Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-14
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Prom the New Ycrh Sun.
WASHINGTON, April i2-An old-fashioped
congregational Job, such a. have made many
previous Congresses notorious. appears 20
have developed in the House Of Representa-
tives yesterday. II was the day known In par.
lismentary phraseology az District Of Column
bia day." On motion OF Mr.. Washington Of
Tennessee, and without even the Formally OF
division, another amendment was adopted
allowing the road to use overhead electric
wires The reason for the great surprise
caused by this amendment 10 that in 1883
Congress enacted Law providing that
from and after tho date mentioned In the
act no overhead wires should be erected within
the limits OF the city OF Washington, and 10
was furthermore ordered that all over
mead wires then in existence should be re-
moved There is only one surface railroad
WITHIN the city limits now operated BY over
head wires. and that line has arranged 20 SUBJ
stltute the storage battery system within the
UNI, une specined in the act Congress followed
this law with another passed year or two ago,
providing that on or before July 1, 1892, every
surface railroad in the District OF Columbia
should abolish horse power. and that NJ road
should hereafter be chartered with authority
TO use horses for the movement OF cara Acting
In accordance with this Law, the two largest
street car lines in the city prepared 70 change
their motive power. One Of these lines
began IN June, 1891, to lay . cable
town, and from Pennsylvsnia avenue
along l4th street to Mount Pleasant
In the suburbs, . distance Of about eight milea
and the work has Just been completed An
I'm mense power house is building on Pennsyl-
vania avenue, at l4th street, aud the company
expects to have cable cars running on the
entire system on August I next The total
cost OF the change is $4,000, 0o0 The other Of
the two extensive lines made preparations for
adopting the storage battery system. Ths
company has erected an immense plant in
Georgetown. at the western end Of its line ana
had practically demonstrated the utility of the
storage battery cars ID was unable, however.
to complete its arrangements within the time
specified in the law. and 90 it came 70 Congress
for an extension
In the face Of the fact that public sentiment
In Washington 10 unanimously opposed to the
use OF overhead wires Of any kind, either fof
telephone, telegraph or electric lighting pur.
poses, and In the face Of the law Of OonrreS
prohibiting the use of overhead wires fop
street car service, the House yesterday BY q
practically unanimous vote gave the Metro-
politan street railroad the privilege OF string
ing poles nd overhead wires across the most
thlckly settled and sristocratic part OF the
city for bout i've miles east and west and the
same distance north and south. The amend.
ment adopted yesterday was all the more Q
u.
troduced, and nobody knows where 70 came
from or who recommendedit Mr.. Hemphill, the
chairman OF the committee on the District Of
Columbia, promptly repudiated the PROPOSE.
uon, and said II was a. much Q surprise 70 the
committee as to outsiders. Mr. Heard, Who in,
troduced the original resolution granting an
extension OF time, was surprised and know
nothing Whatever about the movement in
favor OF the overhead system. In fact eysry.
body 10 surprised, apparently, and YET the
WA adn faA
position Strangely enough, even the officers
OF the Metropolitan Railway Company appear 70
be surprised, aud they might well be, because
the last official document sent 10 Congress on
the subject OF the proposed change OF motive
power states that the engineer Of the road hss
reported that the storage battery has been
demonstrated to be . complete success and
that the company has spent very large sum
OF money IN erecting one Of the largest storage
battery plants in existence, and that 10 "a ready
to put 1t into operation il 10 can have Q few
months for perfecting details.
Those who were instrumental IN having tha
overhead wires amendment adopted, kowsysN
did their work very quietly and very shrewdlN
but they will have little chance Of success II
the Senate. That body has time and aSaip
put itself on record a. opposed TO overhead
wires in the District Of Columbia, and 70 a
not likely that it will change is opinion now.
The most beautiful features, perhaps, Of the
city OF Washington are its broad, vell-psyed
and well-shaded streets and avenues and
Congressman az well residents are ~ q ruis,
strongly opposed TO having the beauty Of the
city marred and the danger to life and limb
increased by the stringing Of overhead elee>
trical wires. Senator Edmunds was the pic,
neer in the movement 10 put all wires under I
ground, and TO abolish horse power foYs
street cars, and was the suthor Of the lag
under which telegraph, telephone, and electric
lighting companies are now putting the wiresi
beneath the surface, and under which the only
trolley street car system in the city IL being
forced to change its motive power There q 4
one line OF cars now in successful cperstiont
under the storage battery system, and 80 ~
thought that its great expense 90 compared !.
with the overhead wire and the cable syStems 1
10 the paramount reason why the Metropolitan
nj,