National Republican., 1888-02-01
ST. DoMINIC's CHURCH
Objects to the Contemplated steam
Railroad Route in That Section.

The following statement has been slb.
mtted to the Senate District committee re-
gsiding the contemplated steam railroad
route in South Washington in behalf of ST.
Dominic's Church:
HoN. JoHS ]. INGALLS,, Chairman Sentte
Committee District OF Columbia --D6dr ST.
In investigating and considering the question
OF steam railroads in the District, the attrn.
tion OF your committee is respectfully invited
to this statement, made in behalf OF 81 Domi-
mics Church property, and for the taxpayers
of South Washington belonging to that church,
and which Is submitted because We are al
der consideration 1t is contemplated to lay
single or double track along Il street south.
west. adjoining the church property, to be
used by said railroads for the running, SHIFT
ing, and locating thereon loaded and empty
freight cars connected with the freight bust
ness in and passing through the District,
South washington, and Consists Consists Of Il the i church
parsonage, and school buildings, ali fronting
on the west side OF Sixth street, the church
building being on the southwest corner of E
and Sixth streets; the parsonage is connected
with the church, and the school building is
situated on the northwest corner of + aud
sixth streets, the line running back west on
In 1855 the order oLst. DJminiic purchased
the Site, and ereciGd the first church thereon,
Wh!eh las been supplanted by the present
| magnificent granite building one of the most
suO'tantial and elegant churches in the coun-
| try, which was commenced during the late
war and completed In 1873, being nearly
twelve years in the course of conslru ttlou and
| at q cost of over sl500G0. 10 1855 the church
suffered a serious loss by fire, aud was thereby
damaged to the extent of $4,000, wnich has
| been recently repaired.
Upon the grounds stands the valuable aud
eommodious parsonage, and on the corner of
| Sixth and f sreets there has been recently
erected splendid and costly building. which
| is used for Sunday and day school and other
| church purposes,
The present value OF the real estate Of St.
| Mo- sptn at thn tn, 10 ,h,,t
| $500 900, and the property is regarded as, per-
haps. the most valuable church property in
the District. II 1trepresents the labor and toll.
the noble sacrifices aud generosity of thirty.
| years of the largest Christian denomination fu
II is monument to the zeal and devotion of
| the thousands Of Christians who worship at its
| shrine, erected TO the honor and glory OF our
Lord, and should not be rndely broken.
The congregation of St. Dominic's Churcn
numbers 4arly 1900 souls.
The average attendance of children at the
| Sunday and day school Is 5O0
1he taxable values, real and personal, of
the members OF the church in South Washing.
ton will, it Is estimated exceed S3,000,000
Representing the church property aud also
these taxpayers, each OF whom, by reason of
his membership of St. Dominic's parish, hay.
| ing direct and special interest in the matter,
| we respectfully enter our most solemn protest
against the laying OF the said railroad tracks
| upon street, adjoining the church building.
| The point has been frequently made and
strenuonsly pressed that individual and per-
sonal Interests must yield 10 the public use
| and weliare' which proposition we do not
| coptroveTt. but we deny that we represent or
advocate any personal or individual interest.
| We represent and speak for the collective or
aggreEativC interests of the five thousand mem.
beis Of st. Dominic's Church. for the collective
and aggregative interests of the taxpayers
members OF that church. and also for the col
lectlve and aggregativc interests OF the more
than five hundred children attending St.
Dominic's Sunday and day school, and we re-
speCtiully submit that the nece ssies of traffic
| imnFnynmnnt and 1pNnlnn.
ment OF the District, and the public Interests
do not demand the virtual destruction of this
Gegreh pIoperty ana ih@t they the members r.
the contemplated railroad tracks on Z street
than any other interest.
We are not obstructors to any public i'm
| provement in the District. On the contrary,
we favor every proper measure for the develop:
ment OF our beautiful city, at the capital OF
na Mi & s1S 5SSe tai ss @
Of transportation, but we are of the opinion
that Congress in granting this authority TO the
railroads should not needlessly infringe upon %
The vested rights OF property holders, or infiict
uneailed.ior damage upon large number OF
people.
adjoining the church property, 1t is narrow
street, being only 30 feet 4 inches wide from
curb to curb, and with freight cars on both
tracks, when they are standing or passing OPP
posite each other, nearly all the street will be
occupied by the cars, thus rendering 1t impos'
sibe for ordinary vehicles TO remain or pass
| upon tne street al tne same tlmei anu tne OC
cupancy of this street by these cars would be
positively dangerous to the lite and limbs of a
large number of people, many OF whom are
old and inirm, daily attending the services AZ
st. Dominic's, and II would be particularly
dangerous to the lives OF hundreds of children
who daily attend st. Dominic's school, in
deed 1t would be a serious crime to peril the
lives Of those old and feeble people and small
school children to use and occupy the street
for the purpose designated when another and
far more desirable street in every respect Is In
close proximity. Moreover, + street SOUTH
west, from end to end is entirely built ur
with comfortable dwelling houses, and a
many people reside thereon as upon any other
street running east and west in South Wash.
ingtOn, while on both sides of street south
east are extensive vacant fields, aud all alOne
X street southwest to Water street are but few
houses, the land adjacent TO this street being
unOCcupied.
The church property of 81. DomnIc's Is 81
beautifully located in the most pOpulOus and
resident portion Of South Washington, Il Is 81
very valuabe-lhe reward of years of tOil and
sacrifices on the part of its large congregation
and II repreScntSs 50 many OF the worthy tax
paying citizens of the District, VINO are deeply
interested in the matter under consideration
that we cannot believe your commit ee, OI
Congress, will ignore this appeal. Respect
fully, f D noSSEIlN o. +,
Pastor It, Dnminie's Cnurch.
| MAsHISGTUN, u, g., Jan, -, lsss.