Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-31

the city streets. That plan should be adopt
| ed which leaves to the public the unob
structed use Of the greatest number OF
| streets. II the present routes are retained
1t is probable that the construction Of ele
waited tracks would best fulfil the condi
| tons required"
Efforts were made to have the railroad
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, how
ever, made little effort to comply with or.
ders ana notices sent them, and their cross
| ings at street intersections were almost
| uniformly bad, and In many cases. dan.
gerous. Some legislation seems to be neces.
| sary to authorize the Commissioners to
make the necessary repairs and issue Ger.
dhcates of Indebtedness against the rail-
| roads. as Is done In the case of street rail-
| ways. or an appropriation should be made
| for the repair of these crossings until
such time as grade crossings are dispensed
with.
/ Street Designations.
Il would invite attention to the neces-
sfty Of providing a system Of names for
the minor streets and alleys in the cities of
| washington and Georgetown. At the pres
| emit time there Is not only a want Of sys-
TEN. but the same street has different
names In adjacent squares. Many Of the
names OF the alleys are q disgrace to the
city.
Although In the original plan Of the city
the names Of the streets were reserved for
USHe grand avenues OF the city we now find
oregon avenue and California street, two
minor streets, each one square in length
and sixty feet wide.
Two streets In different parts of the
northwest are named Madison and two are
named Pierce. The same street is named
Maolson In one square and Samson in the
next. IN other squares it is named Fran
1t is suggested that all the minor thor
ouGn1ares OF the city connecting on two or
more OF the principal streets and forty or
. more .eet In width throughout be called
That all thoroughfares Of less width
throughout than forty feet or not connect
ing two principal streets containing dwell
uninhabited portions of thoroughfares in
the SQUARES Of the city.
ate9 a sass and west places be named
order. beginnins at the Capitol as Adams
pace between East Capitol and A streets
tSucnanan between A and B streets, Cal
&c. 0ee'''
That all north and south places be desig-
nated oy fractions 1-2 and IA added to the
street adjacent to the east in the western
portion of the city. and to the west in the
eastern portion of the city, as I41-2 street
s between 18th and 18th streets. I do not
fraction IA would be used, but il ia nos
sible some future subdivision may require
It.
Many Many Of the present names of the
courts could be retained. The others
might be named after plants and trees.
The alleys could be designated simply bv
t tne squares. as ALLEY square 5OO' or ALLEY
The alley designations are unimportant.
as they would not appear in the directory
or be used in the Post once Department.
All laws hitherto passed relating to
streets should be made applicable to streets
and places, and all laws relating to alIeys
should De made applicable to alleys and
Opening Streets and Alleys.
speaking Of the act approved July %.
1882 providing for the opening of alleys.
Capt Ffebeger suggests some amendments
10 remedy defects which have been deve,-
oped during the year.
O The act should be made applicable IN
streets In the cities of WASHINGTON and
Georgetown as well as to alleys. There is
now no law under which streets can be
opened In the city. though in many cases
II Is more desirable to have q sixty-foot
street than an alley.
2) The Commissioners should be author
ized to order the opening of any alley which
In their judgment may be necessary to the
systems.
C0 The amount paid the United States
marshal should be increased. not to ex-
ceed 40 and necessary expenses, approved
py the commissioners,
20 All applicants for the opening and
closing OF ALEXIS should be accompanied hy
three plats maze by the surveyor Of the
District.
Rock Creek Valley.
Il would again invite attention." the re-
port says. ito the advisability OF the gov
eminent securing a strip Of ground at
least 100 feet wide upon each bank Of Rock
creek north of NJ street. This will enable
| M 70 h.
along the banks. and will be Of great value
In the plans for Improvement. whether by
arching or retaining walls and terraces
Rock Greek Park.
''The purchase Of this MAGNIFICENT tract
having been about completed, II will soon
be turned over to the permanent board Of
control, consisting Of the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia and the chief Of
engineers, United States army. Provision
should be made for taking care Of the
roads and bridges in the park and for pro-
tecting the game, trees and dwellings upon
the same. II necessary. authority should
be given by the board Of control to lease
such tracts as they may deem advisable to
responsible parties. and the funds thus
raised should be set aside for the improve
mAnt of the park.
These funds might be deposited with the
collector Of taxes of the District and be sub
ject to requisition by the board of control
I would recommend an appropriation Of
So, 900 for the next fiscal year OF this
amount So, 900 will be necessary for the re-
placing of the Pierce Mill bridge and the
balance for the care Of the park and repair
OF the roads.
Overhead Wires and COnduits.
The report gives a summary Of the laws
governing overhead wires and conduits in
the District. including the act Of August G.
1880. providing for the appointment of
board Of experts to investigate the subject
The conclusions reached In the reports of
the Engineer Commissioner of the District
December g. 1888, and by the board of cleo
trical experts October 6, 1891, are given in
full.
| The results accomplished by the various
laws and reports. Capt. Fiebeger says,
may be gathered from the following table:
Conduits in Washington.
1883. 1893.
Miles. Miles
United States government.......2H "a
District government. 4.e
u. s. Electric Light Company. 400 34e
Ches. and Pot. Tel. Communist 1877
Western Union Tel. Co...........0.6 1.3
Postal telegraph Co...........233- &c
1t will be seen from the above that the
United States Electric Lighting Company
and the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company have alone awaited themselves OF
the privilege to construct cCnduits. Each of
these companies has separate system.
From the difficulties encountered in To-