Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-09
OFFICIAL PROTESTS IGNORED.

OFFICIAL PROTESTS IGNORED.
The District Government's Effort to Sc
| cure Relief from Railroad Evils.
| CONGRESS APPEALED TO YIAR AFTER YrAR-nAxY
STRONG REPORTS xADE-PLANs SUGGESTED FOR
1ILIEvISe TIE CITY AND PREsKRvNa TEE
BEAUTY OF THE CAPITOL
The officials Of the District representing both
| the national government and the people of the
District have not been silent on the railroad
question. Year after year they have made re-
ports to Congress, making recommendation,
which, though they may have differed in some
particulars, have AL Land stress upon the need
Of providing protection against the dangers of
grade crossings and Of preserving the public
| parks from railroad mutilation. The Commits
sioners in their report Of 1878 referred to the
railroad depots in their present location as
SERIOUS obstacles TO the improvement of the
localities where they are established,
besides being sources Of unnecessary dan
ger to the public in the streets along
which the tracks pass" After suggesting q
plan for relieving the northeast section in part
OF the presence Of the Baltimore and Ohio tracks
| the report referred to continues: The Balti-
| more aud Potomac railroad depot and tracks
are equally injurious to the improvement and
welfare Of the part Of the city they occupy.
Crossing the mall they divide and dis
figure this beautiful park, extending from the
Capitol to the Presidents house, besides greatly
| injuring the streets on the south side of it on
account Of the circuitous manner of approach
| and obstructing improvements on the south
| side of the Capitol. The depot Of the company
should be removed across the mail and to the
vicinity OF reservation No. H. 1t Is not to be
| expected that the surroundings of the Capitol
hat thnxrr h. IzN,~ 40. .Lza.
two railway stations occupy their present sites"
In their report for 1879 the Commissioners
| again urged action, and said in this connection:
| The Capitol grounds, the grounds of the
Executive Mansion and those which connect
| them form together a magnificent park of 331
| acres in the heart of the city. But occupied
and severed as it is by railroad tracks and
| depot, it can never be effectively improved,
and its beauty as we'll as its enjoyment by the
| public are fatally marred. This is, We think,
grievance which should no longer be toler-
ated"
In 1880 the Commissioners again invoked
| speedy action to remedy condition OF affairs
| by which "the growth and adornment Of the
federal capital must be seriously, if not fatally,
| impeded." "In this connection" their report
said 1--WE recommend that all steam roads be
required, when practicable, to enter the city
on grades below the grades Of the streets SO as
not to interfere with street traffic"
The Commissioners in their report Of 1881
| called attention to Capt HoXies report for the
year and to a special report to be furnished
Congress In response to request from that
body. The Commissioners, though the major
ity OF them favored the X street route in South
Washington, Endorsed a report and bill pro-
pared by Maj. Twining, which provided for
junction of the Baltimore and Ohio and Balti-
more and Potomac roads in East Washington,
and then passing through South Washington,
above or below grade, along Maryland and Vir-
ginia avenues with a union depot at the inter
section of those avenues. Speaking of the loca-
ton Of the Baltimore and Potomac tracks and
station on the mall Maj Twining said: when
the privilege of this location granted to
the company the mall east of 9th street was
unimproved and the objection was not SO
| obvious At present this improvement is pro-
crossing by annual appropriations, and the
presence Of the depot and tracks is serious
and unsightly obstruction These branch lines
| are open to the common objection of occupy
ing the greater part of narrow street at grade.
The tracks should be removed and the road
should be confined to the line Of Virginia and
| Maryland avenues"
the subject, calling attention to q plan pre-
sented at the preceding session Of Congress
providing for carrying the tracks through
South Washington by means Of a sunken road
| via Virginia and Maryland avenues, abandoning
the depot and tracks on 9th street and estab-
fishing union depot at some place on line be-
tween South Capitol street and the bridge
I'm the opinion Of the Commissioners" the
report said 1.-The interests OF the District could
| be served in no better way than by carrying
out the general project as outlined above"
| A report from Lieut. Greene, accompanying
| that of the Commissioners, called attention to
the virtual destruction Of the mall east of 9Th
| street by the railroad, and the suspension ON
| account OF the presence OF the tracks of all
travel on q portion of 9th street, which is de-
scribed one Of the main thoroughfares to
the water front He suggested legislation to
cure the evils complained of and recommend
the repeal Of the act which granted the Balti-
more and Potomac road the right to cross the
park on the line Of 9th street.
In their report of 1888 and 1884 the Com
missioners continued to call attention to the
question Of steam railroad routes within the
city limits and repeated their former recon-
mendations. Lieut.. Greene in his report for
1884 referred to the unsuccessful effort made
to secure the legislation recommended, which,
he says, was vigorously opposed by the Penn
sylvania railroad, which desires no change in
the existing condition OF things, as it has an
unriveled location for its own interests. Mean
time" he added, the central park Of the city
continues to be cut in two by one road, and the
streets Of the northeastern section rendered
impossible by the other" The Commissioners
again in 1885 called for legislation urging
among other things that provision should be
made for avoiding to the greatest extent posi-
BILE street crossing OF the steam-car tracks at
grade, and that the tracks on 9th street should
be entirely removed SO as to open that import
the success OF any attempt to dislodge the Bal
timore and Potomac road from the mall the
Commissioners suggested a union depot in the
vicinity Of the present Baltimore and Potomac
depot, the roads approaching the same by COW
cred tracks, leaving Virginia avenue at point
between 9Th and It'll streets west. The
Commissioners are aware" the report said,
"of the great opposition that has shown itself
Con their part as we'll as by the public to the
occupation Of any part Of the mall for railroad
purposes, but having already held on to its
Iodgment there for the past twelve years the
Potomac company will strenously antagonize
any movement looking to its removal there
from, and undoubtedly it would be difficult to
select depot site that would better accom-
modate the travelling publications. Of the
District well as its numerous visitors. The
principal objection to the present arrangement
is the complete appropriation Of 9Th street by
the railroad and the obstruction Of pleasure
travel through the system Of parks extend
ing from the White Lot to the Capitol But
both Of these objections will be eliminat d if
the approach to the depots should be made in
the manner now indicated in this report; GER
tainly the railroad companies could make no
substantial objection to it"
DIn 1886 the Commissioners, evidently dis
couraged by the repeated failure Of their
recommendations year after year to produce
any effect in legislation, contented themselves
| With tha ua for