Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-03
CAPITAL RAILWAY LINE
Rumor That 1t May Be Controlled by Metro
politan Company.
The Track Now Completed Between
Congress Heights and Navy
Yard Entrance.

he last rail- Oh the Cdpltdl railway COm-
pany's line between Congress Heights and
the navy yard gate was laid last evening
on the draw on the bridge across the Ana
costa river, and the arrangements for the
speedy Inauguration of rapid transit be-
tween the city and Congress Heights are
now practically completed. Barring the &C.
currence of something now unforeseen it is
expected that but few days will elapse
before passengers will be carried, If they
wish to make the journey, from Chevy
Chase to Congress Heights and vice versa
for the single fare of ) cents or six tickets
for quarter.
The completion of the Congress Heights
line, it is expected, will soon convert that
route from what has heretofore been re-
garded as an almost exclusively warm
weather road into one that will attract
travel all the year round, as it will offer
to the people of Anacostia and its several
surrounding villages means OF quick
transportation from their homes to their
places of business in the city.
Closed Cars Ordered.
In anticipation of increased demands upon
the facilities of his line, President Randle
of the Capital Railway Company, as was
foreshadowed in The Star would be the
case has contracted for number of closed
cars of the latest and most approved pat
tern for use on the route, and they Will
probably be received soon. Mr.. THOMAS
W. Power, a consulting engineer of this
city, who represented the Siemens and
Halske Electric Company of America. III
installing the electrical equipment at the
railway corpanys power house In ana
costa, has just closed another contract
with the Capital Railway Company for
20O-kilowatt, direct connected multipolar
dynamo, in order to meet the increasing
patronage of the line.
The road at present averages 900 pas
sensers daily. and it is the belief OF those
who have gwen the matter close consider
alton that when transfers are made with
the Washington and Georgetown line, as
il is expected will soon be the case, IL
will undoubtedly average double that num-
Der. To carry these passengers will re-
quire q number of additional cars, ana
this will require more powerful machinery
than that now in service, but which mas
been arranged for.
The success thus far of the Capital Rail-
way Company's line has attracted to the
enterprise large share of public atten-
tion, and the talk that the new line may
pass under the control of the Metropolitan
Railway Company either by lease or pur-
chase has been renewed.
Wants Southeast Outlet.
1t is again asserted, as has heretofore
been pretty well understood, that the
Metropolitan company will not be satisfied
until it has 4 line by which it can reach
the southeastern portion of the city on
street parallel to Sth, which is occupied by
the Georgetown line. The completion of
the Capital railways line to Lincoln Park
at 18th street, which, 1t is said, has been
practically arranged for, and it's control
by the metropolitan company, will give
the latter the outlet said to have been 50
long desired by it, besides which the Met
ropoltan would be placed in the position
of being able to compete with the cable
liz. On
but also for almost all of the patronage
now enjoyed. nearly exclusively by the
Capital Traction Company.
The charter of the Capital Railway Com
pany, and an act of Congress passed to
give it the necessary effect, compels the
free transfer of passengers between that
company and the Washington and George
town line at the navy yard gate, and this
provision Will be carried out, it is said, no
matter who may have the future control
of the new electric line.
star reporter was informed last even
ing by gentleman who is thoroughly con-
versant with the history of the Capital
halfway Company that previous to the
granting by Congress of a charter to the
present organization Mr.. Samuel l.. Phil
lips, then president of the Metropolitan
company, called for Senator Mcmillan
chairman of the District committee and
urged the passage of a bill to allow the
metropolitan to continue its line down 18th
street to NJ street, and thence to the navy
yard gate: that Senator Mcmillan declined
to agree 10 the proposition, and that Mr..
Phillips then heartily supported the other
bill, and requested Mr.. Mcmillan to favor
ably report the Capital Railway Company's
bill, which was done, and the road char
tered.
Close Alliance Proposed.
1t is understood that President Phillips
was of much benefit to Mr.. Randle in shap-
ing the Capital railway bill, and it is be-
lieved that he anticipated the success of
the Capital company. because soon after
the bill was passed he thoroughly inspect
ed the park at the present terminus of the
road, and later the matter of forming a
very close alliance with the new company
was brought up at a meeting of the board
OF directors of the Metropolitan company
Subsequently prominent official of the
Metropolitan road visited Mr.. r. r.
Wilson. the muit-millionaire at his office
in New York and conferred with him re-
garding the future plans of the two COM
panies. and result the work of the
Capital Railway Company's line was at
once begun.