Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-29
l,Yes.erday was lost as Distric. day, and the

ulYesterday was lost as District day, and the
three preceding District days have been sacri-
fced to the PENNSYLVANIA railroad. The Akin
son bill stands like great rock in tho way Of
local legislation. 1t is time that this obstruc-
tion was removed. The measure should 60
back to the District committee and be put into
such shape to avoid the antagonisms which
have to this time checked it Washington is
tired'of having the railroad play the part Of q
legislative dog-;n-the-manger, unable from
Its obstinate persistence in unreasonable de-
mands to secure legislation for itself, and shut
ting out all useful and needed legislation. Tho
friends Of the Atkinson bill on the District
committee are partly responsible for this con-
dition Of things. They took snap-iudgment on
the measure in committee with only bare
quorum present, and have wasted the Districts
time for two months by discussions with their
fellow committeeman concerning amendments
which ought to have taken place in the COM
mittee room. The considerable amendments
70 which they now indicate their willingness
70 assent ought all to have been put in the bill
before it was presented to the House, in order
that time should be given there only to
the consideration Of those points in respect to
which q committee agreement was hopelessF
But the main responsibility is upon the rail-
road company, which has absolutely refused to
make the slightest concessions by way of
amendment which would have decreased pub
lie opposition. It has indicated to the Senate
District Committee a willingness to make GER
tain changes at some time in the future, which
If embodied in the Atkinson bill would have
been considered as showing at least the dispo-
sition to deal fairly with the public and would
have deprived the opposition to the Dill Of much
II n..~ A. Il l.
peremptory and obstinate towards the public,
asking everything and conceding nothing, and
the result has been disastrous to its meas
ue, and incidentally injurious to the District.
While it is not quite clear who is responsible
for the deplorable accident on the Patapsco
below Baltimore last night, it would appear
from the accounts taken together, that it might
have been avoided If the third vessel, the
schooner, had not been in the way, bringing
confusion into the situation OF course the
schooner, with her tug had as much right to
be in the sufficiently wide channel as any other
vessel, and there is no implication in what is
known that her people did anything to bring
on the catastrophe. The Bay steamer saw the
excursion boat mile off, for it
was clear night The excursion
steamer also saw the Bay line boat
and signaled for the latter to change its course,
but the captain Of the Bay steamer says he
could not do so because the schooner was under
his port bow. He Immediately stopped and
backed, however, making several alarm
whistles. The people on the Louise, the ex-
cursion steamer, invited further disaster by
rushing to the side Of the boat which was
struck. There are two remarks to be made re- |
specting the duty Of the legislature in these |
cases. 1. The signals should be clearly intelli-
gible. providing for the interposition Of third
or other vessel. and the officers Of the law should
be held to strict accountability in their enforce
ment, and in subsequent action 2 The chan |
nels near large cities should be SO lighted that
the course of vessels could be well discerned |
at great distance. In this case, it being |
clear night the officers of the two vessels saw |
distinctly from afar off the approach of the |
other steamer. The difficulty seems to have
been the confusion in getting out of the way Of
third vessel and Of each other at about the
same time. This fact takes the Virginia.
Louise collision out of the common category
Of water collisions