The times., 1897-07-13

The Commissioners yesterday decided TO
approve the plan TO widen the Aqueduct
bridge and to lay single track railway
upon it.
In pursuance of this decision they for
warded the draft of a bill embodying their
ideas upon the subject to the District
Congressional Committee. 1t reads as
follows:
BE it enacted, etc, That tie Commits
soners of the District OF Columbia are
hereby authorized to widen the supcrstruc-
ture of the Aqueduct bridge, and TO lay
q single track thereon, in accordance with
"A plan approved by them July, 1897,
on file in :@e office of the Engineer Com
missioner OF SAID District, for the Use OF
street railways Terminating at the south
end of the bridge.
Sec 2 Before such work OF conStrpc-
tion : begun the Secretary of War is au-
rhoriZed and directed to have made
careful. examination OF said bridge, III
Guiding its abutILents, with view to
determining what, If any, repairs are aeceS-
sarv To be made 10 the same to peinlt
the above named plan to be executed. And
the Washington, Alexandria and Mount
Vernon Railway Company and the Wash
iugtgn A Ellington and Falls Church Railway
Company, or either Of them, shall, within
ninety ays after the approval Of this act,
deposit in the Treasury OF the United
States the sum OF 81 900 to cover the cx-
reuse OF said examination. The Secretary
oil war is further authorized and directed
to prepare, in connection with said exam
ination, an estimate OF the cost Of said
repairs To the substructure Of the bridge,
if any be found necessary. The cost OF
said repairs 70 the substructure. as esti-
mated above, and the cost ofthe necessary
CHANGES ana additions to the superstructure
OF the bridge, anu OF the track and other
appurtenances of a street railway, as cs-
timdted by the Commissioners OF the Dis
tnct Of Columbia, shall be paid into the
Treasury of the United States by either
or botn Of the above named railway rom-
panies, ard upon such deposit being made,
the work OF repairing the subsiructdre
shall be executed under the direction CT
the Secretary of War, and the construction
authorized in section / executed under the
direction of the Commissioners OF the lis
IItGA Oh NGluilAIds anu llG Ntsb tilil iiOiil
said deposits, any uneXpended balance Of
tn: deposits herein named remaining atthe
conclusion of the work to be returned to
the parties making the same: Provided,
That the work authorized to be done by
the said Commissioners may be executed
bv day labor or by contract, in their dis
cretion.
Sec 3. That the operation OF cars upon
the bridge shall be under the control of
the Commissioners of the District of Colum
bia, and that each railway company trans
porting passengers across the bridge shall
pay quarter yearly to the collector OF
taxes Of the District of Columbia a toll
of one cent per passenger, carried in cars
across the bridge, to be determined by
duly authenticated extracts from the books
OF the company, which shall at ali times
be open to the inspection Of said Com
miSsioners.
Sec. f. That the tolls received from the
railroad company or Companies, in accord
ance with section 3 shall be deposited
by said collector of taxes To the credit of
| the appropriation for construction and re-
pairs of bridges for the fiscal year in which
they are collected.
Sec. 3. That the railway track across
the bridge shall be on the east side
thereof and approximately on a level
with the present roadway of the bridge,
and shall extend to the south side of
| NJ street at its intersection with Thirty
sixth street, TO a terminal station 10 be
| located at the southeast corner of said
| street, as shown by above-ma niiuned Plat
| approved by the Commissioners, ard
| further that the railway track he rein pIo-
vided for shall be subject in all respects
to the general laws relating Ia street
railway tracks in the District of Columbia:
Provided, That the use Of the overhead
trolley on the tracks herein provided
| for Is hereby authorized Said terminal IS
| TO be located ON property to be acquired by
1 the electric railway companies named Ia
| section OF this act, or either of them. The
| property so acquireds han have afrontage OF
not less than 100 feet on tn esouth side Of
NJ street from the east line of Thrty-sixth
| street, and the length may be increased al
| any time to not exceed 24O feet from the
same point The depth of the property so
| acquired shall be not less than sixty
| feet from the south line of NJ street. In
the event that the company or companies
| above mentioned shall not be able to come
to an agreement with the owner or owners
of said land for the purchase thereof,
| proceedings for condemnation for the
use of the company of so much OF said land
as may be required, may be Instituted in
the supreme court of the Dis trct of
Columbia under such rules and regula-
tions as said court may prescribe for such
purposes.
Sec s That this act shall be In force
from its passa ce
Sec. Z That the right to alter, amend
or repeal this act is reserved to Congress.
Sec. 8. That all acts or parts of acts
Inconsistent herewith, be, and the same
are hereby, repealed
ALLEGED RAPIST COMMITTED.