Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-30

Island, and while naturally tributary to
this city. has no existing north and south
railway, either steam or electric.
TcnIeytown and Cabin John.
Extending from the business center of
West Washington &c Tenleytown. Reno.
the District boundary, and thence to
Bethesda. is an electric lire known as the
TeLleytown road. which taps an elevated
section of the District of Columbia and
which is developing at 4 rapid rate.
The recent consolidation of The Teney-
town and Bethesda roads is believed to be
a step in the direction of an extension to
Rockville.
read at the District boundary is a line to
Glen Echo. which is to he soon EXTENDED
to Chevy Chase. y few years ago this
road was taxed TO its utmost capacity 20
trGr sport the visitors to the National
Chautauqua located at Glen Echo and to
the entertainments given At the great am
phitheater and in the popular cafe which
has since been destroyed hy fire. The road
was inadequate 10 accommodate the travel
ard for this and other reasons the enter
tanmentj there have for the time being
been at q standstill. The recent opening
Of another electric line to Glen Echo Will
result, 1t is said, i'll a revival of the va
rious projects originally intended for the
deNeloD-nent of that place.
The Great Falls line, recently opened to
the public, extends from the new street
railway utpOl III w est W 1SnlngtOn to the
Palisades of the Potomac, Glen Echo and
Cabin John bridge. Its charter permits
an extension to the Great Falls of the Po-
tomac. The line to Cabin John is built
midway between the river and the cele-
brated Conduit road.
Arlington and Falls Church.
Commencing at the south end of the
Aqueduct bridge and extending from there
to the west gate of Arlington, and to Fort
Myer. a comparatively new electric road,
known as the Arlington line. has recently
been opened. The present route is a change
from that of the old line between those
points. which was abandoned some TWO or
more years ego.
The new line is now controlled by Phia-
delphia capital, and is being extended
westward.
1t will be observed that this line does
not cross the Aqueduct bridge. and there
fore, does not make direct connection with
the city lines terminating at the new street
railroad depot al the north en1 of the
bridge.
Permission to cross the bridge has been
repeatedly asked frCm Congress.
Objection was made in the debate on this
subject in the Senate to the then proposed
plan for an inclined plane for tramways
from the center of the bridge % the second
story of the new union depot 1t is now
proposed to conStruc- an uppe" deck along
the whole length of the bridge that the
tramway will not Interfere with the car
riage irive.
Alexandria and Mt. Vernon.
The Mount Vernon line is the latest addi-
ton to the rapid transit suburban roads of
the national capital. 1t is in many re-
spects the most important of all. for it
practically extends the Pennsylvania rail
road to 1872 street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue..
While the line originally intended as
an excursion road to Arlington and Mount
Vernon. its chief patronage, it is said. will
be the regular passenger traffic between
here and Alexandria. From It's starting
point at 131s street and the avenue down
18th street. across the Long bridge. and
thence to Alexandria and Mount Vernon a
distance of about seventeen miles, the
road is practically air line, and is built
for both speed and up-to-date accommo-
dations for the travelling public. The cars,
which both lighted and heated with
electricity, will be run in trains. In brief,
this is pioneer road in the direction of
changing the motive power of suburban
roads from steam to electricity. and as
such it will be closely watched and studied
by railway capitalists.
Connection with City Lines.
BY reference to the map it will be OBJ
served that only one of the seven existing
suburban electric lines above described has
a direct city entrance which enables it to
bring its suburban cars directly to the
hotel and business center of the city That
one exception is the Mount Vernon road
AS under existing law no overhead electric
line can he operated within the city limits
a change in motive power is necessary at
the bounds of the city or transfer of pas
sengers to cable and other lines The Rock
Creek road by change at the city boun-
dary from the overhead to the underground
trolley can bring its cars along L street
18th and Florida
rangcments between suburban and con-
Meeting city lines. under the act of 1894.
could. if ever carried into effect. enable
several suburban lines to reach the center
of the city.
Ronds Under Constructions.
In addition to the seven existing sub
urban electric lines there are two impor-
tant ones now under cGnstruction-the CO.
lumbia and Maryland road commonly
known as the boulevard line to Baltimore,
and the line from the present terminus of
the Arlington road. at Fort Myer west
ward to Fails Church.
The Baltimore syndicate in charge of
the tuilGing Of an electric road between
this city and Baltimore originally inten led
a combination of a double track trolley line
and grand boulevard uniting the cities of
Washington and Baltim pre-. The boulevard
feature has for the time being been elimi-
mated, but may be revived later
The route as adopted is from the Eckinr-
ton railway. at ith street extended, along
Rhode Island avenue extended to the Dis
trfct boundary, to Hyattsville, Laurel and
Baltimore.
The rights of way have been secured
the bonds placed and the work of cOnstru
ton is we'll under way
When completed the road will be an
other instance of the substitution of cleo
trio for steam power on suburban lines
The road is being built for high speed
and wholesale traffic, both passenger and
freight.
If it adopts on its connecting city lines
the underground trolley it can then haul
its suburban cars over its own lines d.
rectly to the heart of tn. city
The Philadelphia and Washington syndi-
cate which now owns and operates the
Falls Church line from the Aaueduct
bridge to Arlington and Fort Myer has AL