Evening star., 1936-09-27
PROGRESS|SRAP|D
/ ON NEW AIRPORT
Field Drainage System and
Much of Grading Already
Completed.

Completed.
From the alternate mudhole and
dust heap which for years has been
Washington's only air terminal there
now Is emerging an airport which it
is believed will rank among the finest
of its size in the United States, as q
100000 improvement program be-
gins to take shape at Washington Air
port.
Although construction was begun
only two weeks ago, all OF the field
drainage system has been completed,
q large part of the grading work ac-
complished and foundation work on
behalf of the main paved runway and
more than one-third of the cross rum
way finished in preparation for final
surfacing.
1t is likely that half of the main
4,200-foot runway will be completely
paved and ready for landings and
take-offs before the end Of this week.
BY cutting into little knoll near the
point where Military road goes under
the Rosslyn branch of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, it has been possible to
increase the length of the cross run
way from the 1890 feet originally
planned to 5000 feet, it was an
nounced yesterday by Daniel H. Reed,
New York airport consulting engineer,
in charge of the construction work.
Work has been begun on the laying
Of underground conduits so flush-type
runway lights of the most modern
type may be installed in the future
without cutting into the paved run
ways.
Drainage Work Completed.
The drainage work, now completed.
involved the laying of 5000 feet Of
IL and inch drainage tile and con-
struction of Is catch basins. This
will be sufficient to keep the paved
runways free of water in the heaviest
and most prolonged rains, and in the
event Of possible Potomac River floods
the airport viii be ready for use as
soon as the river falls below the run
way level. 1t is not believed, how
ever, there Is much likelihood Of flood
trouble. The level of the lowest parts
Of the runways Is being raised and
only a record-breaking food like that
Of last Spring could interfere with
operations, it is said.
Last Springs floods caused a pro-
longed suspension of operations at
the local airport, which remained a
morass for days after the flood water
subsidized. Air transport operations
were transferred to Baltimore and
Boiling Field during the period of
the floor and for nearly week after
ward.
Although half the main runway Is
nearly completed. a great deal of
work will be necessary before the
second half can be completed. The
fill for the runway itself must still
be made across Military road and it
will be necessary to complete the
grading of a feast one of the 200
foot shoulders on either side Of
the paved area to provide temporary
landing area for airplanes while the
paving is in process. Grading of
one Of these shoulders across Mill
tary road has been completed and
the filling, scraping and rolling Of the
strip between the future paved run
way and the Arlington Experimental
Farm has been begun.
Portion Of Runway Graded.
The portion Of the main runway
down the center Of old Hoover Field
has been graded and will be available
for operations while the shoulder is
being completed. The freshly graded
earth will be kept sprinkled and
rolled to keep down dust and keep
it hard while it is in use for airplane
operations.
Commenting on decision by the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission Thursday to oppose fill
ing Of Boundary Channel Bay to
provide a third runway at the airport,
Samuel j. Solomon, Washington Air
port manager, said he had not for
mally proposed to the commission
that the bay be filled, but had merely
discussed the subject with a COM
mission member and that they ap-
parently had anticipated q request.
Filling Of the bay is not necessary
to the airport corporation" Solomon
pointed out. 1--WE have operated as an
airport without it being closed and
we can continue to operate If 1t is
not filled. I am speaking, of course,
from the standpoint Of the corpora
ton as business organization. The
filling of the bay would, however,
make the airport safer and better
from the standpoint Of the airline
operators and the travelling public
and 1t Is their interests, not ours,
that are affected by the decision"
Solomon pointed out that because Of
the prevailing wind conditions at
Washington Airport, q runway into
the lagoon area is not often needed,
but that on the few occasions when it
Is needed it would be very valuable,
because then the wind usually Is rap