The Washington times., 1894-07-14
ELEVATE THE R. R. TRACKS
Grade Crossings Within the City
Limits Must Be Done Away With.
MENACE TO LIFE AND PROGRESS
To Appeal to Congress to Elevate or Depress
the Pennsylvania Street Crossings in the
Southwest District-Citizens Indignant
and Determined to Express Their Views.


The general sentiment among merchant
and residents in the southwestern rart of the
city is that the grade crossings must go. Th'
people are not slow in denouncing the grade
as nuisance which should be abated with
out much loss of time. They are vigorous il
their protests against the continuance of thest
death traps, and state that Congress should
| apply remedy by compelling the tracks to
be either elevated or lowered within the city
| limits.
Not only is it alleged that the grade cross
ing is a menace to life where it exists, but il
has detrimental effect on the value Of real
| estate. In the sections OF the city where
these crossings exist the property values are
from 25 to so per cent. less than they would
be if a normal and proper state of affairs e1-
listed. Owners of property say that they are
Disseminated against by Congress, which
allows the grade crossing TO go unchecked.
There is to be a concerted effort madeto force
the question before Congress, and seek
| through it relief from the danger and
auiouhNC cAiotbiS at Pioooht-
Following are some of the expressions OF
opinion on the question obtained by TIMES
reporters from merchants and residents in
the district where the crossings exist:
G. A. RIDDLE, real estate agent, corner Of
Four-and-a-half and E streets southwest:
'To facilitate business. as well as remove
the danger at crossings, the railroad COM
panies should be obliged to either elevate or
depress their tracks. l do not believe the
tracks can be depressed in the southwest on
account of the sewers; so the other PROPOSE
tion is the only one available. Aside from
this see no detriment, SO far as this section
of the city is concerned. to the location Of the
Pennsylvania tracks. II the roadbed should
be elevated. the company ought to be re-
quired TO pay any damage to property that
may resula"
II. v LANsDALE, No. 465 II street south
west: 81 am and have been opposed to the
present grade crossings and have endeayored
to have a change effected. The crossings are
dangerous to human life-that at Sixth street
and Maryland avenue especially so. In addi-
ton, particularly along that thoroughtare
the volume of business and the property
values are depreciated. Then the citizens
out here have really but one good driveway
from north to south, and that is Sixth street;
but that street is spoiled by the abominable
crossing"
b. LEONARD, real estate dealer, No. $50
Four-and-a-haf street southwest: Il must
say that it would be a good thing for the city
if the railway companies could be required to
elevate their tracks. The present crossings are
dangerous and an inconvenience to persons
who have to go TO and from the city, and
in some portions property is depreciated in
value. If man must have ground upon
which to erect a warehouse. for example, he
pays about what it is worth, but otherwise
values are not what they would be if the
inerz cd II 10 1ns al
for people to have to wait as long as five
minutes for trains to move before the way is
open for crossing; sometimes freight trains
are shifting, and meanwhile, perhaps. a pass
senger train is coming along. This state of
affairs is detrimental to business interests"
JoHN T. SPRIN6MAN, proprietor of South
Washington iron works. corner Seventh and
/ streets: Il am opposed to having people
killed by the railroads. and believe Congress
should require that the roads remove their
tracks. or take some other way to give US
protection. The matter can be fixed without
doing half the injury 10 the railway compa-
MES that they are now causing very large
section Of the city,"
P. G. SAUER, dealer in stoves, hardware and
tinware, No. 52T Four-and-a-half street south
west: Il have been in the business down
here about fifteen years. l was a member of
a citizens, committee in southwest that
sought to have the Pennsylvania tracks
changed to a locality lower down. so as to re-
move the obstacle to our business interests,
but the object was not accomplished. 1 think
l ought to know something about the impedi-
ment the present crossings are to business,
and l consider il an outrage on the citizens of
South Washington that Congress does not do
something to effect Il change. Remove those
tracks, or have them elevated, and property
in this section would increase in value and
business become what it ought to be"
J. ". CRoNIE. dealer in furniture and car
pets. Nos. ASS Seventh street and SIS -Four.
and-a-half street southwest: 81 am il favor
OF leaving the tracks just, as they are. 1
think if people are careful there is no danger
at the crossings. OF course. if there can be
an arrangement for central or union depot,
that would be an advantage. but the only
thing. it seems to me, that is required now is
to fence in the tracks between Seventh street
and the Long Bridge, and place watchmen
where they have need OF them. think there
should be another watchman at Sixth street
and Virginia avenue"
GEORGE G. GwYNy, dealer in wall paper
and picture frames. No. 507 Four-and-a-nalf
street southwest: Il am in favor of having all
grade crossings removed, either by elevaling
or depressing the tracks In the northeast
they could probably be elevated, but here in
the southwest they could, in my judgment, be
more easily. think there have
been enough lives sacrificed at the crossings,
and human life should be considered above
mere money getting"
Z. 0'NEILL, grocer. No. $50 E street south
west: Il think the crossings are so danger
ous that something should be doDe-have
the tracks elevated. 1t would be u great ben
eft to business
L. FELLHEIMEB, dealer in dry goods. No.
500 Four-and-a-haf street southwest: 'sThe |
grade crossings are the ruination of business |
put here, and the railroad company should |
be Obliged to run trains into the city on ele- |
rdted tracks. as they do in Philadelphia. That |
,rossing at Sixth street is especially danger |
1us-a regular death trap
Mrs. E. C. KuHNs. dealer in chinaware,
glassware, and notions, No. 431 Four-and-a-
lalf street southwest: Il think the railway |
crossings hurt business in this part of the |
.ity. of course. if one is careful, the danger
lessened, but care has to be observed. The
rossings are often blocked with cars SO that
)eople are Inconvenience. All railroads
hould be kept in the outskirts of city like
his
Going array Oh your raca:ion. The Times ,ril
,rifL man IN a.t uGdysss 3,nsInos a,r1oosJ |