The Washington times., 1895-03-01
Work of DemoIishIng Ice in the
Potomac About Finished.
CLEAR FROM DIXIE TO OLD FORT
Bill to Establish Union Street Railway
Depot Urged Upon the senate-Amend-
ment Proposed to Law Governing FIRE
Escapes-Favorable Executive Action
Recommended Upon Four Measures.

! Ice Snasners, mas been waging- a relentless
war upon the gorges along the river front,
from Dixie's Landing down to Fort Wash
| ington, and by O'Clock this evening the
river will be practically clear of Instructions
The steamers Manchester, Arrowsmith,
Wakefield, and Harry Randall slipped
their moorings yesterday, and with freshly
oiled machinery and clean decks started
upon resumption OF their commercial
relations with the outside world.
The government tug Triton went out
towing barge to Indian Head, and the
local tug, w. II. Mohler, gave several
small oyster boats safe conduct to the
markets of the world The tug T. w.
Pride, with a barge in tow, got fast in the
ice at Long Bridge, but was cut loose and
went hence rejoicing
The ice smashers have worked ad-
mirably They have gone over the ground,
so to speak, with resistless force, and the
congealed fluid has disappeared before their
| advance. They were at work yesterday
clearing the ice from the Virginia flats
and atthe draw OF the Long Bridge.
There is still! heavy ice between River
| View and Indian Head, but wherever the
field to navigation.
Legislation on the matter of construction
| of hospital for contagious diseases has.
fallen into u groove between the two
Houses of Congress, which, i reports are
| accurate, will prevent the acquisition OF
such an institution at any point within the
! District The bill provides that no hospital
for such a purpose shall be located within
800 feet of any building.
NO ELIGIBLE SITE TO BE FOUND.
There is not an eligible site to be- oh
tained that win come within such restr.c-
tions, as to accommodate the institution
ground to the amount of 16, ,000 acres
will have TO be acquired.
The Limitation does not affect the small
poX hospital in the southeast, but if the
measure is enacted i'm its present shape il
Will prevent the construction of the other
unless by future legislation the law is in
some way modified.
Ii is to othismeasureth that tCommissionerPow-
ell had reference when, inresponsa toa request
for his opinion, he Informed The Times
the other day that in his opinion. the pros
pect was that Washington would have TO
| hospital for the treatment OF minor con
tagions, a state of affairs that no other
first class city in the country would toler-
ate.
The Commissioners regard the bill now
pending in the Senate, H. r. $780, as OF
| great Importance at this juncture, and
have addressed communication to Senator
| Harris requesting its speedy enactment,
TO save its defeat by the expiration Of the
| session.
The measure provides for the establish
ment of a union street railway station on
B street, near Seventh street, near the
| Center Market
RAILWAYS THAT CENTER THERE.
Thara ara cax-ara1 m : ryta -. fl,at lroo G1-
pass the point, and at least two newly
chartered that VIII eventually have a line
constructed over the same ground. Those
now interested are the Metropolitan, the
| lexington and Soldiers Home, and the
Anacostia, and now that the first named
! is preparing TO change its motive power To
underground conduit, it is important that
if the station is to be provided for it ee done
at once.
The bill passed the House promptly and
vent into the hands of the Senate Com
mittee on the 4th instant.
! Assessor Trimble has returned to the
Commissioners the inquiry OF Tyler and
Rutherford as To the law relatngvto the
publication Of a business statement OF in
surance companies doing business IN the
| District, with the statement that in his
| judgment the courts should decide the
points raised.
ilt sdillt NutsiiOu dibst III at
which time the attorney construed the act
| til. r. bill 6793) to mean that newspaper
publication was required, but that duplicate
statements need not be filed with the Com
missioners. The question whether, If that
! Interpretation be accepted, the Commits
| sioners have more than supervisory powers
| in the matter of enforcement, Mr. Trim
bic suggests, should be settled by the
courts or the legal advisors.
Messrs Tyler and Rutherford have
been Informed, they say, that the attorney
! holds the law to voidable through defects
HUNDREDS OF FOREIGN COMPANIES.
There are hundreds of foreign corpora
tons, he adds, that do business in Wash
| ington from which no licenses are required
under the present law, and that have no
privileges TO forfeit.
An amendment has been prepared by
Assistant Building Inspector Vermillion
and by the Commissioners submitted to
Congress, by which the fire escape regu-
lations are made operative in the District.
The present law authorizes the Com
missioners to enforce the provisions,
making it proper for them in case of fail
ure to comply with their orders, to have
the escapes placed upon buildings, and
assess the expense against the property,
but no fund is provided for the execution
ofthe work.
AGAIN, lue regulations pTONlUe LOT Ule
exemption of buildings that are less
than fifty feet in height. A structure may
cover square and be built to height
of forty nine feet and six inches above
the pavement, and yet not be required to
provide means of safe exit to its occu-
pants.
TO REMEDY DEFECTS.
1t is to cover these and other defects
in the law that the amendment is pro-
posed.
The Commissioners have recommended
favorable Executive action upon meas
ures recently enacted, as foil ows: Bill
No S63S, to amend an act for Incorporation
of the Maryland and Washington Rail
way Company; bill No. 1897, relative to
the Rock Creek Railway Company; bill
No. 444, making the surveyor Of the Dis
trict salaried officer; bill No. 4479 to
amend the charter of the Brightwood
! Railway Company.
Building permits issued yes ter day:
Mrs. j. C. HitZ, two stores, Nos. 923 and
! 925 Pennsylvania avenue northwest,
/ $40, 900; Daniel Egan, dwell ing, No
| 93S Fourth street northeast, So 900;
| S. P. Newton, dwelling, Anacostia, $500;
/ For Improvements: Addition and repairs
10 dwelling No. Ais street northwest,