Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-15
FIood-ControI
Funds Urged
For Anacostid
Delegation Asks
House Unit to OK.
81 Million for Work
By Harold B. Rogers

9l MILLION tor Work
BY Harold B. Rogers
A House Appropriations SUBJ
committee today was strongly
urged to approve 81 million in
Federal funds toward construc-
ton on an Anacostia River flood
control project.
A delegation headed by Repre-
sentative Small. Republican. Of
Maryland emphasized the need
for such a fund in the interest
of national defense, our ma
tional economy, protection of
thousands of our homes and the
free movement of essential.
emergency and passenger We
hicles."
Ray Also TestifieS.
Testifying with Mr.. Small at
the hearing by a subcommittee
on civil functions and military
construction were Commissioner
Ted Ray of the Washington SUBJ
urban Sanitary Commission and
Harry B. Shaw. the commissions
chief engineer.
They emphasized that Fed
eral funds were vitality needed to
free for immediate work $780,
900 made available by Maryland.
Maryland is thus prepared
to undertake this project jointly
with the Federal Government"
Mr.. Small told the subcommit-
tee.
Heavy Damage Cited.
Property damage to thou
sands of homes and businesses
in the expanding area of these
recurrent floods" Mr.. Small en-
phasized, runs into large figures
annually"
Emphasizing the national de-
Tense issue, Mr.. Small presented
photographs of the floods and
also a map of the District Of
Columbia prepared by District
Civil Defense authorities show
ing the Bladensburg area as a
vital escape route in case of
enemy attack.
National defense, Mr.. Small
said, was directly affected by
floods. This flood control area
usually identified with Peace
Cross, at the intersection Of
U. S. Route / and U. S. Route
So" he said, Lies athwart two
vitality important highways at
the gateway to the National
Capital.
THE recurrent floods seriously
impede the flow Of interstate
commerce. n... Wv
Major Highway Juncture.
"The major highway juncture
is admittedly one of the heaviest
travelled in the United States.
During 1858 the average daily
traffic volume on each of the
three legs of this intersection
was a total of 100,409 converging
at Peace Gross during the course
of a single day"
Because of the delay in travel
time of tens of thousands of Fed
eral Government employees be-
cause of floods at these traffic
bottlenecks, Mr.. Small estimated
that the Government man-hour
loss would run to hundreds Of
thousands of dollars annually.
The traffic routes affected. the
Maryland lawmaker told the SUBJ
committee, are essential access
routes for Fort Meade, headQuar-
tiers of the Second Army. for the
United States Naval Academy
and other installations.
IAN enemy attack during a
flood period would have diSaS-
trouS results" Mr.. Small warned.
Catastrophe conditions would
occur if these two vital highways
were closed by floods during an
enemy aerial attack"
The vital area has been fire.
quently flooded. Mr.. Small said.
1t was flooded ii days in the
calendar year 1850, Is days in
1851, % days in 1852 and 80 days
in 1858.
This indicates he said, that
conditions are getting progress
Sively worse. The flood condi-
lions in the area have reached
at one time as long as IA con-
secutive hours"
Could Start Immediately.
If Congress appropriates the ST
million, making available the
Maryland money, the work could
start Immediately, Mr.. Small
pointed out. Agencies participate
ing in the job would be the Army
engineers, the Maryland State
Roads Commissions and the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission.
The total Federal and Maryland
money totaling $5.250.00O would
give a substantial start to the
long-range overall project for
the Anacostia flood control prof.
ect. The grand total is eSti-
mated at $13 million.
A Senate appropriations SUBJ
committee has scheduled hear
ings on the same project, includ-
ing the ST million recommended
in President Eisenhower's bud
get, tomorrow morning. Wit
nesses probably will include both
Maryland Senators, Representa-
tive Small. the Suburban SAM
tary Commission and others.