Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-07
THE STREET RAILROADS.
The Commissioners Report on the Change
of Rails and Motors.

THE STREET RAILROADS.
| The Commissioners Report on the Change
of Rails and Motors.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE UNDER THE RHoUIRE-
MENTs OF OoNeREss-MANY Mills OF NEW
| RAILS LAID-AMBIaUITy OF THE LAw--rHE
CHANGES ON THE WASHINGTON AND GEoRGK-
TOWN AND METROPOLITAN RoADa
The Commissioners this afternoon made re-
Spouse to the Senate resolution Of April 8, 1899,
directing them Ito inform the Senate what
railroad companies operating their roads in
said District have failed for the period OF two
years from March 2, 1889, to exercise the
powers and privileges given them in regard to
changing the motive power Of their roads by
the provision Of the District appropriation act
approved on the date aforesaid; and if the
, companies SO failing have complied with the
requirement. Of said act as to causing rails and
roadbeds used by them to be level with tho
surface Of tho streets upon each side of said
| tracks or roadbeds; and if the said companies
have not complied with the law, whether the
OF them by the act aforesaid to compel the
observance Of the provisions heretofore set
forth; and il no steps have been taken by them
to enforce the law, as they were directed to
do, what is the cause of such failHre."
For answer to the inquiry as to change of
motive power and tracks under the provision
on that subject in the District appropriation
act Of March 2, 1889, the Commissioners state
that SO far as their information extends the
Washington and Georgetown Railroad Com
pany and the Metropolitan Railroad Company
are the only companies at the date of'said act
authorized by law to run cars propelled by
horses within the District of Columbia" which
have elected to substitute for horses ION any
part OF its tracks or roadbeds" any Of the me-
chanical powers enumerated In said law.
The extent of track, changed and unchanged,
on April rs last, when examination WAS
made, the Commissioners report rs follows:
metropolitan Railroad Company-LengthSof
track, s7,039 feet--i5 l399-52o8 miles; length Of
improved girder rail laid, 81, 900 feet.
Washington and Georgetown railroad Com
pany--Length of track, 81, 200 feet--15 $751; 1000
miles; improved rails throughout, with excep-
ton OF about 5000 feet at car house, Navy
Yard, Peace monument and power house, 14th
street northwest. Will DO complete and in
operation August. 1892.
Columbia railroad Company-Length Of
track, $40 miles. Entire length laid with
girder rails, one-half OF which is grooved.
Capitol, North o Street and South Washing
ton Railroad Company-The improved girder
groove rail. amounting in length to l40, 500
throughout the entire length with the excep-
ton of short space adjacent to the new power
house of the Washington and Georgetown Rail-
road Company on l4th street northwest.
Anacostia Railroad Company-LcnSth of
track, II 98-l00 miles; length Of girder rail
laid, IL "a 100 miles.
As the work has been progressing constantly
since, the extont to be changed has consider
ably diminished.
THE CHANGE OF MOTIVE POWER.
For answer to the inquiry "as to the steps
taken by the Commissioners to compel the
observance of the law OH the subject" the
Commissioners say that their Interpretation
of this unusually ambiguous law and is that
all railroad companies using horses motive
power were allowed two years in which to de-
eide upon and arrange for the required
changes and one year and ninety days there
after Ill which to complete the work. In case
of their failure to begin to change their tracks
after the expiration OF said two years the
Commissioners were to give them notice, and
i'll the event of their failure to complete tho
work in one year and ninety days the Com
mlssioners were to cause the changes to be
made at the companies expense. The Com
missioners did not give the notice mentioned.
Their reason for such omission was their con-
struction Of the law as to when such notice
was to be given. The most natural and rea-
sonable inference seemed to them to be
that the notice WAS not to be given until, upon
the expiration OF the two years, it should
appear that SAID companies had not complied
WIZ, 'no "es y. "e'0 my III sooa ia'th anu
H., =; auJ -; HhV tn Inv hS w a1 So.
.n,s 20 oo,.oua I'm sno pi"sSolosy VI tne
.oq"noehs n"Nh h'Se wy oonu,Ss'o"eis
after such notice and docs not prescribe or in
an. "ISe mp! .n"s 'haa ',Iiie shail pe inGiuuoo
Will WIG ."o yc"'s. pu' iohH oeiore 'he TWO
years expired the two companies mentioned
anu an o'hers Which Nv 'hc uhe OF 'he pas
sage Vi the aforesaid law were using horses
fcr motive power had we'll under way and were
ehergeucaily prosecuting Inc WORK OF chang
ih2 thcir 'rachs 10 sroosed rais anu laying
tneih anu tue roauDeos nusI Will tue surface
vi Tue s.reets they occupleu. lh!s was mat
ter oi WHICH the commissioners were iuily
aware. Inc ~oth could NOT nave bcch
.as'eheu ny any ho'ice from 'hen.
AS the Requirements OF the law
10 give hoticc was obviously dependent upon
lhe iaIiufo VI 'he couiPah'es 70 Desin the
Worh wi'hin TWO !onrs nom March & 1882 the
proinp. eo',l'ience'nent any. .' reasonable prog
fe.s Oil 'ha' WON oDSi"'eo VIC necessity iof The
TnE cHASGEs IN PROGRESS.
Congress modified its requirements with re-