Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-27
RAILROAD ROUTES
The Citizens Struggle for Fifteen
Years Graphically Related.
A REPORT TO TIE HOUSE COMMITTEE
Grade Crossings and tho Occu-
patton of the Streets.
COST OF PROPOSED PLAN

COST PROPosED'P
Mr.. Evan H. Tucker. in behalf of the
Northeast Washington Citizens Associa-
ton, today submitted the following state
ment to the House District committees:
MI Chairman and gentlemen Of the
committee: In order to show what has been
proposed in the past for the solution Of the
vexatious question of defining the routes Of
the steam railways in the District of Co.
iumbia, and to relieve the public Of the dan
gerous and annoyances of grade crossings,
which.as shown by a statement herein con-
tanned. have been 30 disastrous in causing
loss OF life. limb and property; in order to
dispel from the minds of the committee the
impression which may have been formed
from statement made by a representative
OF the company that one of the reasons
why nothing had been done for the settle
ment OF this question has been the lack Of
unanimfty OF opinion Of the citizens in re-
gard to plans, and to show that this ques-
ton has been gone over in the past, that
every plan proposed has. been thoroughly
considered and that the plan which we now
propose seems to be the only solution of
the problem which may be attainable, we
ma 1t necessary to enter into the history Of
brief, however. giving merely a synopsis
without attempting to enter into details.
we herein also submit statements and
evidence which will prove conclusively that
our plan Is beyond criticism in regard to its
practicability. and the future needs have
been so carefully considered and provided
Tor as to leave no doubt as to the ade-
quacy of the proposed plan for supplying
all facilities required for all time.
Plans which Have Been Proposed.
crossings was begun about fifteen years
ago, and on the 23d of February, 1881, Con-
gress passed IAN act to authorize the Com
missioners Of the District of Columbia to
recommend a proper site for a union rail-
road depot In the city OF Washington and
Tor other purposes" In accordance with
that act the Commissioners, on December
8. 1881, submitted their report-Sen. miss.
doc. No. Is. first session, Forty-seventh
Congress. This report contains maps
plans, estimates, and reasons at length for
Its recommendation of a union depot at
the intersection of Virginia and Maryland
avenues, where the act of March 5. 1871,
located the depot of the Baltimore and Po-
tomac road. and where it's present freight
depot Is, and proposed several routes for
the Baltimore and Ohio to reach that point
The matter was discussed by the public
and the press. all favoring the idea of a
union depot, but nothing was done by Con-
gress. In 1882 Lieut.. Green of the District
engineers office reported a plan-see Com
missioners' report for 1882, page 145-in
which he speaks of the removal of the
Baltimore and Ohio as a necessity, and
recommended one of two routes; first TO
unite their two tracks outside of the city,
cross Boundary street at 18th street east
skirt along the Eastern branch east of the
jail, and come through tunnel parallel
with that of the Baltimore and Potomac,
and thence alongside of the latter to the
union depot; or, second. unite the tracks
as above, run down 18th street east by tun-
mel under the hill, and under North Caro-
lima avenue, coming out at New Jersey ave-
nue. and thence alongside of the Baltimore
and Potomac to a union depot. Another
plan was to tunnel at 18th street, still an
other at 9Th street. and still another to
unite with the line of the Baltimore and
Potomac near Bladeusburg, and thence
across the Eastern branch, and on the
present line of the Baltimore and Potomac
to a union depot. The citizens almost unani-
mously and persistently favored the union
of the tracks outside of the city, the route
along the Eastern branch, and a union de-
pot.
The Union Depot Proposition.
Various hearings were had before the
House committee in 1857. After one of
those hearings. in 1856, Mr.. Cowan, at
torney for the Baltimore and Ohio and Mr..
Douglas, its engineer, followed Messrs.
Dodge, Church and Chapel who represent
ed the citizens, out IT. to the hall and said
to them that II the citizens would take
hold and help, the Baltimore and Ohio to
get around below Per nsylvaEia avenue to
a Union depot, or into a separate one along
side of the Baltimore and Potomac, they
would run their tracks on any line the
citizens might designate. We agreed to
that proposition at once and the special
committee on railroads of the citizens COM
mittee of one hundred, representing all
parts Of the District, early in the session
of 1887, made an elaborate report on the
C,1hiQNf
Of report of thirty-two printed pages with
maps showing alternate routes for the
Baltimore and Ohio. See report, pages 20
to 81, and maps, as to routes recommended
This report, like all the others, insisted on
the union of the Baltimore and Ohio tracks
outside of Boundary street, and recon-
mended that they go southeast of 18th
street along the Eastern branch and thence
alongside Of the Baltimore and Potomac to
a depot to be located on reservation IL,
south of the Capitol, with its freight depot
on the north side Of Boundary at head of
New York avenue; or, as an alternative
route. to come down 5th street in a cut
and tunnel under the hill under North Caro-
lima avenue onto reservation H. and in
equal terms with the Baltimore and Poto-
mac so they could have a southern con-
nection, which was one of the great objects
Of the Baltimore and Ohio.
The Citizens Were Unanimous.
There was perfect unanimi.y of the citi-
zens In favor of putting the Baltimore and
Ohio in all respects on par with the Bal
timore and Potomac, and of the route via
the Eastern branch. The only point on
which there was any difference of opinion
was as to the best point for the location
of the union depot, and tunneling at 10Th
street east.
The moment there appeared to be a pros
pect of the Baltimore and Ohio getting be-
low pennsylvania avenue, 1t refused to do
as it had agreed, as to following the East
ern branch route, proposed by the citizens,
and on September 70. 1887, Engineer Doug
las addressed letter to Engineer Commits
sioner Ludlow, proposing TO unite their
down I'd street, enter tunnel at I'd street,
and curve to the west, coming out into
Virginia avenue below the Capitol. (See
Sen. Hearings, p. 49, To this objection
was made that 1t would affect the new Ii
brary building, and would not remove the
grade crossings in East Washington.
October y. 1887, Engineer Douglas ad-
dressed another letter to the Commission
ers, saying: I'VE will not object to the
removal of the tracks of the Washington
and Metropolitan branches from the pres
ent streets between Boundary street and
the terminal of these lines (the present
Baltimore and Ohio depot provided our
Washington branch is connected with the
Metropolitan branch north of and near
I'd street." and thence to union depot.
(See Sen. Hearings, p. 49, This plan was
presented to the Senate committee by
Douglas and Cowan January -, 1851
Hearing, p. lJ6.
The ID. and o. Objects.
November Is, 1887, the Commissioners in
resDonse to a letter from the chairman NJ