Evening star., 1939-07-15
Special Channel
For Four Historic
Ships Weighed
Planning Commission
Also Considers Lifting
Vessels Onto Lond


Instead of being moored along
the Potomac River bank in front of
the proposed new Navy Department
Building the four historic ships
which are expected to be placed
there may have private ocean" of
their own northwest of the Rock
Greek and Potomac Parkway, near
the river terminus of Constitution
avenue NV.
This plan was one of several
considered yesterday by the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission st its July meeting.
When the plan first was formu-
lated to place four historic ships
along the river at this point in
connection with the new building,
the Park and Planning Commission
asked Col. r. S. Thomas, district
engineer for the War Department
for the Washington area, to pre-
pare a report on the possibility OF
severe damage to the four ships by
floods. Col. Thomas reported yes
terday that it would be unwise to
place the ships along the river bank
due to floods and ice jams.
Land Berth Considered.
Therefore it was decided to place
them back from the river to the
west and north of the parkway.
Another plan being given serious
consideration for the placement of
the vessels calls for building of
concrete berths on dry land.
The four ships being considered
for the project are the Constella-
ton, sister ship of the Constitution,
to represent the War of 1872; the
Hartford, representing the Civil
War; the Olympia, Admiral Dewey's
flagship, representing the Spanish
American War, and World War
destroyer.
Commission spokesmen said they
did not know just how the ships
would be placed in position
whether a miniature tidal basin
would be dredged there with water
gate-equipped entrances to river
channel or whether they would be
hoisted out on dry land and set
in their final resting places.
The prospect of lifting a 1,500-ton
destroyer from the water and plac-
ing it on land considerably above
the river level is, according to
Thomas S. Settle, commission sec
retary. the least of the commits
sion's worries"
Considering the new Navy Build
ing as a whole, the commission in
spected and discussed three alter
nate plans for development of the
tract lying between Constitution
avenue, F street, Twenty-third
street and the Potomac River pre-
pared by the Procurement Division
(now part of the Federal Works
Agency and asked the Procurement
Division to prepare still another
plan incorporating the best points
of the other three for presentation
at the commissions September
meeting.
The bill authorizing $23, ,466, 900 for
building the new structure has been
amended to provide for use of this
site in the Federal rectangle.
Consider Rerouting Highway.
The meeting was attended by
members of the Procurement Divi-
sion and of the Bureau of Public
Roads, the Civil Aeronautics Au-
thority, the United States Army En-
gineer Corps and the National Com
mission of Fine Arts for the purpose
of considering the relocation of the
Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
where it will interfere with the new
national airport at Gravelly Point.
The new route of the highway has
been staked out between the railroad
tracks and the Bureau of Public
Roads Research Center. The main
problem involved is to be shifting
of the bureaus testing track so that
1t will parallel the new highway in
stead of abutting it at an angle. An
other problem growing out of the
relocation is the landscaping ada
cent to the railroad tracks 1t may
be necessary to purchase some land
from the railroads to maintain the
scenic character of the highway.
Commission members as we'll as
others attending the meeting toured
the airport site to view the situation
at first hand. They expressed ap-
proval, Mr.. Settle said, at the prog
ress being made on the airport itself.
Filling of the site with gravel from
dredging operations is nearly half
completed.
Transfer Recreation Areas.
The commission, in view of the
new recreation setup provided by the
District of Columbia bill passed yes
terday, transferred seven areas ac-
quired in the recreation system to
the new District Recreation Com
mittee.
The areas include part of Fort
Reno Park, Second High Reservoir
Playground, Forty-fourth and Van
Ness streets NV; land adjacent to
the Shepherd School at Fourteenth
and Kalmia streets NV, a new por-
ton of Columbia Heights recreation
area, adjacent to Powell Junior High
School at Sixteenth and Lamont
streets NV; land adjacent to the
Montgomery School. Twenty-sev-
enth street between I and K streets
NV; part of lexington Recreation
Center, Second and T streets NE,
and Ridge Road Playground.
1t was brought to the attention
Of the commission that the Office
of National Capital Parks had trans
ferred six other areas to the Rec
reation Committee within the last
few weeks. These are Southeast
Recreation Center, Eighth and H
streets S.W; Hoover Playground,
Delaware avenue and N street S.W.;
Turkey Thicket Playground. Tenth
and Michigan avenue NE; Edge
wood Playground, Lincoln road and
Evarts street NE; Petworth Play
ground. Third and Hamilton streets
NV, and part of Randall Recrea-
ton Center, South CAPITOL and Il