Evening star., 1936-03-29
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The recent Potomac freshet stirred
memories Of Washingtonians as to the
u turbidity of the
Fotomac wafer drinking W t e r
Filtration. served to the Capital
so and more years
ago. The Star of March %, 1886, thus
notes q project then under consideration
for filtration:
THE proposal to filter the Potomac
water which is introduced into the city
for drinking purposes is one which de-
serves all commendation, If process can
be adopted which is known to be thor
ough in its effects. Analysis indicates
the comparative freedom of the water
from organic impurities when it is clear.
Bacteria feed upon organic matter. Their
presence in large quantities is coincident
with and proportional to turbidity Of the
water. Filtration, though ineffective
against organic poiSons, may be de-
pended on to correct turbidity and thus
to abate a large part of the danger to
be apprehended from drinking the Po-
tomac water as it comes from the service
pipes. Meanwhile, it does no harm for
each consumer to have filter Of his
own. Its use makes the water more
appetizing, as well as more wholesome"
"It is difficult for the ordinary mind
to conceive" says The Star Of March
~ "a, 1886, what purpose
1ToteSls the in the direction of either
Mall Street. utility or beauty can be
served by passing the
bill, introduced in the House by Repre-
sentative Springer on the 18th instant,
which proposes to open a wide, straight
street from the center of the Capitol
Building to the center of the Washington
Monument through the attractive park
which now happily separates those struc-
lures. Such a roadway cannot be in
tended to accommodate travel, for there
is little travel to be accommodated, and
what there is can be more quickly served
by the more appropriate Serpentlne
drives now laid out through the grounds;
and so far as appearances are to be
taken into account-and they should by
no means be left out OF view-the pro-
posed avenue would be distinct blem-
ish instead of an added attraction.
"The theory upon which broad,
straight roadways are laid out and con-
structed is to facilitate communication
between two populous or strategically
important points, or to accommodate the
population living along its line. Neither
of these conditions exists in the present
case. The proposed street, If authorized
and completed, would simply connect
two splendid architectural structures,
neither Of which houses any Inhabitants,
and it would accommodate no population
living along its line, for there is none.
The proposition must therefore be con-
Sidered purely on its ornamental aspects.
Upon this point argument is, OF course,
useless. If there be those who think that
a straight roadway as wide as PennSyl-
vania avenue cut through the present
beautiful grounds would be any improve
ment, they are entitled to their opinion,
and may well be regarded as beyond the
influence of any reasons which might
be advanced against their view. 1t may
be urged against the measure. however,
that 1t would devastate che artistically
designed plan of the grounds, prepared
and carried out with so much care and
success by Mr.. A. j. Downing, the emf
nent landscape engineer and involve the
total destruction Of many rare and beau
tiful trees, now nearly third OF q CEN
tury old. These things are among the
chief glories of the National Capital and
should be jealousy preserved. The
money necessary to carry out any So
called Improvement that would result in
their injury, even in the slightest degree,
had better be thrown into the Potomac.
where, If it could do not good, would
at least do no harm"