Evening star., 1934-07-15
BY REX COLLIER.

Turning back the pages Of Potomac
history more than 300 years. the Ped
eral Government tomorrow viii go
before the District OF Columbia Vir-
ginia Boundary Commission with an
array of Colonial charters and grants
in support of its claims to property
valued at millions Of dollars on the
Virginia bank Of the river
The commission will be asked TO
hark back 70 the days when only In
dians roamed the primeval shores Of
the River Patowmak the wild and
unspoiled state which existed when
the Inflated Charles I on June 20.
1882, granted 10 Lord Baltimore all
that part of the peninsular. or cher
Sonese. lying in the parts Of America
between the ocean on the east and
the bay Of Chesapeake on the
west 3"
on reconstructed maps of the virgin
region. officials weighing respective
merits Of the rival claims Of Uncle
Sam and Virginia will have their at
tention called to such long vanished
or forgotten places as My Lords Is
land" near which. according 10 the
so-called Howsing grant Of 1869,
stood a certain red oak, or "a
creek named by the English Indian
Cabin Creek" or certain "pokecorieS"
which stood on the creek.
Once Swampy Territory.
Both sides are expected to quote
from a score Of old documents In
arguing their asserted rights to land
which once was swampy lowland along
the south shore of the picturesque
river, but which today includes such
improved property as the Washing
Hoover Airport and adjacent
territory.
The mosquito breeding bogs long
since have disappeared under dumped
trash and dirt and have become such
valuable real estate that, following
long disputes as 10 sovereignty. Con-
gress finally authorized appointment
Of a commission to decide the title
for all time.
From past arguments made before
courts in similar disputes involving
ownership of land on the Virginia side
of the river, it is likely the Federal
Government, through Department of
Justice attorneys, will hinge its claim
largely on aged deeds which, it is de-
clared. fixed the high water mark on
the Virginia shore as the boundary be-
tween Maryland and the Old Do
minion.
Island Now Part of Land
Venerable maps showing that what
is now part of the airport property
once was a swampy island, separated
from the mainland by small creek,
will be pointed to by Government
counsel as an argument for extending
the modern boundary inland to the
shore Of the one-time creek
The island which now is merged
with the mainland is designated on
old maps as "Alexanders Island" 1t
is probable the Government will claim
that, since Maryland, by its royal
charter, owned all Of the Potomac
River, it also owned the islands in 1t.
The District of Columbia acquired
these rights of ownership by the act
Of 1890 ceding part of Maryland to the
Federal Government for a seat of
government.
The grant to Lord Baltimore de-
fined the boundary as extending from
the first fountain of the Potomac"
downward toward the south to the
farther bank of said river and follow
ing it to where it faces the western
and southern coasts as far as to a
certain place called Cinquack, situated
near the mouth of the same river
where it discharges itself in the afore-
named bay of Chesapeake, and thence
by the shortest line as far as the
aforesaid promontory or place called
Watkins Point"
VIII Cite Maryland Act.
AS evidence of Maryland's claim to
ownership of the river there will be
cited the act of Maryland Of June %.
1853, ito prevent any obstruction of
the navigation in the River Palwo-
mack" which prohibited any one from