Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-01

was Illegally running its trains at the rate Of
% or 30 miles an hour within the city limits
In November a Baltimore snd Potomac train
dashed into Geo. Washington ss he Was cross
ing the track at place where the railroad Was
required by law 70 prevent attempts at passage
by the public when trains were near. The
laws continue to be violated and the Commits
sioners do not enforce them.
In the autumn South Washington citizens
protested to the Commissioners against the
erection by the Baltimore and Potomac of q
freight depot on square 493 claiming that 10
reach this square the railroad would need TO
lay unauthorized tracks. and that the building
would obstruct public alley. But the permit
to build which had been granted was not with
drawn.
The railroads were not the only trespassers
OF the year. Mrs. Cole. accused of encroaching
on a reservation by building over the line. was
brought into court by the L. S. district attor-
ney. III. CLAY Jones was fined for using gov
eminent property on the river front. The
railroads continued TO occupy public streets
and reservations with tracks. gratuitously and
without authority of law. The L. :. district
attorney failed TO proceed against the D. and
p. for illegal occupation of four whole reserva-
tions of the United States. to which his atten-
ton had been officially called by the commits
sioner OF public grounds and by the Attorney
General. The teaching of lSSS was that one
could not encroach upon government property
with impunity unless one happened TO be a
railroad corporation instead of an individual.
and occupied entire streets and reservations in
stead of encroaching merely few feet.
IMPROVEMENTS IL RAILROAD FACILITIES.
The completion of the Arthur Kill bridge
gave promise of competing lines between
Washington and New York and the adoption
of fast time schedule on the Baltimore and
Ohio between this city and Philadelphia indi-
Gated that when the Baltimore and Ohio con-
nections 10 New York are secured there will be
.,f
city for New York travel. reducing the time
between the cities and the charges. The Balti-
more and Ohio has also begun the work of
double tracking the Metropolitan Branch be-
yond Silver Spring-an improvement which
will benefit both the business of the road and
the suburban residents of the capital. 4 terri
bic accident on the Metropolitan Branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio in October emphasized the
necessity of this work of double-tracking. In
the last part of the wear President Spencer. of
the Baltimore and Ohio. was succeeded by
President Mayer, but the change III manage
ment has not vet resulted in any notable change
OF policy.
THE STREET RAILWAYS.
The year opened with Washington in need OF
additional street railway facilities. especially
in the suburbs and of Improvements in tracks.
paving between the tracks, form of motive
| power. and extent of compensation TO public
for privileges enjoyed both on the part Of
/ existing lines and those TO be established.
| lnnumerable bills for the incorporation of new
/ roads were introduced in Congress But the
only railway companies finally incorporated
| were the Georgetown and Tenleytown. the
| Rock creek, the Brightwood. the lexington
| and Soldiers Home. and the Georgetown
| Barge, Dock and Elevator and Railroad com
| pany. The Cable-Electric company's bill
| passed the Senate and rests In the House.
Some slight progress has been made in abol-
lshing the abominable rail. In April the
Washington and Georgetown Co. promised
grooyed rails. In August the Metropolitan put
down piece of grooved rail on AZ street The
| best grooved rail was used on the recently
bnilt lexington road also improved concrete
| paving between the tracks at a cost of ovei
! $4,000
There was discussion in the Senate Of .
change in the methods of taxing street railway,
and OF securing more adequate returns to the
| public from the grant of railway franchise.
/ than that derived from ordinary taxation. But
nothing came of it.
In March the Washington and Georgetown
| Co. succeeded in getting cancelled certain old
personal taxes on the books against it, but il,
| failed the District court in General Term sus
| tanning. in October, the Districts demurrer K
the railways bill
An anti-bobtail-car crusade broke out in Jul,
! against the Columbia railway. The fight re
suited in the bobtails remaining on the Colum
bia line and the bobtail herdics duplicatin.
| their route and receiving the patronage of thu
crusaders. A bill was passed by the Hons,
prohibiting the use of bobtail cars in the city
| but II did not become a law.
TIE ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.
In the new railway charters passed by Con
gress, power to use electricity as well as cable
or horses, AZ motor. was given without an
limitation upon the electric system whicl
might be employed. The lexington road
which exercisedits right forthwith. selected tn,
| cheapest electric system, TO wit. that employ
| ing overhead wires. But Congress had passe,
an act directing that plan for burying all til,
| overhead wires be submitted by the Commits
! sioners and prohibiting the r,ction of an,
more snch wires after September Is. Pubh
opinion also strongl. disapprOved the overhea,
! wires. Thus the desire for test of electricit'
as motive power in local street railway ant
adherence of overhead electric wires cam,
into conflict. The Commissioners. notwith
standing their general diSapproval of overhea,
electric wires advocated their use by the Eek
| ington road and charpioned that roads caus,
! in the controversy that followed. They grantee
permit for the erection of these wires, an,
| failed TO revoke II when requested b.
! the Senate. The lexington road pu
up its wires before the limited time
September -, and the movement in tn,
Senate for a revocation of the permit Was per
mtted to die. In style of track and of paving
! between tracks the lexington road has furnished
, a credltable example to other roads of city. bu
its adoption of and persistence in the use Of
| overhead wires on that part of its route within
the city limits sets bad precedent. Ii re-
! mains to be seen whether Congress will permit
the additional overhead wires. which have beer
! erected in defiance of its general policy in ref
4 erence TO such wires by virtue of a spe cial pow
er given TO the railroads without the necessar,
limitations, to survive the general burial of the
electric wires upon which il had determined and
which it had virtually promised the District
1t even remains to be seen whether Congress,
! will not initiate the Senate in its controyers,
with the lexington road and the Commission
ers. aud after the example of the humble craw
fish back down entirely from its wise project o.
burying these wires, and surrender entirely Il
the overhead wire companies. The new Ten
leytown road also applied for permit to use
the overhead system. This was refused unit
| the road organized. II was then discovered
that the law forbidding the erection of wire,
after September Is applied only to Washington
and not to Georgetown.
1 OVERHEAD WIRES IN GENERAL
The year has not decreased the public oppo
sition to the network of overhead wires. how
ever it may have shaken the public conf
dence in the earnestness of some of their sup
posed champions in this controversy. In tn.
| March blizzard the overhead wires in anC
leading out of Washington went down. In the
! same month lightning struck the Capitol and
! interfered with the working of the above.
| ground wires. In April the reports of the Com
missioners and of Col Wilson showed the ad
| vantages of underground wires for the
District of Columbia. During the year G