Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-29
THE GREED OF A RAILROAD.
How 1t Gobbled Up Not Only Long
Bridge, but tho City Streets.

n Correspondents oA morning contemporary
undertakes TO conrOvert my statements con-
corning Long bridge and the manner in which
1t was acquired by the Baltimore and Potomac
Railroad Company. Though the writer Of the
communication in question does not describe
Long bridge with any detail it was, in his view,
comparatively worthless structure. Yet
worthless AZ it was the Baltimore and Potomac
Railroad Company wanted it and took the
means have described to get possession Of it,
Public spirited and self sacrificing, this corpor-
alton went TO great expense IN putting the
bridge in order. and, altogether, it proved q
very Improbable affair to that company. This
10 pleasing illusion, but what are the facts in
the case? Long bridge u . fraction less than
one mile in length. OF this about two-Hfths
or 8, 600 feet are and were q solid embankment
or causeway. At one or two points freshet
had cut snort breaks or gaps through the cause
way. yet, considered as u whole, it was sub.
stantially intact when the Baltimore and Pot1-
mac Railroad Company kindly took possession
of it. This statement no truthful person
familiar with the bridge will challenge.
The truss spans crossing the Virginia chan
mel were repaired and. to . considerable ex-
tent, rebuilt by the railroad company, but the
spans themselves rest upon the original stone
piers built by the government
Ii IL true that the bridge-both the trusses
and cause way-needcd repair at the time of
its surrender. and it Is also true that the gov
eminent was at the expense OF its main.
tenance and OF operating the draw. This stu
pendous burden upon the Treasury. amount
ing, probably. to less than s5.0O0 annually, the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company
generously assumed. But that this company
Knew 1t was getting q prodigious. unheard-of
bargain, and that IL knew that the interests of
the people were being bartered away and sacri-
need. Is amply demonstrated by the hurry
with which the bill was railroaded through
Congress without debate. without lconsidera-
tion. That corporation and its attorneys and
Lobbyists, which wero then, az now. legion. took
care that the bill should become u law be.
fore the public knew OF its existence. The
correspondent referred to gives a touching ac-
count Of the little boy who barely escaped
death on the bridge from adrove of cattle
stampeded by q locomotive That incident is
just as likely to be repeated today in passing
ove- the present structure, the bridge, the
truss spans and the cause way being no wider
than 1t was at the time the lucky youth e.
capped.
Now there was bridge railroad bridge
built during the war across the Potomac. This
bridge was about fifty yards distant from Long
bridge. 1t had draw and NO difficulties oc-
Cured from the existence Of these two draws
which were side by side-were in alignment
with each other and were simultaneously
opened. 1t il the himsiest pretense to claim
that the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Com
psny was solicitous about not interrupung the
navigation Of the river. That corporation
wanted Long bridge because 1t saw it could be
had for comparatively nothing and il got it by
the Legislative methods detailed. But the citi-
Gems OF Washington are. it appears, deeply in
dsbted to the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad
Company. I suggest that its railroad from
Baltimore to Washington was built for the
proht-present and prospective-there was in
u to the railroad company. As well-managed
highway it has been a distinct and acknowl-
edged benefit to the city of Washington On
the other hand the people Of Washington have
handsomely reciprocated all Of its corporate
favors by the volume of traffic and travel they
have sent over the road. There 10 no balance
to the company's credit on that account
Further, since am led TO speak of this cor.
porstion and its methods il was originally
granted . right Of way through the city Of
Washington. Now, literally constituting suck Q
grant it might mean the right to lay . double
track and o side track through the public
streets and grounds, although at tho time the
Baltimore and Potomac was = single track road,
- every one remembers. But, conceding the
three parallel tracks to the company-because
. side track may be required for accidents and
repairs-what possible right what colorado
title has 1t to the occupancy OF our streets and
reservations with not three but ten tracks?
After emerging from the tunnel south of the
Capitol there are three tracks. These speedily
expand into ten tracks, occupying q width Of
lSo feet, nearly the entire width Of an avenue,
are maintained for nearly one-third Of mile.
when they converge into six tracks, which,
with occasionally five tracks, continue to Long
bridge.
Summarizing the foregoing facts the tracks
OF the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Com
pany through the public streets and reserve
tons occupy for nearly two miles-irom tho
tunnel to Long bridge-an average width OF 80
feet. or nearly twenty acres Of public prop
erty. Nor IL this all which this good-natursd
corporation consents to receive from the city
OF Washington. 1t uses-it il suffered to use.
Maryland avenue as . freight yard; the trains
are shifted and made up in a public street;
cars are being moved back and forth constantly,
. thing absolutely without precedent in sny
other city on this contnsnt, and these privi-
leges along with others are the rights which
this corporation seeks to have confirmed to il
in the Atkinson bill
Is not this the story Of Long bridge over
again? WAsHISsrOS1AS.