Evening star., 1936-05-17

~ parks, WOulQ IL IOl De
" " good idea to erect few
handsome fountains in the
more central of these reservations?
Indeed, there are many people who are
old and infirm and who make these
places their rendezvous in Summer:
many who are not i'll go there as we'll
to while away leisure hour or two,
and nothing pleases the young folk
better than a picturesque fountain dis
play. such as our minds revert to as
we recall days when many Of us had
not yet reached our teens.
1t is quite probable we have more
fountains in Washington today than
We had so years and more ago, but
many of the earlier ones. undoubtedly,
have been removed, though some few
have found a resting place in other
reservations and sections OF the city.
For instance. the one in Truxtun
Circle, at North Capitol street and
Florida avenue, was formerly in Mount
Vernon Square, and the famous Bar
tholdi fountain has only recently been
shipped from the older part of the
Botanic Garden. just to the east of the
Capitol, to the recent addition to the
grounds in the block to the south OF
the one in which it formerly stood.
The older we get it seems, the more
our minds turn to those good old days
of yore, especially to our childhood
days, and though we know we cannot
be born again. still we do often repeat
the words of that old refrain:
Backward, turn backward, oh, time
in your flight.
Make me child again just for
tonight"
And if we were young again, I am
sure nothing would please us more
than to get out the stereoscope and
view some of the old scenery in and
around Washington. And what, after
all, would thrill us more than the
views of the fountains which we still
recall with fond memories?
THERE seems to be little to draw
from regarding the very early
fountains of the city, and, indeed,
what may have been called fountain
100 years ago, might not agree with
our idea of fountain at all, and may
have been only natural overf1owing
spring, nothing like what We mean
when We use the word today. However,
under this heading. the writer finds it
stated that the first public fountain in
the city was erected in 1910 by the
mayoralty, or in other words, by the
local government.
There were copious, gushing springs
In and around Washington when the
District first became Federal territory,
and some Of them continued in public
and private use down to the Civil War
and in some cases even later. Few
people have any conception of the
magnitude of these early springs that
furnished the city with its water
supply.
The spring at Ninth and F streets
afforded two barrels of water minute
The City Spring, on G street, between
John Marshall place and Sixth street,
supplied water to the National and
other nearby hotels, and it's owner
rented out part of the surplus water
for public baths, while there was still
some water left over that flowed into
the Tiber Creek, a block away to the
south.
Willow Spring, in the vicinity of
Fifth and L streets, was also famous
for its large flow, as were the Carroll,
sherwood, Gales, and host of other
springs, slight, if any, trace of which
can now be found.
IN 1882 the John A. Smith springs.
located in the area of what is now
the Howard Reservoir, so-called be-
cause 1t Is near the Howard University,
were purchased by act of Congress,
and not only supplied large reservoir
on the east side of the Capitol and one
on the west side, but also fed foun-
tain near the Capitol, for We are in
formed a year or two later that "the
fountain Is neat and ornamental, but
too confined" This refers to the Naval
Monument that was surrounded at this
time by freestone basin in conjunc-
ton with the water display.
This particular Naval Monument
was brought here in 1903. It was
purchased by officers of the United
States Navy to memorable the losses
Of the Navy at Tripoi. 1t was brought
to this country on the frigate Consti-
tuition and by an act of Congress the
duties on it were remitted. At first 1t
was placed at the Washington Navy
Yard and was there when the yard
was burned by our own people to pre-
vent it from falling into the hands of
the British in 1914. Later the monu-
fnent was removed to the west front
OF the Capitol, where it was sur
rounded, as stated, with basin, and
was the central figure of one of the
citys earliest fountains. Here it re-
mained until 1850, when it was taken
down and re-erected in the grounds
Of the Naval Academy at Annapolis,
where it is now.
1t is, however, not the present Peace
or Naval Monument that stands to
the west of the Capitol, just outside
the grounds, and was designed by Ad-
n1iral David Porter, the sculptor being
Franklin Simmons and the architect
Edward Clark. This monument was
not brought to America until 1877, the
year 1t was dedicated.
TN 1899 reference is made to water
having been obtained for foun-
tsins in the Capitol inclosure, and be-
sides this, there weresa large fish and
other ponds in the grounds. And this
reminds us Of probable "fish" story
which was told by former Governor
Of Maryland on one Of the early arch |
fleets Of the Capitol, Edward Clark,
many years ago.
You know" said the Ex-Governor. |
shat there are q lot of extra men |