National Republican., 1884-04-09
Interview With a Baltimore and Ohio Off
Cisl Upon Proposed Routes.
The Road is Willing to Go Underground
But Not Take Up Its Tracks.
Plnas for the Proposed Extension and the Methods
by Which II Will bo Made.
The b. a. o. Bound 20 Connect with the
Virginia Midland.
Snerinl Disnnirf.

view to-day with prominent othcial OF tho
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and obtained
from him his views touching the proposed
extension Of the tracks of the Baltimore and
Ohio road through tho city of Washington.
"What is tho intention of the company
with regard to making connection with the
Virginia Midland railroad at the Long
bridge?" asked the interviewer.
"The company wants to mako the con-
nection, and will be satisfied with the route
laid down in tho bill which has been agreed
upon by the senate committee on the District
Of Columbia
"Do you think congress will pass this bill ?"
1--WE have no reason to think that 1t will
not An improvement which will bo Of great
advantage to tho city and to tho whole coun-
try will not bo overlooked by congress-
Have you heard Of any opposition on the
part of citizens of Washington"
"No doubt there will be somo local opposi-
tion. but we think that 1t will be confined to
comparatively few persons. There always
is opposition to every public Improvement on
the part of the people who think that their
property will be iniuriously affected thereby.
II generally turns out, however, that they
have been benefited rather than Injured.
When damages are to be paid the claimant is
sure to get all he is entitled to, aud some-
times good deal more"
You have doubtless seen route mapped
out for you in the newspapers, by which
your tracks are taken around to tho east side
of the city and enter through tho Baltimore
and Potomac tunnolW
"We have never for moment contem-
plated the possibility of taking any such
route. / never heard that VIC had any right to
use the Baltimore and Potomac tunnel, and
il We had any such right there is not room
for two sets of tracks, and it would not bo
practicable for the two companies to run
their trains on the same tracks,"
Suppose tho difficulty about the tunnel
were out ofthe way, would you bo willing to
come into the city on the east side"
ave certainly would not. The making of
such circuit and tho delays that would
inevitably occur would add half an hour at
least to the time between Baltimore and
Washington. Tho passengers we bring to
Washington would not be satisfied with such
route A largo number Of people employed
in the city live out on the Washington
branch and on the Metropolitan. branch.
and they would think it a
great hardship to be carried around to
the south side and put out at a depot remote
from their places of business. Every morn
ing large number of the employees of tho gov
eminent printing Office get off our trains and
reach the office in three or four minutes from
the time they leave the cars. They would
not tolerate the idea of being dropped from
the cars q mile or more away from their
work Congress would not permit any such
inconvenience as this to be inflicted on the
public. So many people get off our trains and
hurry up to the capitol that We will always
be obliged to maintain depot in tho neigh
borhood of Capitol hill for their convenience
Gould the Metropolitan branch be so de-
fected from its present line as to make con.
81 snecton with a route on the east side?"
"Such a connection would defeat one of the
main objects we had in Wow when the Metro
politan branch was built. We wanted to
bring passengers from the west to the east by
way of Washington. There is some induce
ment to q passenger who has never seen the
national capital to tako q route that passes
through it, but if he has to lose an hours
time he may take some other route. We carry
passengers from the west for Baltimore,
Philadelphia, or New York twenty-one mile:
farther than is necessary, without extra
charge, to allow them to SEQ Washington, but
If each train was obliged to lose an hour oil
more in getting to depot on the south side
there would be great inducement to keep
through trains on the main STEM"
"If the bill which has been approved by
the senate committee on the District of Co
lumbis should be passed, when would you
begin work on the tunnelT
1--WE would begin forthwith, and / think
the whole improvement could be completed
by Dec. /, 1885, in time for the opening OF
the next congress-"
Are you entirely satisfied with tho route
laid down in the senate bill Y
satisfy all interests, The tunnel will enter
Capitol hill, near engine house, No. 3, al
Delaware avenue and q street, and will
curve around to the west, keeping the dis
tance from the capitol foundations prescribed
in the bill, 400 feet, aud will leave Con
Buffers new house ON New Jersey avenue
and B street little to the loft, and will oper
out on Delaware avenue. near d street
southwest"
what will be the length of the tunnel ??
The whole length will be about $500 feet
The entire improvement will cost abou
100000. No rock will be encoun tered in thu
tunnel, and this will greatly lessen the cost. ,
"How will 1t be arched"
ave will use either hard brick or artincia
stone; very probably the latter. IL we ust
artificial stone there will bo an arch abov,
and below-in fact the who'd tunnel will bt
practically q solid stone shaft of sutiicien
diameter to admit Of double track will
space enough between aud on either side 4
permit the free aud safe running of trains.
"Will there DO any special difficulties IL
construction
None to speak Of The shaft being curved
aud being worked from both ends the on gi
necring must be done with as much oxaotnesi
us possible In order TO make tho two sections
meet in the same place. but IL any difficult,
is apprehended, iron tubes will be pushed
down from the surface at regular intervals
marking the route, which will be fifty fee
DeloW kno huElhie VA lnt NNlllll Ef0uhua,
"Do you think that the people living OF
the line Of tho tunnel will be Inconvenience
in any way while ITS construction Is in pro
Rressp -
"Not at all. Woaro now building tunno
in Pittsburg, under Neville street, which 4
inhabited almost exclusively by tho aris
tocracy. The bore Is toIng worked througl
solid rock, which requires terrible blasting
but tho denilens Of tho fine houses are en-
tirely unconscious Of what Is going on. The,
neither hear tho explosion, nos feel tho least
vibration in their houses"
How about tho joint use Of the LonI
bridoY
1--WE have tho right 10 uso tho Long bridgj
In common with the baltimore and Potomac
company, and We will probably run our train
over II for u little while, but think that be
fore long tho two companies will build new
bridge broad enough TO give each company
double track There Is need for good bridge
aud think the two companies WILL unite il
building IT,"
suppose congress does not pass the bill
that has been approved by tho senate com
committee"
THAT is contingency which Is not con
templated, may say, however, that II vi
are not permitted TO go 20 tho Virginia Mid
land, the Virginia Midland already ha
permission TO come to US. An act was nassed
think in lS72, which gives the Virginii
Midland authority to connect its tracks will
the Baltimore and Ohio. and the route (
substantially tho same as is now prescribe,