Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-23
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
Feats of Engineering in Building the
Rock Creek Railroad

Rock Creek Railroad
WHAT THE ENTERPRISE OF INDIVIDUALS rs ACCOM-
PLIsHISa IN THE NoRTHwEsTERN SUBURBS
THE COLONIAL STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE
CITY AND IN THE COUNTRY.
People who enjoy the picturesque drives
going west from Rock creek are beginning to
notice the extensive grading operations that
are in progress throughout that locality. In
driving along the Woodley road and through
Woodley Park gang of men may be seen at
work endesvoring to get a continuous level
surface through that broken country. The
work goes on night and day, and if it was pos
sible to follow out the line that is marked by
the felled trees similar work would be seen in
progress all the way to the District line, and
then beyond into Montgomery county for a
distance OF two miles. There are good many
inquiries made to what this all means.
and the answer received is that
the Rock Greek Electric road is being built
The construction of this road is a part of
comprehensive scheme of improvements which
Is to be carried out by Mr.. NewIands and the
gentlemen associated with him in what is known
are pushing this enterprise in style of princev
as the California syndicate. The engineer of the
road, Mr.. j. Wesley Schoef. who resgned his po-
sltlon as civil engineer i'll the engineer depart
ment of the District government to enter the
service OF the new company, has surveyed the
entire route, which. from the Boundary of the
city at the head of Connecticut avenue to
point in the farm Of VIM. Laird, in Montgomery
county, Md. Is seven and one-qQarter miles
long Owing to the broken and rugged
character of this country immense
fills and cuts must be made, some Of them AS
much as fifty feet in depth; two long and ex-
pensive bridges must be built. and from Wood
ley Park, where the new road enters upon the
Connecticut pYtenda1 hat linz
must be followed in spite of topographic OBJ
stacles all the way out to the District bounds
Mr.. Schoef estimates that the cost of building
the road and its equipment with ali electric
plant VIII reach near half million of dol
lars. After this expenditure is made. which
must be added to the million and half al
ready laid out in the purchase of the land
bordering on the line of the proposed road
these gentlemen will only have fairly begun
the execution OF their plans. 1t is proposed to
develop the country all along the line and at
the northern terminus town will be estab-
hshed which will have a water supply, a sewer
system and all tse convenences of a m odern
town.
EXTENSIVE GRADING CONTRACTS.
On the 1st of May, according to the contracts.
the cars are to be running and in order to ac-
complish this great work of making a roadway
Sc feet wide through seven miles of country
a large portion of which is rugged and
WIN, iue rOdu mas Deen uiVlueQ into tnree Sec
tons and the grading contracts for each Sec
ton have been awarded to three men or firms
The first part OF the road the city will
pass over practically city streets. as il starts at
the intersection of Boundary with Connecticut
avenue, thence along Boundary to 18th,
thence along 18th street, crossing Colum-
bia road and thence through the
subdivision of Cliffbourne. which
lies between Lanier Heights and Washington
Heights. to Rock creek. To make the crossing
OF Rock creek at this point it was found that it
would be necessary to construct bridge $50
feet high and $50 feet long 1t will be IS feet
higher than the new Woodley road bridge.
which Is just to the south. and twice as long.
The bridge, including the masonry. will cost
SS5,0W. This bridge passes the south
end 0the Geological Park and hydraulic ele-
vator will be built close to the bridge for the
convenience OF visitors to the park. Another
bridge will be built to carry the road over the
klingle road. which it will do at an elevation of
10 feet. The bridge will be 400 feet long, and,
including the masonry, will cost SAP, 900.
DIFFICULT ENGINEERING.
Mr. Schoef gave STAR man some interest
ing facts in regard to the engineering features
of the construction OF the new road As is
well known the region of country through
which the new road will be built is what is
known to lovers of beautiful scenery as pic
turesque, but to the engineer who needs fat
surfaces In order to be professionally happy
the ROCK creek region possesses but few at
fractions. At the very beginning of the line
on Connecticut avenue i'll WOOdey Park there
Is iii of 80 feet, then in the Evans tract lust
before the bridge over the klingle road is
reached, there is cut of 40 feet in depth
which is tho deepest cut in the entire line
Beyond on either side of the Richmond
Park tract there are cuts 50 feet deep
and where the Nourse road crosses
the line there is fill OF 30 feet. street viii!
be opened at this point running east and west
which Will form the connection for the two
sections OF the Nourse road separated by this
nil. Farther along there is another fill of 50
feet and at the Pierce Mill road there is a cut
OF 2S feet The grade of the Mill road will be
lowered on each side to conform to that of
Connecticut avenue. Between the Military
and the Grant roads there is cut of 25 feet
After leaving the latter road there is the
heaviest fill on the road. and that is As feet
deep and 1t will take about so. 600 cubic wards
OF earth to bring this ravine up to the proper
level. From this point TO the District and be-
yOnd into Montgomery county. to the terminus
OF the line. the country is comparatively level
and but little grading is required.
SOME LONG DISTANCES.
The distances ON this new line of suburban
railway are as follows: From Boundary to
Woodley Park. one and three-quarters of a
mile; from this latter point straight ont Con-
nectcut avenue extended to the District line
to the terminus. which will be at the junction
with the proposed southern branch OF the Bal
tlmore ana ONO railroad, two miles 1t is pro-
posed TO build the power house from which
the electricity will be supplied 10 run the cars
over the entire line at the northern terminus
This location is selected because the coal can
be obtained directly from the railroad
Throughout the entire road OF over seven
miles MIR. Schoef states that there will be no
grade greater than per cent Connecticut
avenue will be Of the same width III this extern
sion as the portion within the city limits and
the roadway proper, which will be 56 feet wide
will have the railroad track i'll the center and
drives ON each side.
HANDSOME COUNTRY PLACE.
new barn is to be built to take the place of the
one that was recently destroyed by fire at the
country place of Gardiner G. Hubbard on the
Woodley Lane road The new structure will
occupy practically the same site, but will be
much larger than the old one. The plans have
been prepared by Mr.. James Ct. Hill. architect
Like the house the barn will be colonial in
style. From its commanding position and
lovely surroundings the house is one of the
most attractive suburban residences in this
locality. The style OF architecture gives it an
old-fashloned arr which is especially appropri-
ate III that section Of the suburbs where there
are number OF good specimens of the style of
house architecture that prevailed a good many
years ago and Is now known as the colonial The
classic features OF GrecIan architecture form
the basis OF this style. Mr.. Hu0bard's house
has the characteristic color tone of yellow or
buff and about the only ornameutation is the
delicate traccry in imitation of a garland Of
leaves which relieves the plainness of the ex-
terror. Like all houses OF this style it