Evening star., 1937-09-24
Memorial Background.

One Of the objections raised to the
location of the projected Thomas Jeffer-
son Memorial on the south side of the
Tidal Basin in Potomac Park is that
the railroad embankment across the
park would make an unsightly and in
congruous background for the struc-
ture. This consideration was not given
as much attention, however, as the OBJ
lection to the site on the score of the
reduction of the area of the Tidal Basin
and the destruction of many of the
cherry trees which form one of the most
attractive features of the Washington
scene. 1t is now made known that the
National Capital Parks and Planning
Commission at recent meeting consd-
cred the matter of the railroad tracks
as an undesirable feature of the me-
mortal location and that it has under
consideration proposal for the elimina-
tion OF the tracks at the present grade.
For good many years a hope has
been entertained that eventually the
railway lines connecting Washington
with the South would be carried across
the Potomac by means of tunnel, per-
haps with the elimination of surface
tracks altogether in the city. This has
been regarded as especially desirable
since the construction of the Memorial
Bridge, contrasting so strikingly with the
two steel trestle bridges below that
structure. That these two should be
replaced by a masonry viaduct of monu-
mental design in keeping with the Key
and Memorial Bridges has been often
urged and is regarded as altogether suit
able and in keeping with the general
plan of Capital development.
The bisecting of Potomac Park by
railway embankment has never been
viewed as other than undesirable, indeed
the more so as the correction of this
condition is within the range of engi-
neering possibility. There are no ma
terial obstacles to such work. 1t would
be costly, to be sure, even as are all other
major operations in correction of long
established nuisances arising from pub
lie necessities. The elimination of grade
crossings in Washington which freed the
city from a menacing and disfguring
condition was an expensive operation. 1t
was not wholly completed however, for
there remains virtually at grade a line
OF tracks which has continued the
nuisance of smoke and noise and street
occupation in a part of the city that
has suffered for many decades from this
condition.
Burial of the tracks across Potomac
Park and the river would contribute
materially to the solution of the Jeffer-
son Memorial emplacement problem
without involving the destruction of the
cherry trees which have been a major
factor in the opposition to the selection
OF this site. With the railroad embank-
ment removed large space would be
added to the level area below the Tidal
Basin on which the memorial could be
located without despoiling the park of
any Of these trees.
These considerations are entirely
apart from the matter of the difficulty
regarding a secure foundation for the
memorial at or near the point that has
been recommended. 1t is claimed in
behalf of this site that such a founda-
ton can be secured. If that is true and
II the available area can be sufficiently
enlarged by the removal of the railway
embankment objections to the selection
OF Potomac Park site for this tribute
to one of Americas greatest sons would
be largely removed.