The times., 1898-08-06
TOO LONG A WALK.
commissioners Do Not Favor Fiji
teenth Street Transfer Change

me recommendations which were re-
Gently submitted by Lieut. Amiss, of the
First Precinct, to Major Sylvester. the
chief of police, suggesting a means of re-
lieving the congested condition of Fif-
teenth Street. between 6 Street and New
York Avenue, have not met with the
approval Of the District Commissioners
Lieut.. Amiss recommended that the
Georgetown cars of the Capital Traction
Company going both east and west be re-
quired 10 stop and discharge their trans
fer passengers on Pennsylvania Avenue
just west of Fifteenth Street, opposite
Riggs's Bank, and that the Fourteenth
Street cars going both north and south
be required to stop and discharge pas
sengers on New York Avenue east of
Fifteenth Street, opposite the building of
the National Safe, Deposit, Savings and
Trust Company.
Lieut. Amiss believes the present sys-
tenn of transferring passengers at the
corner of Fifteenth and G Street is both
dangerous and an impediment to travel,
whereas by his arrangement he thinks
the difficulty can be remedied. He points
out that passengers in transferring from
the Georgetown to the Fourteenth Street
cars could walk from one car to another
on the north side of Pennsylvania and
New York Avenues without having to
cross any car tracks, which is at all
times dangerous. Lieut. Amiss's sugges-
ton is intendedvto relieve the pres
ent congested Condition of Fifteenth
Street, which is attributed to the fire.
quent stopping of cars going in both d.
rections thus practically blocking the
thoroughfare.
Major Sylvester the chief of police. in
formed the Commissioners that he had
suggested to his hcutenants the neces-
sity of keeping the streets free from op-
struction caused by passengers waiting to
be transferred, and Lieut.. Anliss's sug-
gestions were made in reply to his rec
ommenda tons.
Major Sylvester added that he thought
that the scheme evolved by Lieut.. Armiss
could be carried into successful effect.
The Board of Commissioners. however
seems to disapprove of the lieutenants S
suggestions. Their position upon the
matter is expressed in the Endorsement Of
President Wight, which is as follows:
az have considered the recommendations
of Lieut. Amiss and have conferred with
Commissioner Beach regarding them.
While we appreciate the desire of Lieut..
Amiss to reduce as much as possible the
danger element at Fifteenth Street and
New York Avenue, we are of the opinion
that the change suggested would not be
satisfactory, inasmuch as 1t would IN
volve a long distance TO walk from one
point suggested to- the other. to which
the public would probably object, and
which does not remedy the difficulty of
crossing car tracks in all cases. as car
going east from Georgetown and stopping
in front of Riggs Bank would require the
passenger to get off on the south side of
the car, and, in order to take Four
teenth Street car going north, which had
stopped in front of Fussell's. he would
be compelled to cross four car tracks in
order to reach 1t.
while the crossing at this point is very
much congested and crowded, as matter
of fact there are comparatively few acci-
dents there. and the Commissioners are of
the impression that the present arrange
ment is better than the one suggested.
Some attention should be given, however,
by the policeman in charge to the point
at which cars stop, and it is suggested
that the rule be established, if it has not
already been established. that cars going
south should stop with the fender of the
car on line with the curb on the north
side of G Street. and that cars going
north should stop with the platform of
the rear car on line with the curb on
the north side of G. Street