The times., 1899-04-17
RAPID TRANSIT IN
G Street NEXT MONTH
Crosby Syndicate Hopes to
Run Cars May Is.
Through Service From the Treas
ury to lexington.
Work of Reconsideration. Branching
Out in All Directions. Is Being
Pushed to Completion.

Out of the chaos which has accompanied
the initial constructive operations of the.
Crosby syndicate, in its attempt to regen-
crate the street railway system of Wash
ington, order and practical results are now
visible. For several months the work, fol-
lowing preliminary operations on the Eek
ington line, has been pushed with vigor,
and more than eighteen miles of track
have been completed. The old G Street
line running from the Treasury Depart
ment eastward across the business heart of
the city and thence out New York Avenue
TO lexington is finished, with the excep-
tion of installing electric cables in the un-
derground conduits. This will be under
taken in about week and it is anticipated
that new cars will be running along that
portion of the projected system by May 10.
For the first time since building opera
tions began the horse cars were again
switched onto the newly laid tracks in G
Street yesterday morning. During the
course of construction they were run on
loose dummy tracks which rested on the
asphalt surface of the streets. This was
not very satisfactory method of travel.
but 1t was absolutely necessary, as Ii would
have been impossible to operate ears 9th
erwise during the rebuilding process. The
public was forced to undergo some incon-
yeniences, but did not grumble, being ap
parently cognizant of the fact that within
the near future rapid transit would bring
their homes in the suburbs and environs
of the city within twenty minutes travel
of the business centre.
Street railway journals, we'll posted on
operations in other places, state that no
other city in the country can just now
boast of so much street railway construc-
tion, comparatively speaking, as Wash
ington. Eighteen miles of new conduit
have been installed in the streets within
three months. This is remarkably swift
work, when 1t is considered that there
were many difficult problems to be met and
much bad weather to be encountered. The
G Street line is completed as far as Eek
| ington. AT Fifth and G Streets northwest
| work was begun and pursued in an caster
ly direction toward the car sheds at the
road is also completed with the exception
of installing the cables. Work was stimuli
! taneousIy begun on the North Capital
Street branch of the road, and is now rear-
ing completion. The tracks from North
Capitol and T Streets, to New York
| Avenue. are all down and are nearing
| completion from New York Avenue south
| wardly. toward he Government Printing
Office and the Capitol.
Some time this week ground viii be
broken at the corner of Fifth ard G. Streets
| northwest for the extension that will run
southwardly down Fifth Street TO Louis
lana Avenue. thence 10 Sixth Street. thence
to r Street, around the Pennsylvania Rail
road Station, and westwardly on b Street
into the heart of the Mall. From an en-
gineering point of view more difficulties
will be presented in building this than
any other part of the road owing to The
steep and subtly rounded curve leading
| from Fifth Street down the Louisiana
I, Avenue hill TO Sixth Street, and thence
| toward B Street When it is considered
that all the underground iron work for
| these curves has 10 be manufactured in
the iron works and shipped, ready to be
fitted 10 the grade and curvature necess-
tated by the existing condition OF the
streets. the problems presented by such
work may be readily understood.
The syndicate will not cease work when
the lexington line proper and its exten
sions have been completed. The Elev-
| enth Street, Belt, Anacostia Bright
wood. Tenleytown, and other branches
| will be reconstructed at once. Re-
| building would have been begun on sew
| eral of these lines before this time had the
syndicate been able to secure the ironwork
| in time. The iron and steel works are all
| crowded with orders and this has delayed
| the work little, but not TO any material
extent as it appears that before the pres
ent construction is completed II will also
be taken up in other directions. The first
consignment of electric motor cars and
| trailers to be used in the G Street and
lexington line have reached the city. They
are now on freight cars In the Baltimore
and Ohio yards at lexington. Nothing
| like them have ever been seen in this city
They are magnihcently upholstered and
finished in hard woods. painted In pleasing
orange yellow color. and provided with all
the latest improvements. Among those in
the first assignment are a number of COM
bination cars similar in design TO the ones
on Third Avenue in New York. These are