Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-25
.ELMS SACRIFICED
FOR CAPITOL VISTA,
ARCHITECT SAYS
Different Scheme of Planting
to Be Carried Out Along
East Capitol Street.
WIDER TH0ROUGHFARE
is PLANNED BY LYNN
Officials Explain Why Historic
Trees Are Being Removed to
Provide for Tunnel.

While three more .50-year-old elms
fell before ak and saw along the East
Capitol street vista to the Capitol
Building between First and Second
streets within the past "a hours, David
Lynn, architect Of the Capitol, ex-
planned that plans now call for de-
velopment of East Capitol street into
a wider thoroughfare, with different
tree planting, to provide an even finer
vista.
Two Of the big elms were cut down
today, following one yesterday and
another the day before, thus stripping
the vista along the south side of East
Capitol street of all of the big trees,
from the corner of Second street for
some distance toward the Capitol
District of Columbia authorities or
dered the trees cut down because Of
the hazard to paSSersby. Roots Of the
trees had been cut as workmen pro-
ceeded with the construction Of q
steam tunnel on East Capitol street.
Used to Help JobIess.
The trees were cut down by q crew
from the ONCE Of the District Super
intendent of Trees and Parking, Cliff
ford Lanham, in charge Of H. p. Nc
Cleary. foreman, and the remains were
hauled to the District woodward where
they were being cut up into firewood
today for the relief of unemployed.
Mr.. Lynn said his Office accepted re-
sponsibility for placing the steam tunnel
in the sidewalk. The plans, he said,
were prepared by the consulting en-
gineer Of his office. The contractors
who did the work obtained from the
District permit to proceed with the
work, but this was not necessary. Mr..
Lynn said, as the ONCE of the Architect
Of the Capitol has full authority over
the property Of the Capitol and Library
of Congress grounds in question. down
to the curb. including the sidewalk.
District officials had no responsibility
in the matter of the tunnel, Mr.. Lynn
declared, absolving them of any blame
in connection with the trees.
Street 70 Be Widened.
East Capitol street would be widen
ed from its present width of so feet to
II feet under a proposal suggested by
the National Capital Park and Planning
Commission last Winter, Mr.. Lynn ex-
planned. All plans for development Of
the area are being made, he said, with
this in view, so that when the time
comes for widening East Capitol street
the buildings, sidewalks, tunnels and
other features Will be in line.
A letter was received last February
% from the Park and Planning Com
mission, Mr.. Lynn explained, saying the
commission had approved Gin principle"
the widening Of East Capitol street.
This recommendation was made with q
view to making that thoroughfare into
a more suitable approach to the Ma
tional Capitol" The letter came from
Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, executive
officer of the commission. This rec
ommendation vas submitted to the
trtct Commissioners, Col. Grant ex-
planned.
Gilbert Approves Plan.
Mr.. Lynn said he had referred the
street widening proposal to the architect
OF the new Supreme Court Building,
CasS Gilbert, who approved it in prin-
ciple, but suggested a somewhat even
more generous treatment, with wider
feet farther from the curb.
In the Capitol Grounds themselves,
Mr.. Lynn explained, some old tulip
poplar trees which were planted many
years ago in the development of the
Capitol Grounds are set back much
farther from the curb than the Inflated
elms on East Capitol street. The pop
lar trees are about 100 feet apart,
measuring across the street, and are set
back far enough to provide wide vista
between them looking toward the Capt.
toll.
The plan Of wider planting trees will
be carried out, Mr.. Lynn explained,
in the grounds Of the Supreme Court
along the north side of East Capitol
street between First and Second streets
New trees, OF variety yet to be Sc
lected, will be planted there in line
with the tulip poplarS in the Capitol
Grounds. Disposition Of the elms along
East Capitol street adjacent has not
no indication Of their early destruction.
It will be three or four years probably
before the Supreme Court planting Is
done, after the building is finished and
the grounds placed in order.
Tunnel Under Street.
The steam tunnel along the south side
of East Capitol street, beneath the side
walk, would be under the street surface
itself when East Capitol street Is
widened.
Asked why the tunnel was not placed
in the lawn of the Library of Congress
instead of under the sidewalk, where
the roots of the old elmS were fatally
cut, Mr.. Lynn said his office had not
considered this necessary, in view of
the proposed widening of East Capitol
street. The tunnel is insulated, Mr..
Lynn said, to keep the heat in.
This proposal to widen the street,
however, has not as yet reached the
stage of legislation. It was not clear
today as to which Government agencies
would formally present the legislation
to Congress, when it is presented.
District officials said they had no
authority over the sidewalk and they
act only in an advisory and "con-
tractural" capacity to the architect of
the Capitol. They furnish maps of
underground utilities and when the
sidewalk is to be replaced they do the
Job, receiving pay from funds in the
hands of the architect.