Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-03
Citizen Unit Backs
Plans for Underpass
Al Scott Circle
Officials Get Support
From Residents Opposing
10th Street Committee

UNFOLDING the position taken by
District officials and Secretary of
the Interior Ickes for underpass-
ing Sixteenth street beneath Scott
Circle, a committee Of residents in
the vicinity of the circle today be-
gan circulating a petition en-
phatically protesting any change in
the proposal.
This was learned from DR.. F.
Scott Avery of 1923 Massachusetts,
avenue NV, chairman of the new
committee, which was formulated
yesterday. DR.. Avery personally
obtained signatures to the petition
today. and invited any persons in
terested in the project to sign the
document at his home.
The position taken by this new
committee clashes with a group
known as the Sixteenth Street
Citizens Committee, which has
launched program to stop the
Sixteenth street underpass or switch
1t to Massachusetts, avenue instead.
New Group Backs Officials.
Meantime, at the District Build
ing, officials disclosed still further
reasons why the north-south route
of Sixteenth street had been chosen
for the underpass, instead OF Massa-
chusetts avenue. With a fight on
their hands between two opposing
groups of citizens, District off,
Gals thus are backed by the new
group headed by DR.. Avery, and
strongly opposed by the Sixteenth
street organization. The latter has
demanded public hearing. En-
gineer Commissioner David Nc
Coach, jr., has promised "consid-
Grafton" would be given to counter
proposals from those who oppose the
Sixteenth street cut.
DR.. Avery, launching his move
ment on the underpass, said he had
received distinguished support al
ready, and expected to obtain many
signatures not only from persons
in the vicinity Of the circle but from
other public spirited citizens In
other parts of the city who agreed
with his position.
Other members of his committee,
the chairman said, include the fol-
lowing: Clifford Pinchot, former
Governor of Pennsylvania; Ross
Perry. Mrs. Violet Orme, Harry
Bedell, Mrs. Samuel Green, Mrs.
D. c. Stapleton, Mrs. Arthur Crook
and DR.. Joseph Mundell.
The Sixteenth Street Citizens
Committee opposing the project is
headed by Frank B. Steele, secre-
tary-registrar general of the Ma
tional Society, Sons of the American
Revolution. The committee counsel
and secretary is Albert Brick, who
| already has made searching his
torical study of the project.
Learns of Filled Ground.
One of the most interesting among
many reasons for not depressing
Massachusetts, avenue, DR.. Avery
said, was discovery from old records
that the 1900 block of Massachu-
sets was the site of an old creek
and valley which had been filled.
Recent drilling also had disclosed
that this area was not as good for
foundations for an underpass as
Sixteenth street, he said.
Capt. H. G. Whitehurst, director
OF highways, pointed out that traf-
nc would move much simpler under
traffic lights with Sixteenth street
beneath. In that case, he said,
there would be left on the surface
simple intersections" with a pro-
gram of making Massachusetts,
avenue and Rhode Island avenue
traffic flow in a. progressive flexible
system" These two avenues come
into the circle at acute angles. To
depress Massachusetts, avenue, he
pointed out, referring to the plan
drawn for this. would leave an ir-
regular, misshapen surface with
more complicated surface control.