Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-13

The purpose of the District Commission
ers to press the grade crossings bills
through Congress at the next session. If
possible. meets, of course, with hearty APP
prevail of all the citizens of the District. 1t
is announced that within the next few
weeks the railroad companies will present
their drafts of the legislation required to
carry out the plans already agreed upon
between the Commissioners and the COM
panies. and that when these bills reach
the houses they will have the Endorsement
of both sides to the great controversy which
they intended permanently to close.
In general the people have entire conf
dence that their representatives In office
will safeguard the public interests. At
the same time 1t will be the part of wisdom
that the plans be thoroughly discussed with
the public before they laid before the
houses. that there may be no unseemly
and retarding divisions of local sentiment
when the time arrives for the enactment Of
the bills.
The plans for the Baltimore and Ohio
road are generally well understood by the
people They contemplate the use of a sin
gle viaduct running from the present sta
ton out Delaware avenue thus changing
the route of the Baltimore branch to the
north instead of the south of the deaf
mute college This Is satisfactory ar
rangement and involves minimum of
harmful change in the Of the streets.
There need be no public apprehension as
long the plan follows It's line and pro-
vides for an economical use of the city
area for depot and yard purposes. As to
the Pennsylvania line. however, there is q
wider field for consideration. 1t is under
stood that the plan now favored by both
the Commissioners and the railroad COM
pany contemplates the elevation of the
tracks over the larger part of the distance.
There must, however, be some closing of
streets, and there will necessarily be a
blending of the two systems of elevated
and depressed tracks at one or two points
on the line. Precisely what is proposed as
To the cost of altering grades and the like
is yet TO be made sufficiently clear to the
people TO enable them To pass judgment in
telligently upon the project.
AS to the treatment of the Long bridge.
too. there is a general and justifiabIe curl
osity, particularly in view of the fact that
the reclaimed river lands are now by con-
gressional declaration a public park, and
1: is important that provision be made for
its future development and accessibility. 1t
has been the public expectation for many
years that when the Long bridge was final
ly replaced It's successor would be an orna-
ment to the city as well as sraunchly serv-
iceable- In crossing the park 1t should be
sufficiently high to permit frequent pas
sageways from one section to the other.
In crossing the river 1t should provide
against the freshets and remove the men
ace to the city's safety which the present
dam-like structure affords. The cost of
ri oh he
the railroad companies using it.
These items may be provided for In the
Forthcoming bills to the entire satisfactio
OF the people The Commissioners will
doubtless insist upon them while attend
ing to the technical details of the enter
prise. 1t is the hope of the community that
when once this grave question is settled it
shall be for good and all in manner to
preclude its revival in the future because
of the unsatisfactory manner of its adjust
ment.