Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-03
The B. and 0. Receivership and B.
and 0. Grade Crossings.
THE EFFECT OF one ON THE OTHER
Senator Mcmillan Addresses Let.
ter to Mr.. Cowen.
SENTIMENT IN THE SENATE

The announcement made Sunday MORN
ing that the B. and o. Railroad Company
had been placed in the hands of receivers
has caused the citizens who are interested
in the abo!ishment of the grade crossing
evil in the northeast to wonder whether
this would delay the long g-promiseI i'm
provement on that line
1t is well understood that the company
has again and again promised to abate the
nuisance by bringing it's tracks into the city
on a viaduet of masonry or steel. and by
abandoning the "Y'' inside the city limits,
but that 1t had pleaded poverty whenever
the subject was brought up for congress
ional action. Session before last there was
an immediate prospect of such steps being
taken In this direction, and again the COM
pany protested that 1t had no funds inme-
d;ately available for such purpose, and
asked for d pcstponement, which was
granted.
The Company Given an ALTERNATIVES.
This year. however, the chairman of the
Senate District committee, Mr.. Mcmillan,
determined to make the company keep its
promises, and when he made inquiries con-
cerning the matter, he was assured by the
officials of the company that they were
willing to go ahead and to have bill
passed fixing uEon the details of the inn
provement. They were then informed by
MIR. Mcmillan that they must prepare their
bill 5peedily if they desired to have a voice
IN the formulation of the measure, but
there was a long delay. and after wait
ing reasonable period the chairman gave
notice to the company that il the sug-
gestions of the officials as to the plan were
not Immediately forthcoming he should in
troduce a bill of his own.
The Contemplated Measure.
The bill that he contemplated and whose
int rod, b.
time, is practically the same as that intro
Guced session before last by Senator Sher-
man. which provides for a junction of the
two branches of the road outside OF the
city limits and for the carrying of the
tracks to the present station by means of
an elevated structure of masonry, spanning
all intervening streets by arches. This bill
contemplated the abandonment of that pOr-
ticn of the Washington branch lying be
tween the present freight tracks at Ivy
City and the corner of H street and Della
ware avenue
1t also provided that the Washington
branch should be diverted from its prcsan;
course at Ivy City and carried southwes: e,s
~. behind the Kendall Green grounds, to
join the Metropolitan branch, and hen ,e
for both lines to be brought into the city.pn
Delaware avenue. or 1st street over the via
duct, to be built in substantial manner,
after the plan Of the similar structures in
Berlin.
The company originally objected to being
put to the expense of a masonry viaiuct
ana insisted upon steel structure being
prescribed. Subsequently, however this
objection was withdrawn, and the company
agreed to bring the tracks in on a masonry
viaduct.
Awaiting Mr.. Governs RcpIy,
When Senator Mcmillan read of the az,
pointElent of the receivers he realized the
important bearing that this might have
upon the proposed improvement, and he
has since written to President Cowen, who
is also one of the receivers, asking him as
to the probable plans of the company in
this regard. He has as vet received no
reply from Mr.. COwen, and it is likely tina I
nothing will be done in the matter until
the latter has given an intimation of his
purposes. Mr. Mcmillan said this after
noon that he did not believe that this late
financial embarrassment of the company
ought to cause any change Of plan with re-
gard to the srade-crossing question.
He went on to say that, in his opinion, a
reorga anizati tion of the road, such as will
naturally follow the present difficulty will
place the company in much better posi-
ton to undertake this improvement than
before, and he points to the fact that the
company. while considerab bly, embarrassed
for funds. and on the verge of a receiver
ship, promised to take definite steps in
this direction. He added that the fact of
the TeceiN ership would not deter him ma
terially from the introduction and support
of bill similar to the Sherman bill