Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-02
ALLEGED ILLEGAL SPEED
CITIZEN FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST
THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.
Charges Disregard of the Rights of
the People on Ninth
Street Line.

Mr.. E. P. Rhoderick of OIL French street
recently invited the attention of the Dis
trict Commissioners to an alleged violation
of the law by the Metropolitan Railroad
Company in the running of its cars on 9th
street. Il desire" wrote Mr.. Rhoderick
ito call your attention to the fragrant vio-
iauon of law in the manner of running of
cars on the 9th street line. With the out
rageous disregard of the rights of the peo-
pie, who are supposed to be accommodated
by the road, ! suppose you have nothing to
do, but with the unlawful rate CT speed at
which cars are run to make up lost time, 1
assume you are competent to deal. l I'M
derstand the limit of speed between streets
Is twelve miles an hour. with a lower rate
"hen crossing streets. Through gross mis-
management, the cars are blocked sew
erai times day at the antiquated switches
winch have been put on the line, and pas
sengers are compelled to wal: in all kinds
or weather from ten to thirty minutes for
car to appear. and when the belated
train GENES sweeping along they are told
to clear the track and the cars go speed
ing by at a twenty-mtles gait.
Not Mere Fancy.
This Mr.. Rhoderick contended rs no
mere fancy, nor is it exceptional. 1t is of
daily occurrence. Last night March 1D,
about $50, l saw woman who was stand
ing on the south side of r street hail two
trains, going south and running at a very
high rate of speed. Neither stopped. To
estimate the rate of speed of these trains
| took occasion to time the next tWo trains
neither of which, l estimated. was going
as fast as those above referred to- Two
trains covered the distance between Q and
streets in exactly thirty seconds each,
and these are not short blocks either
Counting fourteen blocks to the mile
which, believe, is the average would
make a speed of seventeen miles an hour.
Another train covered the distance from S
TO street in one minute, leaving pas
Sengers standing on the proper side of q
street. These are merely examples of daily
occurrence, and they call for a remedy if
mere IS any remedy that can be applied.
This line has rapidly sunk from the best to
the worst in the city. | do not write to
nave the poor motorman taken into the Po-
lice Court and fined for breaking the law
IN ORDER to obey the orders of his superors,
though the grin he bestows on waiting pas
sengers as he passes them by is somewhat
eXasperat1ng, but that some action may be
taken that will reach those who are re-
SponSible for the miserable condition of af-
fairs
The Commissioners referred Mr.. Rhod-
ericks complaint to Mr.. l.. p. Bradshaw,
an inspector in the engineer department.
who reported that the matters complained
OF are the immediate result of the unaVoid-
able delay of trains consequent upon switch
construction upon the 9th street division,
for which there are practically four opeu-
street and New York avenue
1T will hence readily appear said Mr.
Bradshaw, that at times of the day when
trains are running on a two minute and
three-minute Roadway, congestion can
easily occur upon a stoppage, however,
slight, and It is al these times that the con-
ditions complained of have existed. and it
has been necessary to pass would-be pas
sengers in any instance. 1t is believed
when the switch work is finished, unless in
the event of unusual delay at the steam
road crossing at Virginia avenue, there will
be no reason for complaint from any of the
causes stated.
MIR. Hunts Comment.
Mr.. c. b. Blunt, the computing engineer
of the District, in returning the papers to
the Commissioners through Capt New
conner, one Of the assistants to the Engi-
neer Commissioner, said that in the absence
OF knowledge as to the names of the en-
ployes of the railroad company who yiolat-
ed the law in running the ears. it would
seem to be futile to attempt further action
He suggested. however that the attention
of the railroad company be invited to the
alleged unlawful speed of their cars and
thdt IN case OF a repetition of the matter
the attention of the police. department be
called to it.
Mr.. Rhoderick will be informed by the
Commissioners in accordance with these re-