Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-23

time of the House on Monday if the day Ia 40
credited to the District. as provided BIZ tb.
rules. On the last District day the Pennsyl
vania railroad had a majority of those mem
bers present on . vote to reconsider the actor
Of the House on the preceding District day in
| recommltting the bill with instructions On
this last vote majority of about two to one fol-
1 recommittal was overcome. But no progress
was made with the bill and the matter wa
ieft standing practically upon the ques.
/ non OF recommittal, the first vote being q
| motion to lay on the table a motion ia
reconsider the vote By which the previous
4 question was ordered on recomnittal. There ID
something OF parliamentary web to unwind
| before the bill itself can be reached and then
/ 1t will be subject to amendments that may be
offered or to q motion to recommit with other
| instructions or with no instruc tons. The in
| structions with which the bill was recon-
mitted q month and a half ago we're that pro-
visions be made for the removal of the depot.
Many who favor the removal Of the grade
\ Crossings by some of the several plans sue-
| gested do not favor tho removal Of the depot,
| and the fact that these instructions were re-
called and the bill brought back into the House
does not, by any means, insure the passage OF
| the bill in its present FORM A vote 10 yet to
| be taken again ON the proposition to recommit
| as il now stands and there are several propo-
| sitions for consideration after that.
PLANS FOR DOING AWAY WITH GRADE CROSSINGS.
The important question is that of reducing
the number of grade crossings. There are
several plans Of reducing the number of grade
| crossings, upon which the opinion of the House
may be tested by amendments. The South
Washington organizations favor an elevated
road, running through purchased squares be-
| tween / and K streets and along the river front.
The board of trade recommends a depression
and bridging of the tracks west of Al street
on the avenues now occupied by the road, sub
| stantially the plan which Senators Nor
rill and ingalls, and Engineer Commissioners
Twining and Ludlow have advocated. An
amendment offered by Mr.. Heard is pending.
which retains the tracks where they are, but
provides that the company shall, under the di-
rection of the Commissioners, construct sub
ways for the passage of vehicles and passengers
under the tracks on 4th and 18th streets. By
4th street Az street is probably intended, as
there is no 4th street southwest. The South
Washington peoples plan would remove all the
grade crossings from Maryland and Virginia
avenues, the board OF trades plan would
abolish them west of a street and Mr. Heard's
plan would permit the people to pass under the
tracks at two points, emitting entirely any pro-
vision for the important crossing at 7th street
where nearly 5000 people and considerably
over 1000 vehicles are in the daylight hours of
single day subjected to the obstruction of 1l6
Coverings of the gates and to the dangers from
Al equal number OF passing trains or engines.
PERPETUATINa SURFACE TRACKS.
One objection made to the bill has been that
it confirms surface tracks and authorizes the
construction of additional surface tracks we st
Of AZ street, over the part of the road from
which 1t is sought to remove grade crossings,
and that the measure not only does not cure
the grade-crosslng evil itself, but tends to per-
petuate the surface tracks and prevent any re-
lief from them in the future. To meet this
objection Mr.. Atkinson proposes an amend
ment to the second section which limits the
Commissioners powers of authorizing addi-
tiOIal side tracks to the space east of AZ street.
But no similar amendment is proposed to the
first and third sections. The road may still
condemn and run tracks to its acquired prop
erty west of Al street, and the existing tracks
illegally occupying open spaces of the United
States west of that street are confirmed.
Amendments will be offered to correct this.
THE OCCUPATION OF PUBLIC LAND.
Another amendment proposed by Mr.. Atkin-
son adds to the third section of the bill the
provision that nothing herein contained shall
be construed making a grant or confirms-
ton TO the said company Of any land now tho
property OF the United States. This amend
ment is proposed to meet the objection which
has been urged against the Irst section OF the
bill that it grants or confirms to the railroad
the use OF six small reservations, the property
of the United States, which the side tracks now
illegally traverse and occupy. Some of those
who do not favor the surrender of the use of
this public property to the railroad without
compensation in any. shape to the pub
lie are of the opinion that whatever
provision is made in the line Of Mr. At
kinson's amendment should be attached to
the first section Of the bill The opinion 10
also expressed that il would be more simple to
except from the legalizing provision tracks
which cross and occupy this government prop
erty than to confirm the road in the occupa-
ton Of these reservations and then add that
nothing i'll the act is to be construed as making
such confirmation Other amendments that
have been offered are one by Mr.. Moore re-
ferrlng the whole question to a commission.
one by Mr.. Lind making 1t the duty of the road
in consideration Of the privileges conferred to
carry persons free Of charge between points
In the District, and one by Mr.. Baker recon-
hitting the bill. with instructions to provide
for the removal Of the passenger station and
for depressing all tracks where practicable, or
for overhead passageways.
The object of all the plans and propositions
Is to reduce the number of grade crossings
and to preserve as much Of the city and its
parks as possible TO the citizens.
NAL TwINISa's PLAN
The report Of Maj. Twining, Engineer Com
missioner, made in 1881 in compliance
with a resolution of Congress, favored the
sinking of tracks on Maryland and Virginia
avenues, and he presented plans and estimates
showing that the sinking of the tracks was
practicable and not enormously expensive.
His estimates give an approximate idea of
the cost OF the various plans of depression now
proposed. For sinking four tracks from a point
between Sd and streets to the Long Bridge
with beam tunnel crossings at intersecting
streets from 7th to 18th, both inclusive. he esti-
mated that the cost would be about half
million dollars.
COL LUDLow's REPORT.
In 1887 Col Ludlow, then Engineer Commits
sioner, made a report substantially in accord
ance with that of Maj. Twining. He said:
The conformation of the surface is such that
between Al and 18th streets west the tracks
can be depressed so as to admit of the inter-
venting streets passing over them, with little
or no change Of grade. and, in fact, a consider
able portion Of the cut itself could be con-
verted into girder roof tunnel il deemed ad-
visable. The proposition, therefore, is to be-
gin depressing the tracks at Delaware avenue
where the surface grade is nine feet above city
datum (mean high water in the Potomac), and
practically continue at that grade, with O mod
crate variation to provide for drainage. Upon
Maryland avenue the grade will gradually rise
from nine feet ut Sth street to sixteen at l4th
street, in order to pass over Long Bridge. The
interference with sewers and the provisions
serious. A three-foot sewer Is met at 9th and ID,
but can be diverted at no great cost 1t will
be needful to build sewer down 9Th street
from G street to the river, which would in any
case be desirable construction for the better
drainage Of the neighborhood. Il
may be estimated broadly that the
expense of the adjustment OF tracks in South
Washington will be half q million The cost
to the city Of the necessary changes in sewer