Evening star., 1899-02-03
Citizens Discuss Railway Facilities
and Street Extension.
INTERESTS OF NORTHWEST SECTION
Proposed Route Of Metropolitan
Railroad to Mount Pleasant.
10TH STREET EXTENDED

| well-attended meeting of the property
| owners and residents of Columbia Heights
and Mount Pleass sht apd other adjacent
| suburban sections was held last evening at
| the Majestic, 18th and, Yale streets, for
the purpose of ftHTher, considering addi-
| tionaI street railroad FACILITIES and the ex-
tension of 10th street. STwo similar meet
| ings were held at the Majestic several
weeks ago. at which committees were ap-
pointed to promote such legislation. Messrs.
J. w. Somerville and w. L. Cole presided,
| respectively. over these meetings Messrs
l.. s. Lipscomb and T "A Harding acting
! the respective secretaries. The meeting
| last evening was therefore dual one, Mr..
Somerville presiding during the consdera-
| ton of the question of railroad facilities
| and Mr.. Cole officiating while the exten-
| sion of 10th street was under consideration
The first matter considered was that of
| the extension of the Metropolitan railroad
| from 18th street and Columbia road to
| Mount Pleasant.
| Work of the Committee
In the absence of Mr.. Frank B. Noyes,
] chairman of the committee appointed to
secure this extension Mr.. E. B. Townsend
| explained what had been done by the COM
| mittee since the previous meeting The
! committee, he said, secured the signature
ol every owner OF property fronting on Erie
| street. asking favorable action on the meas
| trre, House bill 10222. But it seemed that
| there is disposition now in the Senate
| District committee to have the road run
/ along Columbia road to 10th street The
committee appointed to confer with the
| Senate committee, he stated, had then said
| that such a change of route would be ac-
| ceptahle to the people, and also to the
Metropolitan road. The 10th street men
| toned. he explained. is what is known as
| old 18th street and that TO ha
| extended.
| The report concluded as follows: after
| frequent meetings to discuss this phase of
| the question, it has been suggested that
| the railroad shall be allowed to extend
| from its present terminus at 18th street
| and Columbia road, eastward along Colum-
| bia road to 18th street extended thence
| northWard on 10th street extended to
| Park street. with the understanding that
| when, in the uncertain future 1Ith street
| shall have been opened and graded. from
| Columbia road northward. the Metropolitan
| shall remove its tracks from 18th street
| extended to 18th street; and, after very
| careful study of the whole question we are
| forced to the conclusion that this is the
! only plan which promises immediate relief
| and we respectfully urge upon YOU gentle
| men of the committee. that this plan be
| adopted. and the measure carried to a sue
| cessful conclusion at the present session of
Congress-
The report was signed by F. B. Moves. E.
| B. Townsend, L. P. Shoemaker, J. W.
| Somerville and T. A. Harding, committee.
| Corroborates Mr.. Townsend
Mr. L. P. Shoemaker of the committee
! corroborated what had been said by Mr.
| Townsend, stating that the Metropolitan
| road can be depended upon to make the
extension as soon as Congress authorizes
| it. He therefore urged every one inter-
| ested to do everything possible in the mat
| ter
Upon the motion of Mr. W. L. Cole a
! vote Of thanks was extended to the commit
| tee for its very earnest and efficient efforts,
| and II was continued with the request 10
| use every effort to. secure the passage of
| the bill
Mr. Shoemaker said the railroad COM
| mittee desires to know what it will cost it
| in The CONFORMATION of land on Columbia
| road, ard he stated that the committee is
endeaEortng to secure this informa ton for
| the railroad company. About fifty feet will
| be taken from property on the north side
| OF Columbia road and about ten feet on the
| south side, so as to make the thoroughfarc
| ninety feet wide. This widening of the
| road is made obligatory on the part of the
| railroad. Ii will also he necessary to widen
1Gth street on the west side. The officials
| Of the Metropolitan railroad, said Mr
| townsend, have assured him and his as
! sociates and also the members of the SEN
ate committee that they stand ready and
| willing to do everything possible to make
| the extension desired. In submitting his
| report Mr. Townsend read a communication
| which his committee had presented to the
| Senate District committee, setting forth
the imperative necessity for the extension
desired.
| Sixteenth Street Extension.
| The next matter considered was the ex-
| tension of 10th street to the District line.
| After Mr.. Somervie had relnquished the
| chair in favor of Mr. Cole, Mr.. Louis P.
| Shoemaker, on behalf of the committee ap-
| pointed to promote the measure, Senate
| b1ii 9fl', read a copy of a letter which his
| committee had submitted to the two Dis
| trict committees. The communication was
| follows:
| Gentlemen: At q recent meeting of the
citizens of the northwest section of the Dis
| tr1ct the undersigned were appointed
| committee to promote appropriate legisla-
| ton to secure the extension of 10th street
| TO the District line We have been engaged
| Tor some days in preparing data to be sub
| mitted TO you to show the propriety of ex-
| 'eilainS the street as above suggested.
| we have ascertained and feel justified in
| representing to the committee that the land
between finey branch and Blagden Mill
| road will be donated in case the extension
| OF the street is authorized: also from Mill
| tary road to the District line consisting in
| an OF oS is-loo acres. 1t is PROBABLE that
| Inc land between Blagden Mill road and
| the Military road will have to be con-
| Gemped, amounting to about fifteen acres.
| RMS land, which viii not be donated, is
held in small parcels and the quantity of
| street Is so large in proportion to the
| naming portions that the owners could not
| attGro TO dedicate it, although many of
| them If not all, would be willing to dedi-
cate sufficient land for street of ordinary
width
lnasmuch as the owners have expressed
a Willingness to dedicate ground sufficient
! TO open 10th street as far north as the
Blagden Mill road, we beg leave to submit
an amendment to the pending bill which
we herewith present
| the fact that the District has lately ac-
| CURED title to nine acres of ground imme-
dlately north of the Blagden Mil road and
| bordering on it, at a cost of over $20, 600,
| for the purpose of constructing a high-ser-
vice reservoir. 1t seems to us that the ex-
tension OF this street Is necessary, in order
| TO give an outlet for the thirty-six-inch
main, which it is proposed to lay to this
reservoir. 1t is claimed by the owners of
land ahuttinS on the roads now open that
the District has no right to lay water
main along those roads, and its attempt to
| do so Will be- as We are Informed, resisted
in court The grounds of resistance are
stated in carefully prepared argument re-
gently submitted to the District Commits
sioners by, Mr.. Blagden and Mr.. Machen, a
copy OF which we hereto attach.