable weather, until about the end
of the week
The double blossom trees on Hams
Point, as a rule, bloom two weeks later
than the single blooms, and are ex-
pected out this year about April 26,
with favorable weather.
.