Evening star., 1898-02-03
CHANGE on mOrIvE POWER.


CHANGE OH MOTIVE POWER.
Report of Comnun.esoners ON Columbia
RaineaAd Bill.
The District Conanassioners have trans
mitted to Chafrmn sBabcock of the House
District COMMITTEES o report on House bill
70z2, authorizingn thu Columbia Railway
Company to change rs motive power from
cable to an Underground electric sys-
tenn, and providing Or an extension Of its
nnes westward fnouH Its present terminus
at 18TH street ands New York avenue. They
state that no objAcfapn is known to that
portion OF the b1i Rhich authorizes the
Columbia 'Raiiwae Company to substitute
the undergroundI electric system for it's
present method Of seabie propulsion. In
fact, the change dis believed to be highly
desirable.
The route Of the proposed extension is
as follows: From the east side of 14th
street northwest, across 14th street, along
New York avenue to its intersection with
18th street northwest, and thence along
pennsylvania avenue to 18th street north
street northwest, thence by single
track from the intersection of nth street
northwest and G street northwest. along
G street to New Hampshire avenue, thence
south along New Hampshire avenue to
street northwest, thence east along F
street northwest to said 18th street north
west thence north along 18th street to G
street, there to connect with double
track from Pennsylvania avenue to G
street with the right to extend its tracks
along New Hampshire avenue from F
street to the river front.
Explaining that the construction Of the
road Is, by the BILL made subject to their
approval, the Commissioners say: IF this
were not so, it ought to be distinctly stat
ed that 1t should conform to the system
now in use by the Metropolitan and Capt.
traction
tage of having uniformity Of trackage and
conduit arrangements is believed to be
very great. The extension would be a ben
eht to the public in removing one set OF
tracks from New York avenue and in CIV
ing the Columbia Railway Company's pas
sengers access to the State. War and
Navy building without change Of cars; it
would be disadvantage in that 1t would
cause the construction of another switch
or Y on 18th street. 1t is not believed
that r and q streets. west OF 18th street,
need the service of two street car lines.
Congress, however. has bill now be-
fore 1t, favorably reported, in which the
extension requested is considered as part
of the line of the Capital Traction Com
pany. Whether or not Congress will au-
thorize the Columbia Railway Company to
run its cars over the said tracks of the
Capital Traction Company is a matter for
1t to decide. Certainly the Columbia Rail-
way Company should not be permitted to
lay additional tracks of its own on and
G streets. If it is allowed to operate
through that territory it should be made
to do so over the tracks Of the other road"
The metropolitan Railroad Extension.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star: -
In an article which appeared in a recent
issue of The Star. entitled Mount Pleasant
Railroad, ''F' makes a statement that the
Capitol Traction loop from 14th to 18th via
Howard avenue and Park street Is the only
will 6afa
generally, not for one, two or three. but
for all-the best possible thing to be done
for it will best serve the people. 1 would
like to ask how this extension that is to
benefit all will be of any benefit whatever
to people living in the Holmead subdivision?
To be sure, the road would extend one block
further north, but with no street. through
the Mattingly property we would have to
take the cars at the same point as We now
do. I have not the beast objection to the
proposed route. but 1t is not enough.
The extension Of the Metropolitan road
as proposed by the amended bill now before
the committees of Congress will, an official
of that company says. not only open
street through the Mattingly tract, but 1T
will give the people residing east of 14th
street and north of Whitney avenue the
railroad accommodations they have long
been waitir for. Now let US see how this
extension is going to injure IF" The Met
rOpolitan cars canzpass over the loop of the
Capital Traction Company; it will enable
the people OF MounttPleasant to go down
town in either direction; it would bring a
railfead nearer to the doors of many who
would otherwise have to walk blocks ito
get Capital Traction car; it would. take
your people through the best section of the
city, past the doors of the principal hotels,
of our largest furniture and dry goods
houses, of majorityoof the departmental
buildings. the city hall, District offices,
both railroad stations, the United States
Capitol and library; it would leave them at
all athe steamboat wharves. near all the
theaters, pass directly in front of two sides
of the Center market and all without the
trouble of a single transfer. Is there any
other railroad in the District of Columbia
that can give such accomm odations? Would
not the Metropolitan extension best serve
the people of Mount Pleasant, saying moth
ing about the great advantages that would
be given to the residents of adjoining sub
divisions that have 20 railroad and to
which the Capital Traction loop would lie
Of no benefit whatever?
Let Congress give Mount Pleasant the
loop, but at the same time give the Metro
politan road the extension asked for with
the right of way on the loop, and give it to
them. quick. CHAS. G.rPORTER,
February 2, 1898.