Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-17

J the Georgetown and Tenleytewn railroad.
Attention was directed by Prof. Hill to the
| fact that after 10 o'clock pm. the cars on
| the road run at intervals of thirty minutes.
while during the remainder of the day they
| run every fifteen minutes. He saw, he said,
| no reason why fifteen minute schedule
should not be maintained at all hours of
| the day and night the year around. In this
| connection he referred to the large number
| of people employed at the observatory who
| are sometimes compelled to work late into
| the night ard to the Inconvenience caused
| to residents in the suburban districts by the
half-hour schedule.
Lack of Safety Brakes.
Prof. Hill also complained that the line is
| not properly equipped with safety brakes,
declaring, as did DIR. Chapper, that the
| lives of the patrons of the road are daily
endangered by such alleged neglect of the
company. Both charged that not even is
sand carried by all cars on the line, and
they referred to an accident on the road
| last November. when a car left the track,
after becoming Interchangeable, and plunged
into building. Such a thing is likely to
happen at any time they said, and they
complained that although the attention of
the Commissioners was directed to the mat
ter last November, 1t was not until a few
days ago that the Commissioners advised
them of any action on their part.
Capt. Beach, the Engineer Commissioner,
informed them that all such complaints
would be properly inquired into, and Mr.. O..
Il. Crosby, the president of the company,
acknowledged that the brake arrangements
on the cars are a source of embarrassment
to it, and that he would be very glad to
confer with the gentlemen as to the mat
tiers, assuring them that he would do every
thing in his power to remove the cause of
complaints.
Belt Lines Double Track.
The Commissioners then took up House
bill 11444, authorizing the Belt Railway
Company to construct double track under
ground electric system from 18th and 7
streets eastwardly on 7 street to Sth, thence
north on Sth street to Florida avenue, to
the tracks of the Brightwood road on It'll
street.
The first person heard was Mr.. W. T S.
Curtis, who explained that he resident
of I street, strongly opposed the occupation
of I and Sth streets. He thought 1t would
be much better both for the people and the
road to run the cars from 18th street along
L street to 7th street.
Opposes Congestion of Tracks.
Mr.. George T. Dunlop. the president Of
the Capital Traction Company, said he de-
sired to express his opposition to any fur
! Their congestion of the tracks on U street.
which, he claimed. would occur if the bill
became a law. The fact that the street is
now used between 9th and Tth streets by
his road and that OF the Metropolitan is
sufficient reason, he declared, why no other
line or lines should be allowed there. In
March, he said, his company proposes 20
run cars from the arsenal out 7th and U
streets to the Rock creek bridge and re-
turn. the Chevy Chase cars to then run
from the bridge northward. These 7th
street cars would be run every two minutes,
and more often if the traffic should war
rant. In view of this short schedule on u
street, and in view of the fact that the
street is also used by the Metropolitan road,
Il
the of any other line there with safety
For, he remarked, if the bill should pass,
cars would then pass along L street be-
tween 7th and Sth streets at least every
fifteen seconds, and that would mean dam
ger to people He suggested that a way
out of the difficulty might be taken by the
use of Grant street from 11th to 7th-
Mr.. Nathaniel Wilson, attorney of the
Metropolitan company, said his company
also opposed the proposed use of u street
by the Belt road between 9TH and Sth, urg-
ing about the same objections as were stat
ed by Mr.. Dunlop. He also claimed that
the cars of the Belt line must stop at
Florida avenue, but was interrupted by Mr..
o. I. Crosby, the president of the Belt line,
who stated that by an arrangement be-
tween his line and the Brightwood road his
cars would run out to Takoma Park, while
those of the Brightwood company will
run down town as far as the Washington
market.
Makes Suggestion.
Mr.. Wilson asserted that the bill does
not provide for such a thing, but he was
assured by Mr.. C. P. Williams, the treas
urer of the latter road, that ample author
ity for such an agreement is found in the
law providing for trackage arrangements
between street railroads. Mr. Williams
said his company had far failed in its
attempt to require the Metropolitan road
TO agree to such an arrangement, but was
told by Mr.. Wilson that the Metropolitan
ma NJ ia M tim rl,a tyrfrr
wood company using its tracks, but it did
not, however, propose to furnish any other
company with motive power.
Mr.. Williams and Mr.. Crosby replied that
it was the very first time they had ever
heard the Metropolitan company agreeing
to the use of its tracks by another road,
and they assured him that if his company
is sincere in the matter the BrightWood
and Belt roads will agree very willingly
and promptly to furnish their own motive
power. Mr.. Crosby ridiculed the idea that
if the bill became a law there would be any
serious congestion on q street
Another Bill Considered.
Mr.. Wilton ]. Lambert, a resident of the
county, said he is IN favor of the bill, and
believes that all the people of the suburban
sections agree with him. Several other
citizens stated their objection to the use
of U and I streets. and the matter was
taken under advisement by the Commits
sioners, who then called up House bill
ll445, which provides that the Georgetown
and Tenleytown and the Capital Traction
companies shall within ninety days estab-
lish through service from the District
line over their lines to the navy yard.
Mr.. Dunlop stoutly OPP osed the measure
charging that the Georgetown and Tenley-
town road intends, through the bill, to
force its cars on his tracks. He said IT
would be absurd to even think of doing
such thing, as it would be impossible to
run trailers from suburban line over the
tracks of the Capital Traction Company
Mr.. Crosby agreed with him, but explained
that he has no intention of doing the thing
complained Of Mr.. Dunlop then referred
to the difference between the tracks and
cars of the two roads, claiming that it
would he impossible to establish such a
service. He also claimed that Mr.. Crosby's
road intended to collect fares on the ave-
nue..
Mr.. Crosby interrupted Mr.. Dunlop to say
that there is no difficulty in the matter,
calling attention to the fact that Mr.. Dun
lop'S road has successfully solved the al