Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-17

The railroad companies are p0werless 10
remedy the evil, for under the decision Of the
courts and the opinion Of the law officers Of
the government there ID no power inherent in
the Commissioners to permit them to extend
their tracks into land which they might acquire
for the purpose.
for handling their passenger trafSc on special
occasions, like the triennial conclave Of Knights
Templar, the presidential Inauguration, &C.,
and It is necessary for them to have greater
facilities either OF permanent or temporary
THE granting Of further extensions and priv
ileges should be in accordance with some gen.
eral plan which should be - little detrimental
to the public and as beneficial to the railroads
and the people directly interested - possible.
The sooner this general plan il adopted the
better. for the difficulties Of its adoption will
increase with time.
TT will never BE- possible for any plan to be
proposed which will be acceptable 70 all inter-
ests, and any one which could be adopted
would, undoubtedly, have many defects. The
question Is almost exclusively one Of municipal
and Railroad engineering, and il would seem
that the most reasonable way Of arriving ct o
satisfactory solution Of il would be to convene
board Of engineers, skilled in municipal and
the District, the District authorities and the
railroad officials could appear. This board
could probably agree upon plan and make an
estimate OF its cost. This would furnish q
proper basis for congressional action and the
question might be settled. Until it is settled,
the railroad problem will be constant source
OF vexstion and annoyance"
STREET RAILRoADs.
Mention is made in the report Of the activity
among street railroad companies in improving
their rails and substituting new motive power
under the authority of recent legislation. Re-
ferring TO the electric road along New York
avenue the report says: Tho line Of poles
along the center Of the street and the over
hanging wires are distractions and disfgure-
ments to the street which do not think should
be permitted to extend to other streets. While
strong effort is being made in this, as in most
other cities, to compel existing wires to go
underground it would seem inconsistent to per-
init another class Of wire to 60 up in the most
prominent part of the street. II electric rail
way wires can, with propriety, be erected in
the center of the streets so can telegraph, tele-
phone aud electric light wires. Carried to
logical conclusion this would mean the obstruc-
ton and Disagreement Of the streets of the city
by lines Of poles and broad bands OF wires along
the center thereof"
THE HERpro LINES.
Attention is invited to the use and occupation
of the city streets by omnibus or herdc lines,
heavy vehicles with narrow tires following ono
another in almost the same track at short dis
tances apart all day long and way into the
night. Thus, the report says, hastens the
wearing out of the smooth street pavements
and throws heavy additional burden on the
city for their repair, and it would seem but
justice to require that the herdic lines should
be required to pay certain proportion OF the
expense attendant upon keeping streets used
by them in order, one-half or one-third.
"On narrow streets occupied by car tracks"
Capt. Symons says, "these herdics are con-
siderable of q nuisance to people driving, on
account Of their long axles and frequent
stoppages, the confidence Of the drivers in the
strength Of their vehicles and their attention
being absorbed in soliciting passengers and
seeing that fares are deposited. The prevail
ing war on bob-tai street cars could with equal,
II not greater propriety, be waged against bob
tail herdic lines"
Capt. Symons urges that il would be ad-
vantageous in the administration OF the affairs
OF the engineer department if the fiscal year
could be changed to correspond with the cal
endar year, so that appropriations becoming
available early the entire summer season could
be devoted to the active prosecution Of out
door work.
THE SURVEYORS OFFICE.
he urges the necessity Of having copies Of
the valuable records Of the surveyors Office
made and the old originals filed away in the most
secure tre-proof room obtainable. For this
work and for providing storage and indexing
the records Of the Office he recommends an APP
preparation Of 1000, the receipts of the office,
aCcoTuiHS W tue SHOWING OF Mr.. FOr9yLn, not
being sufficient to cover the expense He
urges that it would be far more satisfactory to
all concerned II the surveyor, now paid by fees,
was made a salaried officer of the District, all
fees being turned into the general revenues.
The following estimate of the cost to properly
equip and run the Office on q salary basis il
submitted: surveyor, &3, 900; assistant sur
veyor, 81 800; draughtsman and computer,
81, 500; clerk, $1,400; l messenger, $500;
rodmen at $3.50, 80. 40; axemen at S720,
Sl,440. Total, s13,46o.
Attention is again invited to the plan Of i'm
proving Rock creek within the city limits by
arching it and taking it through tunnel, and
it is suggested that il the work cannot be un-
dsrtaken in its entirety under an appropriation
OF its total estimated cost Of 1860, 900. an ap-
preparation of part Of this sum, Sl0O, 600 or
S150, 600 be obtained, to commence the work.
srRA1aH7ENINa SUBURBAN STREETS.
Capt Symons discusses at some length the
condition Of affairs in the suburbs due to the
disregard Of the general plan of the city
shown by persons who laid out subdivisions,
and says: There is probably no subject con-
nected with the welfare and great destiny of
this District of more vital Importance or which
deserves more the careful, earnest and imme-
date attention of Congress than this subject
Of the condition Of existing subdivisions and
the extension OF the city streets therein.
Every year adds so largely to the expense and
difficulty OF settling this vexed question, and
ali puDuc ana private interests call 30 loudly
upon Congress to act in the matter that it Is
earnestly hoped and strongly recommended
that every effort be made to procure the neces-
sary legislation.
"If managed with wise discretion and benefits
and damages properly considered the expenses
OF the replatting, upon satisfactory lines, will
not be enormously expensive to tho public
Treasury. Many streets, although not in con-
formity with the plan Of the city could be very
well left as they are, being only Of local i'm
portance.
The great expense would be in providing for
the great thoroughfares and avenues traversing
the northern region and the connections be-
tween isolated streets. Also wherever SUBJ
divisions are not built upon enough to cause
too great an expense they should be entirely
wiped out and new ones made. This can be
done in several cases with great advantage to
the property itself.
The principal streets to be considered in
planning the extension are:
l. Sixteenth street or Meridian avenue,
which should bs extended full width in direct
line to Piney branch by condemnation. Beyond
Piney branch it can be provided for whenever
the land is subdivided.
2. New Hampshire avenue, from Rock Greek
Nt,r,ro 10 4 Al