Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-29
THE b, AND O. TRACKS.
An Important Hearing Before the District
Commissioners This Afternoon.

o commissioners This Afternoon.
SENATOR fAULKNxR's BILL AND TIE CHANGES N
THE ROUTE OF THE TRACKS IT RsoPosEs-
OBJECTIONS OF CITIZENS TO TIE PROPOSED
| ALTERATIONS STATED.
After many postponements the Commits
sioners this afternoon heard those persons in
terested in Senate bill 1740, Ito define the
route of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in
the District of Columbia, and for other pur-
poses"
| The hearing was originally set for the 4th Of
February and then changed to the 18th, but
owing to the sickness of the engineer OF the
road was further postponed until the 10th, and
then changed until today.
| PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill was introduced in the Senate by Mr..
Faulkner:January 20 and the provisions may
be recapitulated as follows: 1t requires the
/ tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio road to con-
| form to the following route after January l,
| 1893: The tracks shall enter the city from
| the north at the northern line OF Boundary
street. at or near its intersection with Delaware
avenue and proceed thence as follows: South
wardly and along and on Delaware avenue with
four tracks at grade or by means of an open cut
to point at near the intersection OF u street
north and Delaware avenue: thence by curve
| W tuc fSut, CIoesiuS oftu SaPitoA osASSs W
tween c and streets north; thence west
wardly and northwardly, crossing D street
north and street north between New Jersey
| avenue and North Capitol street; thence east
| wardly, crossing North Capitol street
| between E and streets north, to point in
Delaware avenue at or near street north,
| with the right to occupy with the tracks OF
| said company ID street north between New
| Jersey avenue and Delaware avenue and North
| Capitol street between street north and
rs nd nr lao ff
| permitting the construction of said railroad in
| such manner the Commissioners OF the District
| of Columbia are hereby directed to close the
! following streets between the following points.
| to wit: North Capitol street from the north
| line OF street to the south line Of Massachu-
sets avenue, d street north between the east
! line OF Delaware avenue and the east line of
| New Jersey avenue, street north between the
east line OF Delaware avenue and the east line
| of New Jersey avenue, + street north between
Delaware avenue and Massachusetts, avenue.
1t is required that the tracks Of the Washing
ton and Metropolitan branches be rearranged
outside the city limits SO as to unite north OF
| Boundary street, and power is given the road
| to acquire the necessary land.
BRIDGES REQUIRED.
The company is required to construct bridges
over its tracks along the following streets:
Massachusetts avenue, H street north and
Boundary street, and shall construct approaches
them with the following streets: street north
with Massachusetts, avenue between LIST street
east and I'd street east; LIST street east
with Massachusetts, avenue between and E
| street north; street north with Massachu-
sets avenue between New Jersey avenue and
North Capitol street, and North Capitol street
with Massachusetts avenue between and
streets north: LIST street east. 80 as to connect
with Il street between and H street. and Sd
street east aud I'd street east, so as to connect
with Boundary street at their intersection with
said Boundary street.
The Baltimore and Ohio COMPANY was repre-
sented by Mr.. John X. Cowan, chief counsel of
the road, Mr. George E. Hamilton, Washington
| counsel. Chief Engineer Douglas and Mr. Irwin
of the engineer department. of the road
Among the citizens present were Messrs w.
G. Dodge. NJ. l. Weller. g. 9. Pratt, j. Loring
Chappell Charles Elliott, Rev. DR.. John
Chester, H. c. Lancaster, H. H. Durant, John
r. Ross, George A. Meyers, c. s. Davis, Z Van
Tucker, E. H. Brown. Josiah Willard, Chas. A.
Capell and J. NJ. Yznsga.
THOSE WHO OBJECT.
As usual the Commissioners gave hearing
first to those who objected to the bill
Mr.. W. C. Dodge said he came as a repre-
sentative of Northeast Washington to protest
against the Faulker bill with its proposed
loop shutting up several streets. They pre-
| ferred the Chandler bill, which was very
similar in its provisions, except that it
put the road back to H street. but he claimed
gave the road all the advantages that they
would derive from the Faulkner bill. The
citizens, he said, in the committee Of one
hundred had done all they could to secure to
the B. and o. road all the advantages that any
other road had, but when the proposition to
| tunnel under Capitol Hill camo up the company
has said they would not agree to it unless
| they could tunnel under Sd street at c.. Mr..
Dodge then objected that the plan pro-
posed unnecessarily heightened their route.
He did not see now why they wanted TO
| lengthen the route by coming further into the
city than H street. He was willing to give
| them all the terminal facilities they wanted
outside of H street He could not see why they
| did not stop at the Boundary. where they mad
| twenty-eight Or thirty acres of ground. The
act of 1885, Mr.. Dodge said, limited the road to
H street. He spoke OF the law giving them
possession Of the present depot property, which
| would expire in 1910.
| Mr.. 8. &. Clark read a statement protesting
| against the proposed use for railroad purposes
| of land dedicated for street purposes by
the original proprietors. By law the
railroad company had simply the right
| of way. A joint occupancy with the
| citizens of streets over which its tracks rum
| Referring to various laws and regulations and
| the duty Of the Commissioners to enforce them
Mr.. Clark said he had no doubt that the
District Commissioners were indict-
| able every day for their neglect in not en-
forcing these regulations respecting speed Of
| trains, the closing OF streets and SO forth
| They have just as much right. he said to run
| fence across Pennsylvania avenue as they had
| to run one at d street and Delaware avenue
| They had no more right to give up to the steam
railroad the complete possession OF street
| than they would have to give up Pennsylvania
| avenue exclusively to a street railroad. The
citizens. he said, would prefer the road as it
| now is with the laws enforced to the changes
proposed.
The citizens had asked relief and had been
offered a serpent.
| MR.. VAN fuckers REMARKS.
| Mr.. E. Van Tucker spoke, as he said, as the
representative Of property owners whose prop
erty would be cut off by the proposed sur
| render OF Q reefs to the railway company He
did not see by what right or reason 81 500 900 of
| property was to be given to the railroad. The
| District could not take it for municipal build
| ing or public park. but here it was coolly
proposed to hand it over to a railroad COM
pany.
Mr.. Loring Chappell opposed the Faulkner
| bill and spoke in favor Of the Chandler bill,
urging especially the Importance of opening H
| street.
Mr.. Charles Elliott asked the meaning of the
words in the bill proposing to close North Cap
itol street.
Mr.. Cowan said there was q verbal error in
| the bill which would be corrected. It was in
tended to carry over North Capitol street on
bridges.
MIR. Elliott said he was not one OF those who
he did favor moving the road back to G street
AIAou onvroat 20 Ha anl h.