Evening star., 1896-12-01
Terminal station Prospects.

Although there is notable lack of details
in the announcement made by President
Ingalls, Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
road in The Star yesterday in regard to the
proposed new terminal station in this city,
there is an indication of energy ana de-
termination in the attitude assumed by
Mr.. Ingalls, that warrants Il certain de-
gree of confidence the part of the peo-
pie that this long-delayed project is ac-
tually under way. Mr.. Ingalls, declares I'm
substance that the three roads now using
the entirely inadequate station at Sixth
street have definitely agreed to spend a
large sum of money i'll undermining the
facilities and incidentally in doing away
with certain of the iniolerable nuisances
that the public and the roads have endured
for many Years.
Viewed from a railroad standpoint the
need for Improvement in this line is more
striking at The national capital than prob
ably at any other city IN the country. Here
Is one of he most frequented of terminal
points, SherC trunk lines of the north
south and IVES; meet and handle over two
million passengers annually. Yet for the
lnadeduacE and antiquity of its facilities it
y hardly eGusie7i by any of the small towns
Of tne co,i1trS :hat boast of being the end
# a railroad line. The station is insufti-
cient 10 accommodate even the business of
any one of the three roads now using.i it,
much less the aggregate traffic of three of
the largest trunk systems in the country.
According TO the terms OF the law the
Present station can be approached ON 9th
street 10y only two tracks Ito be put as
rear together in the middle of the street
as possible" and consisting of fiat rails
like those used by street railways so as to
facilitate wagon and carriage travel over
the same Whatever rails exist on 9th
street more than these two sets of fat rails
&c silly crossed by carriages. are illegal and
remain there by sufferance. All the Jcgisla-
ton and discussion concerning the station
pointed TO the creation of a temporary
makeshift with a small business in view,
and established legal conditions which are
unsuit.d for the leading passenger station
of the capital of the republic at the present
time. Wherever this main station is To-
Gated. the railroads must get much more
ground in connection with it. They must
avoid the necessity of backing out of their
station. They must secure the privilege of
laying all the tracks that first class roads
IN first c.ass city require for their bust
hess. And III return for the legislative
concessions which will enable them to do
tift OF free right of way, free station site
and the practically free of Long Bridge
they ought substantially at their own ex-
perse TO tax their tracks. except specially
designated freight tracks in certain locali-
ties, from grade everywhere within he city
limits.
The suggestion of the building in the near
future in Washington of structure like
the Cannon Street and other great stations
in London. the impi iessive railroad build
II gs OF Paris. the Friedrich Strasse and
Alexander PlatZ stations in Berlin or the
wonderful structure at Frankfort-on-the-
Main is profoundly interesting to all
Washington. and the people of the city
will await the announcement of the COM
Pete plans with eager anticipation.