The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-14
GRADE CROSSING PLANS
The B. & o. Bill Discussed BY the
House District Committee.
Proposed Amendments Submitted by
Attorneys for the Ruilrond-A Del
eSatiOn of lexington Citizens OPP
poses the Location of Round
house - Another Meeting Today.

A special meeting of the House District
Committee was held yesterday to cons der
the Senate bill to abolish grade cross.ngs
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
More than two hours were spent in dis
GUESSING the bill, and without reaching any
conclusion the committee adjourned to
meet in executive session this morning 1
1879 o'clock.
Before taking up the bill. on motion of
Mr.. Mudd. an amendment was directed 10
be added to the PENNSYLVANIA GRADE
Crossing bill, as TO provide that tne
Virginia Avenue tunnel shall be wide
enough to accommodate four tracks, in
stead of two.
c. E. Hamilton, II. l.. Bond. jr.. of
counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road. and MIR. Strauss. of the engineer de-
partment of the railroad: Mr.. Cassels and
Mir. Neale. of the Pennsylvania company.
ind Messrs. Tucker and F,rzzeli, of the
Northeast Citizens Association, and
Engineer Commissioner Beach. were pres
emit.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bill.
III the suggestion of Chairman Babcock
was read by sections by MIR. jenkins for
the information of the committee. When
section was reached the following sub
stilute. which had been prepared by Mr.,
hamilton. was offered by MIR. Jenkins:
Section 2 That the said companies be, and each
OF them is hereby, authorized and empowered to
Locale construct. maintain. ana operate. outside
OF The city limits and south OF Street. yard
tracks. switches, roundhouscs. shops. and othei
Gation OF locomotives and cars for the conduct OF
its business or Tor the purposes OF freight yard
and also to locate, buid. maintain ana operate
be,ond the city limits branch track or ''l' for
the passage OF trains directly to and fro between
the Metropolitan branch and the Washington
branch without entering this city.
Discussion of this substitute was post
poned until all the amendments by the
company should have been offered.
When section was reached Mr.. Hamil-
ton said he would offer an amendment to
the provision authorizing the company TO
locate depots within the city limits west
of Second Street east, and east of North
Capitol Street" striking Out those words
and inserting in lieu thereof the words,
within the District
In explanation OF The amendments pro-
posed by the company Mr.. Hamilton sub
mltted the following statement.
The mGst serious change occurs in the
third Senate amendment page 4. and the
effect of this amendment is to compel the
location of the roundhouses, shops, ard
other structures necessary for the accom-
mediation of locomotives. etc, at point
not nearer TO lexington than two squares
easterly Of the east end of the proposed "
on the Washington branch. Now the wishes
of the company are contained in the sec
ton as presented TO the Senate. This
amendment as a substitute is printed
above.]
by this section the location Of the
roundhouses and shops is within the Y
and abcut centrally located therein.
pupfic uecIusv Fl re drr6anusu-uh ar sites
by the company's property. The objection
to the Senate amendment from citizens
Standpoint. and, therefore from the Gov
ernment's standpoint. is that it locates
these roundhouses and shops at least two
squares east and away from the tracks of
the company and would compel, therefore,
the construction of side tracks and
switches. and several of them, from the
" and yards of the company cut to said
roundhouses. and these side tracks and
switches would necessarily cross streets
already created. or to be created, in the
proposed plans Of city extension, and would
create the very evils that are intended to
be done away with by this legislation.
Again, the location of these roundhouses
SO far from the freight yards would very
much hamper the proper and expeditions
direction OF trains in the shifting of cars.
etc. which is very essential for fast traffic.
ut is. therefore, submitted that both
for the benefit OF the city and for the
company that the location of these round
houses should be within the companys
yards, where they could not injure ad-
Joining property because they would be
surrounded by company's property, end to
this end We ask the reinstatement Of sec
tion as originally presented.
THE next amendment that we think
should not be made is in section T. line
IL. where the word District is stricken
out and The insertion made of the words
city limits west of Second Street EAST
and east of North Capitol Street Now,
the effect of this is to prohibit the build
ing Of any depot or station outside Of the |
city limits. and to restrict the building
of any within the city limits west of Sec |
ond Street east and east of North Capt. |
tol Street. The area limited in this ad- |
dition to the bill by the Senate is tight |
at our present depot, and is perfectly |
meaningless, as II would be impossible |
for Us to wish to locate another depot |
within those lines, but ii might be ex- |
ceedingly useful to the public as well as
TO the company 10 have substation 0ut-
side OF the city limits and at some con-
venient place in the District, for exam