Evening star., 1936-03-23
CLEANUP STARTED
|NP0T0MACP PARKS
BY 2,9DO WORKERS
1000 Tons of Sand From
Demolished Dixie to Be
Piled on Island.
COST OF MATERIALS
ESTIMATED AT $50, 900
G. c. c. Members to Work "a
Hours Daily in Three Shifts.
Airport Again Open.

Twenty-Five hundred National Capt.
tai Parks, w. p. A. and c. G. c. work.
ers began In earnest today the task Of
cleaning up food-damaged East and
West Potomac Parks.
Five hundred c. c. c. workers, at .
am, started tearing down the half
mile dixie which last week held the
Potomac from washing Constitution
avenue and wetting the cellars OF
$100. .o00, 900 worth of Government
buildings.
The 1000 tons Of sand were to be
piled on Columcis Island to raise its
elevation. The JOB Is expected to last
until Saturday, according 70 Daniel
Cox Fahey, jr., National Capital PARKS
oficial, with $500 c. G. c. members
from seven camps working "a hours
daily in three shifts.
To make q start toward clearing and
relandscaping the scared and debris
Uttered parks. damage to which was
placed by c. Marshall Finnan, Ma
tional Capital Parks superintendent,
at between $l25,0o0 and $500. 900. the
Budget Bureau announced allotments
Of $4,000 to the parks office from the
w. P. A. flood relief and rehabili-
tation fund.
The District governments share OF
this money was to be granted later
after a more thorough check Of dam
age to the city Of Washington was
computed. There is yet possibility
that Chain Bridge, under District ju-
risdiction, may be scrapped.
$4,000 for Materials.
The $4,000 Is to buy materials fol
road and walk construction, replace
ment Of the Arlington Bridge fender
system, for topsoil, sod. fertilizers
grass seed. plant material, drainage
repair equipment and rustic picnic
tables and benches. The labor bill ir
the parks is estimated at $l2o,000.
The flood came just as the major
planting season was getting under way
In the parks. Oficials said today this
regular work must proceed. for the
horticultural phase Of It has to be
completed by May IS. Five hundred
men have been assigned to the work
Meanwhile. Washington Airport. re-
Gently q lake. was ready for business
once more and Naval Air Station was
having its mudpack scraped from its
face.
The flood front yesterday was the
most popular show in town as thou
sands In cars, afoot. on bicycles and
riding horseback crowded the river
banks to stare at the now placid
stream which four days ago was an
unchecked monster.
Great Falls Road damned.
Great Falls, where the roaring Po-
tomac spread Thursday into a wide
lake, was SO jammed yesterday that
many motorists who sought to &c
there turned back in despair after
driving for long periods at turtle speed
The dike-removal program calls fol
the front.line earthen embankment
west Of Seventeenth street and In the
rear Of the Navy and Munitions
Buildings to be permanently nodded
into the landscape.
With this In position, Fahey said
only three openings will have to bt
damned in the event of future flood
the highway at the guard house at the
west end Of the Munitions Building;
the similar point at the east end Vi
the Navy Building. and Seventeenth
street, which was being cleared this
morning for early, opening to trafic.
Rock Creek Park roads were open
today. but East Potomac Park was still
closed to traflic. Rock Creek and Po-
tomac parkway between K and E
streets also Is closed.