Evening star., 1938-10-30

pilot, A. Reed Towner, predicting the
development of air transportation
locally, was advocating development of
an airport. In company with others,
among them Lawrence E. Williams,
later to become chairman of the Avia-
ton Committee of the Washington
Board of Trade. Allen NJ Smythe a
lieutenant commander in the Naval
Aviation Reserve and present secretary
of the Aero Club of Washington, he
advocated development Of the Gravelly
Point site
The matter became of official record
in 1926, II years ago. In August of
that year, at a conference among
representatives Of the District chapter
Of the National Aeronautic Association,
the Aero Club; Maj. U. S. Grant. Sd,
executive officer Of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, and Maj. j. A. O'Connor, Army
engineer for the local District. several
sites were considered, Gravelly Point
being named as first choice
The local engineer office had pre-
pared estimates totaling approxi-
mately s2,9O0,o0O for construction of
an airport on the Gravelly Point site
as early as 1924 at the request of the
War Department, which then was con-
sidering the advisability of moving
from Boiling Field. Thus. although
the commercial airport plan at Gravelly
Point dates back officially IL years, the
possibilities of the site for airport
purposes have been under govern
mental consideration IA years.
In 1926, when the Gravelly Point
site first came into prominence as
an air terminal site. Washington had
but little commercial aviation activi-
ties. An almost negligible volume of
civilian air traffic existed and pilots
usually could get gasoline. oil and
minor parts in those days either from
the Army Air Corps at Boiling Field
or the Naval Air Station at Anacostia.
There was in operation a sort of
embryo airline. the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit Air Service, running daily
planes between what now is the Hoover
Field side of Washington Airport and
the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial
grounds. This line was short-lived
and was not regarded as of great inn
portance except as a promotional fea-
ture Of the "Sesqui" The Gravelly
Point campaign. therefore. has con-
tinued through the entire history of
regular air transport development in
Washington.
Maj. O'Connor's successor as dis
trct engineer. Maj Brehon Somervell,
Army Corps of Engineers, Immediately
interested himself in the local airport
situation. He advised the Aero Club
of Washington that the cost of filling
approximately l2O acres at Gravelly
Point, providing an area of about $500
by 1000 feet, would be approximately
$495. .000
The Aero Club planned a congress
sional campaign for legislation and
appropriations for the airport, it was
announced by Henry Berliner, pioneer
local airplane designer and builder
and president of the club
The estimates called for seawall and
landing field level of 10 feet above the
mean water level 1t covered nothing
but the filling of the area. Mr.. Ber-
liner and his associates estimated
that $740.00O would cover the cost of
the fill, hangers and other minimum
necessities and maintenance for
fhie
planned to petition Congress.
The clubs Airport Committee at
that time was composed of DR.. George
L. Lewis, then and now director of
research for the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics; Ernest L.
Jones, then of the Aeronautics Branch,
Commerce Department, and later
editor of an aviation magazine in New
York; Mr.. Smythe, John F. Victory,
then and present secretary to the
N. A. c. A.; Arthur Halstead, Bureau
of Standards, and Carl F. Schory,
National Aeronautic Association.
Congress, however, was unmoved,
or, at least. was not moved to the
extent of taking any action
Commercial aviation began to stir
in the shell. Hoover Field was rec
ognized by the Aeronautics Branch.
which on July 6, 1927, issued an air.
way bulletin describing the field for
the benefit of pilots. There was at
that time an amusement park, with a
roller coaster and other hazards, in
the southeast corner of the field and
the site of what later was to become
Washington Airport, across Military
road, was race track. The field