Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26
THE CABLE ROAD
Proposed Important Changes in the
Line of the w. and G.
l4TH STREET ROUTE FROM TIE AVENUE
The Switching of Cars on the
Public Streets Prohibited. ,
THE AQUEDUCT BRIDGE

A bill was introduced in the Senate to-
day by Mr.. Mcmillan, which. IL it becomes
a law. will make a very important change
In the route of the Washington and George
town railroad. The effect Of the bill is to
make the l4th street cars leave the main
line at the corner Of l4th street and the
avenue and TO run thence northward
without detection to the Mount Pleasant
terminus. While leaving the avenue line
tracks on 18th street that portion of the
road will no longer be occupied by the l4th
street cars. thus avoiding much Of the
great confusion now resulting from the
duplication Of cars at the corner OF 18th
street and New York avenue
For a long time past IL has been noticed
that this northeast corner OF the treasury
building has been the scene of more con-
fusion and dangerous driving, partly the
result OF the tendency Of drivers TO use
this thoroughfare exclusively In making
their way to the northwest and partly
caused by the switching OF the avenue and
l4th street cars at the and the stopping
OF cars for the transfer of passengers A
number OF accidents. more or less serio1s.
have occurred at this point since the cable
road was established, and the problem
has recently become quite a serious one.
The attention Of Senator Mcmillan was re-
Gently called to this matter, and the bill
introduced today is the result The bill 10
as follows:
The Bill I'm Detail.
THE Washington and Georgetown Railroad
Company is hereby authorized. empowered
and required, within six months after the
passage Of this act. to change and extend
its lines as follows: First, the tracks on l4th
street shall be extended and cars shall be
run on that street from New York avenue
to Pennsylvania avenue. The tracks now
laid on New York avenue between 14th and
18th streets shall be taken up and the
spaces occupied by the company shall be
repaved and put in good order. as the Com
missioners OF the District shall direct.
Second. the tracks OF said company shall be
extended and cars run on NJ street In
Georgetown from the present terminus 10 a
point near the Aqueduct bridge
Section ?. The said company shall within
SIX months from the passage Of this act
cease absolutely to switch cars into public
streets. The said company is hereby au-
thorized to extend its tracks from the pres
ent termini to and upon land which may be
acquired by the said company for the DUR
pose Of switching cars.
section B. Failure to comply with the PRO-
visions OF this act shall subject the WASH
ington and Georgetown Railroad Company
TO tne Of 800 a day for each and every
day the company refuses or neglects TO
make the changes in this act required"
Two Lines On I4th Street.
The railroad companies when contempiat-
Ing the change from a horse 70 a cable
system designed TO put the l4th street
tracks entirely on that street, and sug-
gested plan similar TO that outlined IN the
bill. Objection. however was made TO this
from some source. and the scheme was
abandoned. and the present complicated
dangerous and cumbersome system in
vogue on 18th street was adopted and nut
In operation The only problem in connec-
uoh Win TINS change now is In regard TO
the double presence of rapid transit lines
on lith street from F to II streets, con-
templated according to the act settling the
Metropolitan railroad problem. When this
company shall have improved its lines BY
the adoption OF an underground motive
power there will be two slot roads on 18th
street between the points named one
crossing viii be necessary, as at present at
the corner OF l4th and II streets. This
however. will not be difficult to arrange. -
cable crossings are frequent. and the cross
ing of an electric and cable line could be
devised quite as easily. AS 14th street 10
not a great thoroughfare at this point the
duplication Of tracks on that short space
of two blocks. IL is Thought, would not be o
serious obstacle to travel.
Another feature of the bill IL will be OBJ
served, is TO compel the extension OF The
Washington and Georgetown line from its
present terminus in Georgetown TO the
Aqueduct bridge. This change is embodied
in bill introduced earlier in the session at
the request of the District Commissioners,
of a union passenger house for the conve-
nience OF this line and all others that might
hnd terminals at this point. There is still
another important feature in the Mcmillan
bill. contained in the second section, which
strikes out what is now unquestionably a
menacing nuisance.
Switching Cars on the Streets.
Cars OF this company are now switched
on the streets at three points on the line.
the 14th street terminus in Mt. Pleasant,
the Navy Yard end of the avenue line and
the terminus of the little branch at the
Baltimore and Ohio station. where all the
14th street trains are backed and remade.
1t was at this point that Mrs. Ferguson
lost her life during the past winter. an ac-
cident which was thought at the time to
be due solely TO the confusion incident TO
the switching of these cars in the streets.
1t is at this point only that the company
will be obliged TO acquire new property for
a switching house. as at Mt Pleasant and
Navy Yard terminals are now furnished with
large power houses where this backing and
re-making of trains can be accomplished
of the public thoroughfare. The present
system involves great annoyance to passen-
gers riding through to the Navy Yard, who
are at present dumped from the trains at
least a block away from the end Of the line,
owing to the accumulation of cars necessi-
tated by the system I'm vogue.
The bill was referred without comment u
the District committee.