Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-12
First Fall Meeting Of Northeast Citi-
aens' Association.
REPORT OF COMMITTEES ON RAILROADS
Public Improvements in Which As
ISOLATION is interested.
MR.. FUCKERS REMARKS

The Northeast Washington Citizens Asso-
citation resumed it's monthly meetings last
night, after recess of two months. There
was an unusually large attendance. In
calling the association to order President
Tucker said he hoped its members were
ready to work even more earnestly than
they had in years past. After referring to
the railroad accidents which have occurred
in this city during recent months, he read
statement showing that during the past
year 6,S59 persons had been killed by rail-
road cars in the United States and 4OSS2
had been injured. Many of these people, he
said. were railroad employees, few were
tramps, land" he added, 1.-The others were
persons who had no right to be on the
tracks and in the way of the railroad
trains.'
Continuing, he said the railroad grade
crossings provide easy means of getting
on the tracks, and their abolition is the
only way of serving notice on men, women
and children that only people employed on
the railroads have the privilege of getting
in the way of danger.
Reference was also made to the large
amount of street work in progress. Par
ticular attention was paid to the improve
ment of L street, which. he said. is the re-
suit of hard work of the associations COM
nlittee on streets, avenues and alleys
Report on Steam Railroads.
Chairman Frizzell presented report on
the committee on steam railroads, as fol-
lows:
Your committee on steam railroads re-
spectfully reports that the casualties,
sometimes misnamed accidents, at the
grade crossings of the Baltimore and Ohio
road still occur, though with less fire.
quency than formerly. While the District
authorities have done a great deal toward
requiring the railroad company to guard
its crossings, they seem to be powerless
to compel the employment of gatemen
worth more than dollar for twelve hours
work. For such small pay it is patent to
all that competent and efficient men cannot
be procured: hence it is that poor service
is rendered and We're the unrecorded mar
row escapes and minor injuries added to
those of greater magnitude the percentage
might be as great as the losses in our army
in times of war
Mr.. John H. Buscher and the injuries to
Mr.. Achterkirchen and his family are the
most prominent recent results of the muir
derous and relentless conduct of the Balti-
more and Ohio officials and their ineffi-
cient and poorly paid employees. For the
miraculous escape FROM instant death of
the Achterkirchen family on the night Of
the 18th instant no credit can be given to
the railroad company, as the dreadful re-
suits in this and other cases could have
been wholly prevented If It were not the
practice of some offs thee gatemen to lower
the gates when persons and vehicles are On
the tracks.
Another cause OF nlishaps at the LIST
and H streets crossing Is the continual
parking of freight cars on LIST street. where-
by the approach OF locomotives from the
southwark is wholly obscured from view.
While this associa ton has been bending its
energies to have the railroad occupancy OF
the area south of3H street removed, we
have met with stost resistance from the
raj W her
had failed your committee presented the
situation to the President Of the United
States. and he very kindly and promptly
directed the Attorney General to take legal
cogniZance of the conditions. Within a rea-
sonable time thereafter District Attorney
Davis was instructed to bring action for
the reclamation of-the public streets. tbs
action was begun more than year ago,
but delays from various causes have inter-
vened and prevented procedure. We have
assurances now, however. that the case
will be heard during October.
LAS heretofore reported by this committee.
we have had the assurances several times
by the District Commissioners that the
Baltimore and Ohio officials are pledged to
an agreement early in the next session of
Congress to the passage Of bill making
such changes in the grades of their trac ks
as will abolish all grade crossings within
the District. One of the civilian Comm g.
sioners expressed his faith very strongly
when he said to us that, even if nothing
else were done during his term of office, he
would consider that hts administration had
been a complete success.
Reasonable Assurance.
''Since our last report the reorganization of
the railroad company has been effected,
and, according to newspaper accounts pub
lished Immediately thereafter their fiscal
arrangements had been made so as to re-
fund their entire Indebtedness and to pro-
vide special fund Of S15, 100000 to lie ex-
pended In improvements and betterments of