Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-23
GRADE CROSSING
Senator McMillan's Bill to Do Away
With Them.
CHANGES OF GRADE And TRACKS
A New Structure to Replace the
Present Long Bridge.
9TH R P ROV Is 10 n S
OTHER ROW ION S

Mr. MILAN introduced in the Senate |
today bill to provide for doing away with |
certain grade crossings on the lines of the |
Baltimore ard Potomac railroad IN the city |
of Washingtcn, D. c., and for other pur- |
roses The bill Is made up with amend !
ments from the bill prepared by Mr.. Nc
MILAN for the same purpose during the |
second session of the Fifty-second Congress
Replies have been received to the several
letters of inquiry sent by the Senate District
committee to the authorities of other cities
as to the method of dealing with this sub
ject. The present bill is the result of the
of these replies and a careful
study by Mr.. Mcmillan of the question. 1t
is submitted as basis to work upon and,
of course, is subject to such amendments as
may be suggested which seem to the COM
mittee might improve the measure.
Changes of Grade.
The new bill provides that the Baltimore
and Potomac Railroad Company be, and it
is hereby, authorized and required to re-
wise, change and improve it's line within
the city of Washington by depressing its
tracks on Maryland avenue, Virginia ave-
rue. Canal street and K street to the
grades as shown on profiles prepared Ey
the Engineer Commissioner of the District
of Columbia, it Icing the purpose of this act
that the grade of the said railroad shall be
revised and readjusted. Seventh, 9th, 10th,
18th and 18th streets southwest shall be
carried above said railroad on iron Steel
bridges, without change of grade, and that
Maryland avenue AZ street, I'd street, Del
aware avenue South Capitol street, New
Jersey avenue, Sd street, 4th street and 9TH
street be carried over said railroad on ele-
waited bridges of iron or steel.
That all bridges provided for in this act,
crossing one or more of the tracks or
switches of the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad, as well the bridge over 9Th
street southwest, shall be constructed of
iron or steel, according to the best modern
practice OF bridge construction, ard with
masonry abutmentS.
Except as hereinafter stated, the road
ways of all bridges shall be of the width of
the streets OF which they form part. On
Maryland avenue, Delaware avenue, South
Capitol street and New Jersey avenue the
width of the roadway shall be fifty feet,
and on I'd street southwest forty-five feet.
All bridges except that at South Capitol
street shall be provided with two sidewalks,
each eight feet wide.
The roadways and sidewalks shall be
paved with one of the standard pavements
of the District of Columbia to be selected
by the Commissioners.
Foot bridges, ten feet wide, with suitable
steps, shall be constructed across all tracks
and switched at Sd street southwest and
South Capitol street. on the west side of
these streets.
cordance with designs approved by the
Commissioners, land shall give a clearance
of seventeen and one-half feet over each
track.
constructed in accordance with plans and
Specifications to be prepared by the En-
giLeer Commissioner, District of Columbia
Change of Tracks.
Sec. . That the said Baltimore and Poto-
mac Railroad Company be- and is hereby,
required to remove it's present western con-
nection between its tracks on 9th street
and its line on Virginia avenue, via Mary
land avenue, and to change and revise the
location of it's tracks, as shown upon the
plan, that they shall curve to the north
from point on its main line on Virginia
avenue just east of the bridge authorized
by this bill to be constructed on the line Of
9th street. and shall run under the bridge
to be built on the line of Maryland ayenue
alongside of the two tracks, shown on the
attached plan, that start from a point On
the main line about one hundred feet west
of 18th street and curve to the north there
from, the said four tracks to continue
north from said Maryland avenue to 3
street northwest.
Sec. 8. That the Baltimore and Potomac
Railroad Company be,and is hereby required
to remove entirely it's tracks on 9th street
north of Virginia avenue, and to restore
said portion of said street to the Uses of
the public; and upon the removal CT its
tracks to make such repairs to the paving
as shall be required by the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia in order to con-
| form the paving upon the portion of the
street SO relinquished to that of the re-
| mainder of the street. In lieu of the Use OF
said portion of 9Th street for railroad pur-
poses, and in order to accommodate the m
creasing passenger, mail and express traf-
| fic in the city of Washington, the said Bal
| t:more and Potomac Railroad Company is
| hereby authorized to occupy and use, on
the conditions hereinafter mentioned, thai
portion of the Mall lying between Il street
| southwest and 3 street northwest, and be-
tween 9th street and a line drawn parallel
| Herewith and 225 feet west thereof
Sec 4. That along the entire line form
| ing the west boundary of that portion OF
| the mall, the use of which is granted as
| aforesaid, the said Baltimore anil Potomac
| Railroad Company shall construct and
| maintain a suitable stone wall, eight feet
| high, and shall also build and maintain
behind the said wall an earthen screen. the
| the top of the rails of the sail railroad
| The slope, construction and maintenance
| of said screen shall be satisfactory to the
engineer officer i'll charge of public build
| ings and grounds in the District of Column
| bia- Also. the said railroad company is
| hereby required to construct and main
| tain, at such a point the engineer
| officer aforesaid shall designate, a bridge
| over the tracks of said railroad and also
| over 9th street. The said bridge shall be
| CT a design and character suited to a park
| and shall be so bG1It that the usual traVe
| shall be properly and reasonably protecte
| from accident arising from the use of sale
| railroad and according to the plans hereto
| annexed.
Sec. 5. That in depressing it's tracks az
| kereinrefore authorized the said railroa'
| company is hereby required to support al
| sides of the excavations made in the street:
| through which it passes with suitable re-
| tanning walls of stone these walls shall
| he carried to the height of three feet above
| the revised grades of said Streets ant
! shall be provided with suitable iron rail
| ings. The distance between parallel re
| tanning walls on Maryland avenue an(
| Virginia avenue shall not exceed forty
| eight feet at the level of the tracks, ant
on K street southeast this distance shall
not exceed twenty-four feet.
| Sec. 6. That in order to enable tn,
! changes, revisions and Improvements to III
| made in the Said railroad rs nereinbefor,
| prescribed the Commissioners of the Dis
| trict of Columbia are hereby authorized t.
| make such change in the grades Of tn.
| streets in the vicinity of the bridges hereir
described as may be deemed desirable.
Streets and Crossings Vacated.
| Sec. Z. tt at in order to enable the sait
railroad company to carry into effect tn,
purposes bereinbefore recited, the followin,
| nj he Inv