The Washington times., 1894-07-27
LESS TRACK And SWITCHES
Commissioners Suggest Important
Changes in Street Car Lines.
FIFTEENTH STREET SITUATION
All North bound Cable Cable Cars to Go Up
Fourteenth Street and the south-bound on
Fifteenth street-New Terminal Loops for
the Columbia and lexington Railway

Superintendent Miles, Of the District tels.
graph and telephone service, yesterday IN
letter to the Commissioners spoke OF the need
Of additional fire alarms in the county. He
approved Of the application Of Daish & Co.
for the location of fire alarm box on their
new elevator, corner Of Florida avenue and
North Capitol street, and stated in connection
with its location that two more boxes should
be erected in that vicinity.
Senator Harris has been sent lengthy re-
port by the Commissioners relative to Senate
bill 2o59 requiring the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad Company to make cer-
tain changes on its Mount Pleasant line.
They say that the plan to have the Moune
Pleasant cars run from Pennsylvania avenue
up Fourteenth street and the Georgetown
cars to use the Fifteenth street tracks and
dispense with the ew York avenue tracks il
accep table to them, as it would afford much
relief to the present crowded condition on
Fifteenth street.
They suggest as "a more complete, salts
factory, and equally practicable remedy, how
ever is to make all south bound cars go
down Fifteenth street, and all north bound
cars go up Fourteenth street. This would
require one track only on each street and on
New York avenue between Fourteenth and
ton OF tracks and operation of the road rec
ommended by the Commissioners, who adj
wise thBt the bill be amended accordingly"
REDUCE THE TRACES.
They state further that the plan would re-
duee the tracks on Fourteenth street from p
to streets from four to three tracks and
would also permit the lexington line to loop
by the way of Fifteenth street from G to +
streets. thereby avoiding the end switch now
made at Fifteenth street, and give better ae-
eommodations to the public. The change
would also permit the Columbia Railway
Company TO run its cars on the tracks of the
Washington and Georgetown line on Sew
York avenue and Fifteenth street and make
loop to street or Pennsylvania avenue TO
Fourteenth street This would dispense with
another switch and with at least two OF the
four present tracks on New York avenue and
take the Columbia cars nearer to the Treas
ury and to the Avenue.
They say in addition that END switches in
the street for mechanical motor cars are in
toIerable nuisances and should be prevented
wherever practicable. No street in Washing
ton is wide enough for four or even three
tracks for rapid-transit cars moving in oppo-
site directions The Commissioners ask that
they be given power to authorize the use Of at
least four squares Of tracks of any railroad
to be used by any road as "a terminal loop for
the Washington and Georgetown bill be
amended so as TO permit that company to ex-
tend its road by a single track from First
street west on B street north to New Jer-
sew avenue: thence on New Jersey avenue TO
C street and to connection with one of its
present tracks on C street, and also that
the company shall when notified by the
District Commissioners. remove one of its
conduits on First street north OF street west
and on C street.
The commission state that the switching OF
cars in the public spaces at the Georgetown,
Mount Pleasant, Navy Yard, and Arsenal
termini of the Washington and Georgetown
Railroad are unnecessary. obstructive, and
dangerous. and should be stopped. They say
that the company owns land and depots
wherein such changes can be made.
In hope of relieving the bad situation at
Fifteenth street they ask that the bill be
passed this session.
The Commissioners yesterday issued an
order allowing the chief operator OF the West
ern Union Telegraph Company to cross the
fire lines in case of fire in order to connect
any telegraph line of the company that may
be broken within the lines.
Thomas Z. Waggaman was yesterday no
titled by the Commissioners that they could
not order the official inspection OF plumbing
done by Plumber Kerr.
Building permits were issued yesterday az
follows: ]. Edward Chapman, to erect Nos.
1922 to 1880 street northwest, $50, 900.
James ". Sprlngman, to erect No. 497 Mary
land avenue southwest. $4,000; William jack
son, to erect No. 1645 Gales street, Long
Meadows. 81 500; Mrs. NJ. Moore, to improve
No. 3S3 Missouri avenue. $1,000.
President E. N. Gallaudet, of the Deaf and
Dumb Institution. has requested the Commis-
sioners to place $40. 500 in the District esti-
mates for 1896 for the use OF his institution.
Inspector of Lumber Z. C. Champlin re-
ports to the Commissioners that during the
fiscal year ended June 80 last he had in
spected 554 16l feet of lumber.
]. W. Thompson, of No. 1906 Twenty
second street. has written to the Commission
ers protesting against the location of coal
yard at the northeast corner Of Twentysecond
and NJ streets.