The Washington times., 1894-03-24
ALONG THE LINE OF
DISTRICT REFORMS.

'You recall the collision between a cable
train and an electric car at Fourteenth and q
streets about year ago?" Thus spoke Or.
T. ]. Lasier. an old resident of the city.
"As a result OF that exciting clash
of motive powers the cable COM
pany was compelled to stop its cars
on the nearest side of U street. For a time
the regulation WIS strictly observed, but
time. you know. heals all sorrows and dis
agreeable recollections of that nature. and
such has proved the case here.
1.-The company has grown lax. and closes its
eyes at the non-observance of the regulation
/ have personally seen ears on many occa-
sions cross the trolley line without any un-
necessary formalities. A case in point was
the ear on which l was riding to-day. which
was guilty of this same breach of etiquette.
"Cablc trains and L street ears frequently
meet at the junction, and it becomes then a
matter Of speed. If this procedure is not
altered there will be q collision before long
which will possibly be termed an accident
unavoidable" >"
There is an instance of fragrant abuse of
franchise at which grow more indignant
with each passing day" said Lawyer A. 5.
Brown at the Loan and Trust building. LAS
is well known. the Brightwood Railway
Company had its charter amended to
lay tracks through Pleasant Plains
from Seventh to Fourteenth street. The
ground was broken. the tracks laid. the troll
ley posts set. and there the matter
rests, and rests as did Rip in
the Adirondacks. This branch. ifroling stock
were introduced thereon. would be a great
convenience as q cross-town line. In the Sec
tion through which the line runs real estate
is running upgrade rapidly. But the evil
has been discussed time and again. with no
satisfactory results.
The people up there have held indigna-
tion meetings. and the sentiment is unani-
nous that if the case is put in the hands of
Judge Lynch and nothing further be said on
the subject they will strive hard to
be satisfied. Hope deferred maketh
the heart sick. and the subject
with them is a source of WEAKNESS. The di-
rectors of the road plead that the branch will
not pay, but it seems 10 me that that topic
should have been considered at the OUTSET
Said Librarian of Congress \. r. Spofford.
yesterday. Il consider the matter of street
railways subject of great Importance: it
might alsmOst be said of vital Importance in
this as in the other cities of our land. Washing
ton is situated differently from other cities in
great many respects. While other cities
are municipalities, Washington cannot prop
erly be classed as one. since il is at once the
charge of Congress and the District Commits
sioners.
The local railways are ofttimes, it must be
confessed. disagreeable in their attitude to-
ward the public. and the peace of the public
mind is at such times disturbed 10 high de-
gree. II would be well and practi-
cable to place the street railways
more fully under the control OF
Congress. Fatalities should have been
relegated to the past long ere this. and it is a
matter of constant regret that proper safe
guards are not provided to secure public con
venience and safety.
Under the existing laws the Commits
sioncrs are greatly restricted in their author
ity over many features of tramway traffic.
but it is 10 be hoped that the attitude of the
railways and the desires of the public will
coincide
There is a condition of things remarked
Mr.. W. P. King, of Alexandria, (which should
and could be avoided. The Pennsylvania
Railroad Company and the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad Company are too apt TO
express their mutual esteem for each other
in an embrace of trains at the junction on
Seventh street. Nine days out of ten
freight ears are side-tracked in the vicinity of
the crossing and under an approaching loco
motive, practically invisible until quite close
to Seventh street.
''The cable road is not as careful as il was
just previous to the passage OF their regu-
lation requiring all conductors to go in ad-
vance OF the cable train and look out for an
approaching train. / have seen the guard
poles descend and all but embrace a cable
train, and l would ask why is not the regula-
tion enforced.