Evening star., 1897-02-20
STRAIGHT OR N0T2
Hearing on the Proposed Connecticut
Avenue Extension.
FOR AND AGAINST THE DIRECT ROUTE
Mr.. TruesdeII Signed a Report to
Divert, but Thinks Otherwise.
9TH ERS WHO SPOK

A subcommittee of the Senate committee
/ on the District of Columbia gave a hearing
at the Capitol today on Senator Stewart's
| amendment to the District of Columbia
appropriation bill, making provision for
| the straight extension of Connecticut ave-
nue.. This amendment directs the Commits
| sioners to open Connecticut avenue on the
| straight extension of the line thereof, as
now established for the city of Washing
/ ton. from Florida avenue to Connecticut
! avenue as now laid out and opened on the
west side of Rock creNk. The amendment
provides an appropriation of $20O,OOO for
the purchase of property lying within the
| straight line of extension of Connecticut
| avenue and fixes prices to be paid for the
| various lands and improvements to be
| bought The amendment also appropriates
| $2,Voo for designs for a bridge across Rock
creek anG $4,000 for the immediate COM
| mencement of the foundation Of such
bridge after the plans have been secured.
A good many requests to be heard on
| this subject have been presented to the
| committee. and a subcommittee consist
| ing of Senators Mcmillan Proctor and Ba-
| con, was appointed. Those present in the
| committee room were Commissioners Ross.
Iruesdell and Powell. who were specially
| invited to be present; Senator Stewart and
| REPRESENTATIVE Newlands, Mr.. w. H.
Moses, Joseph Paul, L. NJ. Saunders and
{. c. Glover.
| Against Straight Lfne
Mr.. Moses opened the hearing by giving
| his reasons for believing that Connecticut
| avenue should not be extended in a straight
| line. He said that while the ideal plan of
| haVlhg all streets and avenues extended in
| oirect lines might commend itself as a gen.
| erai proposition. there were so many rea-
sons Tor preferring the extension of Con-
.ectieut avenue on a diverted line that
they Iaf overcame any theory that might
| be established on the subject Mr. Noses
| inc enght the view along the avenue would
| pe De much more imposing If 1t were not In a
| uirect ME, and thought that the constitu-
tionai rights OF those who had recorded
subdivisions of property on the assumn-
non that the diverted plan would be ad-
hered to would be interfered with
-. NJ. saunders also made plea for the
pan or diverting the avenue He said the
beauty of the avenue would be much ON
nanced by its crooked form, and the prea
economy that would be ACCOMPLISHED hv
matter. ~
MI Ne"iands for Direct Exten.ion.
Representative Newlands made an exte,-
sfVe argument in favor of the direct ex
ter sion of the avenue. He had a number
OF maps present and went into the history
q the extension Of Connecticut avenue.
ne SAID that when he and Senator Stewart
potght large tract of land at Chevy
Cnase ana began to improve 1t rhey were
told that Connecticut avenue must he ex
tended in a direct line, and accordingly
tney iaid the avenue out in their property
W. VIII .he expectation that that would
De done. He said that the expense Of
the straight line was very much exag-
gerated, and that the matter of a few dol
lars should not be considered in laying
out the plan for great city like Washing
ton He spoke of the manner in which
connecticut avenue would cross the Zoo
logical Park, and said that the beauty and
grandeur of that avenue in a direct line
would be realized to a greater extent than
on any other plan.
Commissioner Truesdelrs Vfewa
There was some reference on the part of
MT Moses to Commissioner Truesdell as
In favor of the extension of Connectio ut
avenue on the diverted line, and this caused
Mr. Mcmillan to inquire Of Mr. Truesdell
what his views were. Commissioner Trues-
dell replied that it was true that a report
had been made by the board of Commits
sioners and signed by himself as acting
president Of that board which recommend
ed the extension Of the avenue on the plan
of the diverted line. He said, however,
that he had nothing to do with the prepara-
tlon OF that report, which was adopted by
majority of the Commissioners and
which he merely signed in the capacity of
acting president of the board Mr. Trues-
dell said he had always favored the ex
tension OF connecticut avenue In straight
ine ana was very much disappointed when
snort time previous to his appointment
as Commissioner he had been unsuccess
1ui IN his efforts to impress upon the Com
mfSsfonerS the desira bility of such an ay
tension He said he thought it was a great
mistake that Connecticut avenue was not
extended in straight line.
Mr. Truesdell was asked by Mr.. Mcmillan
What his views on the subject WERE now
that the line on the diverted plan had been
adopted and buildings erected along the
route OF the straight extension of the
avenue.
Mr.. Truesdell replied that, although he
thought great mistake had been made,
Congress should not do anything to
cast further doubt on the manner in which
connecticut avenue would be extended, un-
less 1t proposed to order the straight ex-
tension, and to appropriate enough money
to carry out the plan of so extending it
within the coming twelve months. He said
that the fact that there was some doubt
as to the route that Connecticut avenue
would take in the stpeet extension plan
had acted as a drawback to the erection
of buildings along that avenue, and the
sooner all doubt was gotten rid of the more
readily that section of the city would be
built up.
from J. b. Winner advocating the diverted
plan for the extension of the avenue
Senator Stewart spoke in favor of the
extension Of Connecticut avenue in a di-
rect line. Mr.. Stewart said that ever since
the establishment Of the present system of
streets and avenues in this city 1t had been
the intention of Congress to extend those
thoroughfares in direct line. No other idea
had ever prevailed, and he thought 1t, a
piece of vandalism to permit the recording
OF subdivisions which did not take into ac-
count the present established lines of
streets. and he thought that Congress
should not hesitate to extend Connecticut
avenue as originally proposed.