Evening star., 1955-10-24
BY PAUL HOPE

BY PAUL HOPE
Plans are being made by Alex
andria and Arlington County for
a 100000 program to ease the
flooding problem on the lower
end of Four Mile Run. But the
problem still will be only half
solved when the work is COM
pleted.
The run. the horderline be-
tween the two jurisdictions, has
been a sore spot for about 20
years.
The area hardest hit when the
heavy rains come is the big Ar
landria Shopping Center on
Mount Vernon avenue In Alex
andria and the residential de-
velopnents between the center
and Commonwealth avenue. On
the Arlington side. homes along
Glebe road pre- affected by high
waters.
Reasons for Flooding
sph,,,,, uau A,exardri. d;rac.
.or - ,,,hI;o ,,orrs sa;d there
sra sarsraI reosons for the
flooding:
Inc course OF the run as II
nears Route Is meanoerlhe
ana narrow.
Two nrioges-at Mount vernon
avenue ana Oio C1iepe roao-
are 700 narrow 70 let tne water
tnrougn.
Az Potomac Freight Yards cul-
verts under the YARDS are mol
large enough 20 carry heavy run
offs into the POTOMAC River.
The railroad yards just east
OF Route ] were built IN the
early part OF the century when
the area 70 the west was nearly
all wooded. Two arched cuiverts
20 feet wide and 10 feet hlgf
were built under the yards te
carry the waters from -Four Mile
Run to the river. They were SUI
f1cient then TO handle the run.
on even during heaVy storms.
TrouhIe Regain in 1930s
A. TIL ..,s a. tro,,,,. ho
a.. ~ 4s.a 500. ~ I -. oS So,'o,ars ~
t san - ..a..s ...s I'SUs o az A,ossaSn,, s
s @ s,..ste a. - oA 80 80 - t 49,. s1,,, !.
1,, M "a - $50 ~. [ 4n;h,,ta,;.s ~ Ea,,' @
as;,a % p,,.s @ srs,,s .s1 : esa,,a,. ,.;,. ,U
49, 49, 49, tsra,,rh - 49, $500, raa,,,a.aS 80,
saet;oa. go ~ as+a,S;an Iii.
~h,,rch =
Tns forest ersa ryhict mead !,
.hsorh t,e ,veter 10. g;vs,, us,
20 roof,o,,s siI;ewo i,rs e,,S ,ave.
streets nSr Hali ca;d the nayi
o,,,,, racorded f1on r,as , vni,I;o,
ra1Io,s No.. ,c;r,,ta a. the ro;n
,rhara H. strear, naSses ~,
sinwe, end of parkfair.far Anart
went. WHEN the ,nox;y,,,,yn ds
sveIonnent is reached in tn,
drainage area. the flow will b
around 10 million gallons pc
minute curing neaVy rams ~
estlmated.
IN the spring OF 1908. q nasi
nood packed water up INTO Ar
lanorla to a depth OF three Zee
at Mount vernon avenue ant
Bruce street. ms summer Ar
lanoria TO a oeptn OF tnree Ieet
TINS summer Arlandria wa
noooed even tnough the CITY nat
only a sprinkle OF raln-tner'
mad been a heavy storm on tns
upper part OF the run.
Arlington and Alexandra hav'
co-operated IN drawing up q pro
gram to relieve the situation
This includes Strengthening ant
widening the channel on tn
lower portion and replacement o
the Mount vernon avenue ant
Old Glebe road bridges.
Channel 70 he Widened
p,,, ,,.,, :. 4a,,o,. -. .,,o -.
-,i o ,o,,s m Ma,,..,,he. ~ S > | 1.,,e NJ shon os.
nei i r,;i, m = ha a ,y;Serod "a - A ..rs;rr. .s.t
a e, ~ t o1 mn taet ,s,ast n o., ~ as,,. S.e,'
rieu on,.L ao i,ooO ou.s,e ,e.e "eTs ~ - ~. %
AiioAA AA"SoA"l1 1S Soos
5o1"veu eso ooo IN, ~ Ds s,o.. . .. eHO,voo .s :
oo,ooo. =" o.ia.a,i S Iue. S,r 1a,a,.s, - 1870
r, ~ $3.50 1,sr,n,. - a,.s,,., :,
h,;dno - rh,o. 80, ha. a,,,n [ !
ooo sese, &C.. WIN" asa,no, ~" - " .Saas4.' O
o. oooo so,,,saoS ~ ~, -. rse' .,,,,,.,.o =
iii, ~ % . i.a.1 5Ao ~ ~ s,an neA nSr ~ ua,
WIZ VIII q 11.ovs % span Va. W. Ia =
eeto V,ie n" 1eS, 'eovu 2