Show capital starts s vast park plan preservation of historic sites included in project at washington washington with the appropriation by congress of the first installment of an authorized total of SS for park purposes in and around the national capital including th the e george washington memorial parkway a long cherished shape bope Is being translated into a certainty without further delay no now w may be undertaken and preliminary minar y work begun on a park project which will reward the efforts of those who have been urging for or years completion of a program dogram made years ago for the beautification ot of washington and its environs nothing like the proposed memorial parkway in natural beauty and historic charm it Is said could be deel dei eloped anywhere else in this country no european city according to the late viscount james bryce has so noble a cataract in its vicinity as the great falls of the potomac which is the crowning glory of the 15 mile stretch of the upper potomac valley now forever preserved as a national monument dedications expected in 1932 included within the parkway Is the mount vernon memorial lilg highway hway front from washington to mount vernon authorized two years ago now in process of construction and completion of la Is promised in time for tile the george washington bicentennial in 1932 it Is hoped that dedication at least of the memorial parkway which ultimately will include also another highway from fort washington to great falls on oil the maryland aryland ll side and a bridge across the potomac at or near great falls may be a feature of oe the bicentennial celebration the memorial parkway will extend from mount vernon to lo a point above great falls and will include both shores find and the hill sides along both banks bank s of the potomac the gorge in the vicinity of which capt john smith SOO sears ago found It beares eares deere and other beasts and argall an an animal which from his description probably was a bison canal built by washington within its limits are the site and remains of the historic Tow canal built on oil the virginia the river under the direction or of george washington and traces of other en engineering i works of the young virginian as well as the spot where lie he camped with braddock the scenery of the entire area is remarkable tor for its variety and grandeur it is a region ot of crags and cataracts rock cliffs surmounted by towering trees wild valleys and waterfalls ter falls and runs a roaring river and quiet pools rapids and rocks culminating mina ting far above the canyons lower portal in the greit great falls then the potomac plunges down dowil in a series of small falls extending over a mile and dropping from terrace to terrace ten ace the roar of the rushing waters contrasting with the broad and placid stream rippling past the lincoln ale memorial a few miles away the Poto pot iaac onnic wrote rote james bryce lins has two kinds hinds of beauty the beauty of the upper stream murmuring over a rocky bed between bold heights crowned with woods and the beauty of the alio wide expanse spread out like a lake below the city into a vast sheet of silver the great falls lie he referred as a magnificent piece of scenery which you will of course always preserve saving of falls to the nation only within the last few weeks however were the steps finally taken to protect and preserve the falls from sacrifice to a power project which was averted by passage of the capper cranton bill providing for the acquisition establishment anti and development of the george washington memorial parkway as a requisite to tile the comprehensive park parkway and playground system of the national capital tie act authorizes the appropriation of tor for the purchase and development of lands within the district of columbia and of to be expended on a fifty fifty basis for land to ile he acquired in the adjoining states of virginia and maryland in order to make it possible to acquire with tit a minimum of delay properties which are daily and rapidly rising in anlue it is provided ded that the money may be tl in required amounts and reimbursed to tile the united states without interest at the rate of a year by the district front from any funds to its credit in the united states treasury treasury and also without interest by the two adjoining states within a period of not more than eight bears ears of any sums in ex excess c ess of the contribution of the united states craytons Cram tons plea for historic sites the bill was ranked as an emergency gency measure by Represent atle louis 0 cramton of michigan who first in I 1 it to in the house in december litts 1928 in urging its passage at the la last t session lie he declared declai ed that it represented no new policy but sought only to make ke effective plans long since prepared and approved app but disastrously slow in realization that which man mail made man may y replace and when lie will mr cramton said kut but the beauties of nature man cannot restore when once destroyed st those woods which washington loed are disappearing those charming ravines are being leveled level ed those palisades of tile the potomac Io tomac are daily scenes of blaSt blasting Ilig that rob them of their prime primeval at beauty while we make a realty of the dreams of IT IHn fante in carrying forward man made beauties we must not permit the beautiful scenic realities of time to become only mourned memories H lie e warned the house that the ac estimated by the national capital park and planning commission a as 3 the minimum allowance for the lands to be acquired in the district of columbia should be made immediately available to forestall the erection of buildings which would bring the value of the properties far above the estimated figure haure drive linking fort of 1861 perhaps the most important single project in the district plan according to mr cramton Is the fort boulevard following the hills and circling the city and connecting the civil war forts generally referred to as the fort to fort drive and covering a distance of miles from conduit road to blue plains of this proposed drive or continuous parkway the commission reported in 1929 the civil war forts around washington were built on hills and ridges which commanded distant views the historic interest attaching to the defenses of washington and the remarkable views obtainable from tile the old forts has led to a demand that these sites should be held by the public for park purposes delay already has considerably abridged the alie fort to rort fort drive plans for which were made and approved as far back ns as 1001 local real estate developments have made impossible the carrying out of the or original dal plan but there Is still the possibility of securing an unusual and interesting clr chr parkway joining a chain of local parks containing the old civil war forts a very stunning park project according to col U S grant III executive officer of the commission problem of rising land values the total cost of the lands required I 1 for park purposes within the district distri ct of columbia was estimated estimate by colonel grant in december 1923 at about and increasing at the rate of from 1 to a year in emphasizing this feature of the problem representative Ko cramton reminded the house that central park purchased in 1857 for and improved at a cost of over the opposition of those who contended that it was so far out and the horse borse drawn street cars were so slow low that few people could go to it from low er new york now is at some where between the esti mated by the assessors and I 1 riO OOOO the selling price which would ie be asked by conservative real estate men it if tile the property were for sale maryland and virginia authorities me are operating cooperating co with unanimity and enthusiasm in the program worked out ly by the national capital park and planning comm commission IsMon for tile acque acqua sidon and development of the george washington memorial el parkway the ex es tenion of rock creek park into mary lind land find and of the elie anacostia aher indian creek the northwest branch and sligo 0 o creek arid and liae am e raised funds considerably in excess of awaiting the legislation just enacted by congress |