Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-08

mated by your prsseetssoR. Mr.. Secretary
Lamont. under his stat tt6fy authority to
designate the route Of the f6ad. The COM
pany now has the horror to request per-
nit from you to extend Its railway north
ward across the bridge finder such reason
able restrictions as yoh. may impose.
Ut The company would Wish in making
foetwalk, leaving th4 west walk unin-
peded for use Of foot passengers and 1t
would obligate itself to 50 widen the bridge
provide a new walk, six feet wide to the
east of its track To demonstrate the en-.
tire feasibility of this f9lan.I without incon-
venience. to the bridgecrossing public. pc.
destrtans or others, the company would bS
willing now to lay track the length of
the first span Of the bridge TO be Inspected
by you, and to be taken up IT, upon con-
sideration. you decline the permit to make
the permanent extension which it asks.
THAT there Is a pressing public demand
for this extension 70 one familiar with the
conditions will controvert, and that the
right to satisfy this demand and need by
granting the requested permit or license
lies with you can hardly be reasonably
denied. The act Of Congress Of February
Is. 1891, was rig1fffully construed by Mr.
Secretary Lamont to authorize the Secre-
tary Of War to establish upon the cause
way Of the bridge the point upon the Po-
tomac from which the lines should run
into Virginia This would seem to clearly
indicate that the point on the north side Of
the Potomac from which its lines are to
run. with the approval of the Secretary Of
War; was In his opinion, at the north end
Of the bridge in question and that the line
TO be so approved lies across the bridge,
the only feasible route.
That this was also the view Of Congress
was made apparent by the act of August
-, 1894 (2s Stat, p. 1872, amending the
Great Falls Electric Railway Company,
which provides for accommodations for
street railway traffic which may converge
u ar
lshlng passenger station on M street
between 35th and Both streets, the point
this company wishes now to reach"
Removal of Material Prevented,
When The Star reporter visited the scene
this morning Policeman Gus Brown, who
does duty at the District entrance of the
bridge. was stationed on the Virginia side
on guard, to prevent the removal of any
OF the material. A freight car was stand
ing near the entrance to the bridge upon
which was placed two immense iron beams.
fully 10 feet long and about IL or ID inches
high. In addition to these there were two
large wooden beams, about 4x12 inches,
and several other smaller pieces of scant-
ling. On the ground near the freight car
were placed four lengths of iron track The
east footway leading from the road was
raised considerably out Of plumb. The
hasty manner in which the iaborers ouit
the job is evidenced by the fact that many
Of the pieces of timber used in pryine. up
the walk were left in the position in which
they were operated. Judging by the sur
roundings, the railroad people evidently did
not calculate upon entirely crossing the
bridge, but were only going to lay tracks
for a distance or 80 or 40 feet
Georgetown Disappointed.
Among the people of Georgetown there
is considerable disappointment that the
railroad was not successful in making the
crossing. They would like to have the road
come into Georgetown, and have all along
advocated its claims. The road is owned
by Philadelphia capitalists it is said, with
Mr.. Phillips as manageEs and all along
they have had fight with the Pennsyl-
vania railroad as to right Of way and other
matters. IL
1t is understood that .the1 Alexandria and
Mount Vernon electric road is anxious to
get route to Falls .GhuEch, and run in
opposition to the Falls Church road. The
people living in ,GeorgetoWrn are averse to
Georgetown, if the roa ID il ever built and
this is something not Desired.
The fact that passengers on the Falls
Church road have to walk Across the Aque-
duct bridge to make scoffhectfons. is re-
garded as a great drawback to the road,
and hence the move 10 have city eonnec-
lions. The company only s4cently received
permission to cross the Arlington reserva-
y o.
benefit by the privilege mysterious order
was issued revoking thefipTmis The fail
ure of the present attempt does not seem
to have discouraged the railroad people at
all; and it is rumored that another, effort
will be made. - e.
Said one prominent Georgetown citizen
this morning, whose name isT withheld at
his own request. Il think it is fooIishness
to attempt to stop the road from coming
across the bridge. The connection is bad
~ needed, and. unless 1 am mistaken, the
road will surely come over. Sooner or later
the necessary permission must be given
If the railroad people do not take time by
the forelock and successfully do the work
themselves"
Smith Arraigned.
Charles Smith, who had charge of the
work for the railroad company, was this
morning arraigned in court before Judge
Mills on the charge of breaking, injuring
and destroying the foot walk Of the Aque-
duct bridge without consent of the Com
missioners Of the District of Columbia,
having control of the property" Prosecu-
tor Pugh appeared for the government,
and Messrs. A. A. Birney and A. D. Lips
comb represented the railroad company
The fact that the company's employees
attempted early this morning to tear I'D the
hoor of the. bridge was admitted, but Mr.
t. II. Phillips, general manager for the
company, testified that the company has
an entire right to do SO under authority
verbally given by Secretary of War La
mont, and that the latter gave written au-
thority for the location Of the Falls Church
road on government property at the south
end OF the bridge, which has been so oc-
cupied by the line for a number of months.
Question Of Jurisdfctfon.
Messrs. Birney ard Lipscomb urged that
while the District Commissioners have
jurisdiction over the bridge, they do not
control it. and Judge Mills said he was
inclined to believe that the word used in
the act Of Congress giving the Commits
sioners Jurisdiction over the structure
meant control so far as public regulations
were concerned. The fact that repairs are
row being made on the bridge out of an
appropriation by Congress justified, he
thought. his view of the case.
After considerable argument by Messrs
Birney and -Lipscomb, Judge Mills said
that before he could decide the case he
would have to see a copy Of the plans for
the construction Of the road, approved
by the Secretary Of War, and Also a dia-
gram of the extension across the bridge
as proposed to be made by the railroad
company.
AS these documents were not at hand
the further hearing of the case was post
pcned until tomorrow
Policeman Housed was present at the
hearing and availed himself of the on