Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-12
THE B. AND 0. VIADUCT
Its Location q Matter of Vital Interest at
Kendall Green.
President Gnllaudet Objects to Two
Routes and Asks Adherence to the
Plan of Four Years Ago.

The District Commissioners have received
letter from President E. M. Gallaudet of
the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb urging action by Congress against
two routes of entrance to the city AMI
along the one route proposed by the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company four
years ago. The letter is as follows,
Il read with great interest a few days
since in The Evening Star an account Of
the plans and purposes of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company as to its
terminal arrangements in Washington, a
matter in which. very naturally, the officers
Of this institution have very lively con-
Germ.
Il noticed with disappointment, and no
little surprise, that the present plans Of the
company included the retention of it's
old line from Baltimore along the east slde
and near the south front of the grounds Of
this institution.
In all discussions of the concessions
which the government of the United States
might be reasonably expected to make to
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; Company
as to Its permanent terminus in the capital
city, the directors of this institution have
urged that the company might properly be
required to join its two lines at a point
north of the grounds of this institution,
coming into The city over the tracks of
what has been known as the Metropolitan
branch. This arrangement has beeiI de-
manded by the citizens of Northeast Wash
irgton, and also by your honorable board,
in the interest of the city and District.
ITO any one who will give the subject
even a cursory consideration this will seem
a small thing to ask of the railroad COM
pany when it is proposed that the govern
ment shall allow it to retain its present
location for a station, almost under the
walls of the Capitol and to occupy with
permanent viaduct one of the great avenues
of the city. through its entire length, a
means of approach 1t is difficult to con-
Ceve that such privileges would be accord
ed to a railroad company in any European
capital, certainly not without some very
material return on the part of the COM
pany. It is maintained in the article 1 have
alluded to that a junction of the two lines
of the railroad north of the grounds of this
institution would involve engineering diff
ficultieS so serious ds to make the plan inn
practicable. About four years ago, when
the question of railroad terminals was oc
cupying the attention of Congress, the Bal
tfmore and Ohio company proposed a con-
Meeting route directly across the grounds
of this institution. Our directors remon-
strated so strongly against this plan that
the engineers of the railroad were directed
to seek for line of junction further north,
and surveys having been made. I received
the following letter from the chief engineer
of the company:
BALTIMORE AND OHIO
RAILROAD COMPANY
OFFICE OF CHIEF ENGINEER,
BALTIMORE, January %, 1881.
DR.. f. NJ. Gallaudet, President:
Dear Sir: l have had the line exam
ined which will throw the connection be-
tween our Washington and Metropolitan
branches north of the property of the CO.
lumbia Institution, and beg to advise that
We will adopt a line north Of your prop
erty, and will rot pass through your prop
erty at all You can state this officially to
your board, and 1 am glad to be able to
comply with your wishes in this respect /
fIa~ r;
your cordial co-opera ton in securing con-
gressional action on the line which we
have laid down, and which is carefully de-
scribed in the bill now before Congress.
This bill does not call for our location
through your grounds, SO that there will
be no reason for amending 1t.
Iou can consider this as an assurance
on the part OF our company that the line
connecting the two branches will be con-
structed Forth of the property of your in
stitution. as laid down on the map which
you We're kind enough to hand me-
Yours, truly,
"H. T. DOUGLAS, Chief Engineer
wishing to assure myself, if possible,
that Mr.. Douglas views to the FEAST
bility of the route then settled upon re-
manned unchanged. 1 wrote him last Fri
day, making the inquiry, and received the
following reply:
BALTIMORE AND CATONSVILLE
CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,
May $, 1886.
Dr. E. VI. Gallaudet, President:
My Dear Doctor: 1 have your letter OF
Nay :. l have no reason to change my
opinion that the Metropolitan branch and
the Washington branch Of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad can be connected upon
feasible line north of the grounds of the
Deaf and Dumb Institution, and 1 am
quite sure that the plans which have been
prepared, looking to bringing the lines into
Washington upon one trunk line, have been
made with this in view.
VERY truly yours,
"'H. T. DOUGLASS
THAT Mr.. Douglas ideas are not i'm
practicable will appear from the follow
ing admission made by the present eng-
neer of the road, in the article published
last week:
TT might be possible, he admitted, to
make such junction and avoid the eX-
Ceptional grade encountered nearer the
city, but this would necessitate the COM
plete abandonment of the Trinidad yard,
with it's great round house, for that yard
would be merely q pocket of tracks, with
access from but one end.
In behalf of the board of directors of
this institution, l beg your careful con-
sideraton of this feature Of the railroad
terminal problem, asking that no more
than reasonable consideration be had Of
the interests OF this institution.
Very respectfully yours.
sc. NJ. GALLAUDET, President