The morning times., 1895-09-04
President Tucker Takes ExGep-
tions to Lieut.. KeIIy's Report.
CROSSINGS NOT GUARDED
After O'Clock at Night All Gates Are
I'D on the Baltimore and Ohio Line.
Inquiry as 10 Street Car FcIders-
Basement Schoolrooms and Half
Day Sessions.

President Tucker, or the Northeast Wash
ington Citizens Association, has taken ex-
ceptions to the reports made to the Commis-
sioners by two police lieutenants concern
ing grade crossings The reports were
made based upon a recent resolution
adopted by the association and addressed
TO the Commissioners asking for an order
TO compel the Baltimore and Ohio Company
10 maintain crossings watchmen ana to
have the police enforce the order.
Mr.. Tucker says: Fully realizing that
the most nearly perfect Sye liable TO error,
and recognizing the fact that force ten
times as large could not be so placed as TO
see every violation OF law, we consider 1t
in the interest of good government for
citizens to suggest such new regulations
as will better protect the interests and
promote the general welfare.
In regard to the report from Lieut..
Kelly. Will say, after full consideration,
mat his statement that watchmen are sta
toned all or the time al the crossings
Of street, Massachusetts, avenue, and u
street is not substantiated. II the lieu
tenant makes his statement from the testi-
mony OF Officers who are on the beat, those
officers must certainly never pass those
crossings after night, or they must be
very unobscrvant officers.
GATES NOT USED AFTER P. NJ.
"A casual observer would surely notice
that the gates OF those crossings are never
used after 9 O'Clock p. m.
Personal Interrogation for three suc'
cessive nights developed the fact that the
crossings are entirely unprotected from
O'Clock p m. until the following morning,
watch boxes are closed, and gates are up
without lanterns on, Showing that ii is rot
intended to use them. Those who use the
crossings at night, do so at their peril
Relative TO the statements of bota the
lieutenants thar they are not aware OF any
violations of section 16 of article 10 Of
the police regulations, viii state that
the facts stated are verified by many Who
reside in the locality.
The crossing at Massachusetts avenue
is but one square from the depot and only
| a few hundred feet from the freight house,
and there is very large amount OF travel
over the road at this point. have counted
as many as eight passings Of the engine
over the crossing in fifteen minutes.
THE street crossing is at the lower
| branch of the blCud-stained ~, the point
| from which the Metropolitan branch and
! the washington branch divsrge, ana by
reason of the fact that trains approaching:
! on the latter branch round sharp curve at
H street, it is rendered exceedingly dan
| gerous.
OTHER DANGER SPOTS.
1.-The crossing at the intersection Of
! Fourth and / streets is very important,
! and Seventh street is very mucA used by the
! inmates Of the institution for the deaf
| mutes All are much used by the route
wagons in delivering milk and bread in the
| early morning hours, and as The day watch
men do not enter upon duty until o Clock
! a m. these teams are afforded no pro-
| lection.
| protection is Just as necessary at the
! crossings of the Baltimore and Ohio as on
| the Baltimore and Potomac, where watch
| men are provided, and as the expense OF
| providing a few extra watchman would be
very small the citizens would be justified
in constituting Il refusal to comply with the
request as narrow minded and pernicious. "
The District Commissioners were asked
Yesterday what steps if any have been aEer
/ to compel the city railways that are subiec'
to the regulations to equip their cars with
/ the authorized fender.
! Commissioner Powell said that there
was nothing to be said in the matter. Tn,
police court had taken cogpizance of it, and
its action had the effect to take it out of the
Commissioners hands for the time being
He said the roads had been given certain
time by the court in which to comply, anc
that he presumed any failure to meet The
ori"r would subject the offender to tht
charge OF contempt.
BASEMENT SCHOOLROOMS.
It was stated yesterday that the board
OF school trustees has asked D.. Woodward
thn health officer, to specifically state
the objections from sanitary point of view
that may b. urged against the use of base
ment rooms for the fourth grade pupii
/ in tho northeast section Of the city. 1t il
not believed that the projected arrangement
for housing ths children in the basement
VIII bn carried out, in which case they vii
have but ialf sessions daily during th'
coming school year.
Building permits issued yesterday: JohI