Evening star., 1896-12-02
MAJOR POwELL's VIEWS.
He Discusses the Railroad Situation
in South Washington.

He Discusses the Railroad Situation
In South Washington.
In discussing the railroad question In
South Washington with reporter of The
Star. Engineer Commissioner Powell said
today that he had noticed the interview in
The Star the other day with M. Ingalls,,
who he recognized as one of the most pro-
gressive railroad executors in the country,
on the subject of terminal facilities at
Washington. The Commissioners vent
carefully into the study of the grand union
station for all the lines. and rejected the
proposition as impracticable for Washing
ton.
Resides two stations" he said. ..tbe city
iookS~to the establishment of a third one
probably being at or south of the line of X
street. and ON or west OF 2Gth street. for
the accommodation of railroad traffic COM
ing down the Potomac river to Georgetown
ana thence along Water street to The K
street bridge.
In fact. railroad tracks are now laid in
Water street, but have not been used
These tracks and the right of way belong
to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, and it is evident that that company
at one time. from constructions and sur
veys made few years ago, contemplated
loop or branch line from it's Washington
lateral liEe north of the District by way
or Linden to the Potomac river and thence
by bridge over the river at some fayora-
Die crossing for line westward and south
ward in Virginia. with span running
down the bank of the river into George
town.
Il was recently at Richmond, the new
proposed terminal facilities of which you
mentioned in The Star interview with Mr.
Ingalls,. L was surprised with the extent
of the work intended. Most of the tracks
are to he elevated. crossing certain low
streets without disturbing their grades
The railroad people have purchased right
OIL way through private prnnprtiaS CLOSELY
built UP. in order to carry out the scheme
Trey even propose to build an elevated
structure in the James river not across
the river. but alongside of the bank for a
very edge OF the river Their depot plans
are on a large scheme and provide accom-
modatiens for all branches Of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad
Depressed tracks for the Pennsylvania
lines in South Washington. except through
the high ground on what was formerly
the Island would be difficult. The plans
favored by the engineer of the Penrsyl-
vania Railroad Company are for a low
grade track. and not for a depressed track
east OF ttn street west. When the works
of the sewage disposal plans are pro-
Sressed these tracks across the James
Creek canal can he lowered several feet
below what they could be now and give
drainage 10 the road bed
AT the crossing of Delaware avenue the
company 5 plan proposes to keep their rails
at the same level now and make any
little change on the streets east and west
of the avenue Under such means the
grade crossings could only be abolished by
high bridges and raising the grades of the
streets il: order to gain elevations in one
case of lga feet. The whole matter is one
OF great Importance, and what Is done
should be. ii appears. an intelligent and
satisfactory Improvement and to be per-
manent- All the Investigations made by the
Commissioners have this object in view