Evening star., 1938-12-04

Combining features not to be
found in any other park in the
United States, Washington's largest,
least known and most interesting
parkway now is entering its final
stages of development in the Ana
costa River Valley between Benning
road and the District of Colum-
bia line.
Not only will the new Anacostia
parkway open to the public an area
exceedingly rich in variety of ter
rain, ranging from wild rice
marshes similar to those of Louisi-
ana, and channel threaded islands
resembling the Savannahs of Geor-
gia, to the wooded heights of the
National Arboretum, but it will pro-
vide an equally wide range of con-
dltions for water sports and rec
reation.
More important still, the new
parkway will eventually provide the
National Capital with a highway
approach from the populous Balti-
timore, Philadelphia, New York and
New England areas, which promises
in time to become one of the most
beautiful approaches to any Amer
lean city.
Survey Trip Made.
Enthusiastic over the extraordi-
nary possibilities of the Anacostia
parkway area, Col. R. S. Thomas,
new Army engineer for the local dis
trict, accompanied by 1t. Col. David
McCoach, new District Engineer
Commissioner, has just made a sur
vey trip of the parkway as a basis
for an effort to speed up completion
OF work on the section from Ben
ming Bridge to the District line. The
trip was made in Harbor Police
boat, the party including Edwin A.
Schmitt, principal civil engineer,
Army Engineer Office, who has been
in direct charge of preparing plans
for the parkway, and Star re-
porter and photographer.
Although the Anacostia parkway
project as whole is now more
more than 80 per cent completed,
Col. Thomas said, at the current
rate of appropriations, II years will
be required for his Office to conplete
its share of the basic work on rec
lamatlon of the area and to turn
the project over to the Office of Ma
tional Capital Parks for final de-
velopment Of the shore areas.
From the standpoint of real eco
nomy in engineering costs, Col.
Thomas believes the work should
be done in a maximum of five
years. increasing the length Of the
annual working season. Early COM
pletion of the project also is of
great Importance, he believes, in
connection with the proposed de-
velopment of the Washington-Bal-
timore Parkway.
A 100000 land purchase pro-
gram now is being carried on by
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and the
Maryland Park and Planning Com
mission in the Anacostia Valley in
Prince Georges County both to ex-
tend the parkway beyond the Dis
trict line and to provide additional
right OF way for the intercity
parkway.
The survey trip started from
temporary police pier under the
Benning Bridge, the police boat
heading directly up the Anacostia
between masonry retaining walls
along the shores. Passing the low
er entrance to Lake Kingman, on
the left, the boat soon entered a
widespread wild rice marsh which
will be left in its natural state as
a bird refuge. An almost bewild-
ering variety of wild fowl is to be
found in this area, Col. Thomas
said. There was speedy confirma-
ton of his statement as the boat |
scared up herons of several va
rieties, reed birds, ducks, Bit |
tern and other varieties, among
them the ubiquitous starlings, who
headed downtown through the
bright afternoon to roost on Col.
McCoachs window ledges.
Like Georgia savannahs.
Behind the marsh lies a large
lake containing IA small islands,
all covered with rank vegetation,
now Drowned and sere as a result |
OF the cold snap, which still left
the sheltered waterways covered
with ice. This lake will be left in
its present condition as paradise
for birds, fish and nature lovers.
1t is to be cut off from the Ana
costa River and will be accessible
ultimately only by canoe and row.
boat, power boats being restricted
to the river and the larger Lake
Kingman.
Nearing the District line, after
under the forest-crowned
Mount Hamilton, site of the Ma
tional Arboretum, the police boat
headed into the upper end of the
east lake into narrow winding wa
terways among the islands.
I've never seen anything like this
the savannahs of North
Carolina and Georgia" Col. Thomas
Barred by ice from penetrating
far among the islands, the boat re-
Traced its way back into the main
river, along partially completed sea-
walls, and entered the upper end
of Lake Kingman. This lake, unlike