Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-17
STOPS AT CROSSINGS
CONFERENCE OVER A STREET CAR
PROBLEM AT DISTRICT BUILDING.
One of the Results of the Abandon
ment of Near Side
Regulation.

A conference was held yesterday after
noon between the District Commissioners
and the officials of the local street railway
companies for the purpose of arranging. If
possible some system by which collisions
between the apparatus of the fire depart
ment and street cars may hereafter be
| averted. The syndicate lines were repre-
sented by President Stevens and Vice Presi-
dent Harries. and the Capital Traction
Company by President Dunlop and Super
intendent CARL.
Several days ago Mr.. Joseph Paris. the
chief engineer of the fire department, at
the request of Commissioner Macfarland.
who has immediate supervision of the de-
partment, submitted list of crossings at
which the street cars should, in his opIn-
ion, be required to come to full stop be-
fore passing over them. These crossings
were follows: On G street lne-Second
and G. Sd and G, 9Th and G. 10th and G.
18th and G, 18th and G and North Capitol
and c streets northeast On F street line
Connecticut avenue and K street. Connecti-
cut avenue and NJ street, 5th and E, 9Th
and F, 10th and F, 18th and F and 18th and
F. On H street line-New Jersey avenue
and II street, I'd and H and Sd and H On
14th street line-Fourteenth and X and 14th
and r. On 1th street Hne-Seventh and D,
18th and f, 18th and l, It'll and NJ and It'll
and r. On 9th street line-Ninth and D,
9th and E. 9th and l, 9th and NJ and 9th
and r. On 18th street line-Eleventh and
M, 11th and r and 18th and l. On 4th
street line-Fourth and NJ and New Jersey
avenue and II street. On Pennsylvania
avenue line-Fifth and Pennsylvania avenue
southeast, Sth street and Pennsylvania
avenue southeast, list and B streets south
east and New Jersey avenue and B street
southeast. On E street lne-Eleventh and
e, 18th and E and 18th and D.
The street railway authorities were fur
nished with copies of this list by the Com
missioners, with the request that they issue
orders to their men to cause their cars to
come to full stop before making the
crossings mentioned. In this connection
Commissioner Macfarland recommended
that the street railway companies be noti-
fled that upon the hearing by their motor
men of the gongs of the apparatus of the
fire department the motormen shall stop
their cars until the apparatus pass, and
that the police regulations providing that
street cars shall not exceed a rate of speed
of six miles an hour at street crossings be
strictly enforced.
The Capital Traction COMPANY replying
to the communication of the Commissioners
transmitted them copy of it's new set of
rules, calling the attention of the Com
missioners to rule IS, which reads as fol-
lows: when fire department vehicle,
ambulance or the company's emergency
wagon is running in the street cars must be
stopped until such vehicle has passed. Mo-
tormen should avoid as far as possible
stopping on cross street or alongside of
standing cars or wagons" This rule the
Commissioners were informed by the off
clals or the company, 1t is the purpose of
the company to strictly enforce.
During yesterdays conference President
stevens informed the Commissioners that
he has already instructed his motormen to
come TO a fun stop before crossing r street
on both the 9th and 18th street lines, and
at 9Th and l streets. To adopt such a rule
at all the crossings mentioned by Mr. Par
ris, thought the railway officials. would be
yr-ith
of the travelling public.
Iney assured the Commissioners that the
railway companies desire to avoid such an
accident as recently occurred at 9th and r
streets, when number of firemen narrow
~ escaped death, and in which collision n
substitute member of the department did
suffer death. but they expressed the opin-
ion, 1t is understood, that the travelling
public patronizing the street cars would
suffer serious inconvenience and DELAY
should full stops be made at all the cross
lngs recommended by the chief engineer of
the fire department. 1t is also stated that
the railway authorities thought the com
panies of the fire department should also
slow up when approaching crossings over
street railway tracks. Mr.. Macfarland,
however, pointed out that the fire depart-
ment, in responding to alarms of fire, should
not only have the right of way but that
Its companies should never be required to
stop or even slow up, save to avoid an ac-
c1dcnt. 1t is absolutely necessary said
Mr.. mcfarland, that there should not be a
moments delay on the part Of the com
panies of the fire department In reaching
the scene of a fire the box from which
an alarm is sounded. for as he explained
the safety of both life and property de-
mands the presence of the fremen at the
very earliest possible moment
1aklng the case of No. engine COMPANY
whose hose carriage collided with a 9th
street car at street early this month
Mr.. Macfarland stated that that companv
was the one first due at the box from
which the alarm had been sounded For
tunately, the fire was trifng one but
had the safety of life or property depended
upon the prompt arrival Of that company AT
the box In question that day, life or prom
erty would have been seriously endangered
or sacrihced because of the accident And
this accident, the Commissioner further ex-
planned could have been avoided had the
motorman of the car stopped 1t before
crossing r street. Replying to a slpees-
ton that such accidents are very rare Mr..
Macfarland remarked that the public safety
demands that they shall be more than rare
that they shall be impossible, so far as
the observance of wise regulations can make
them.
The officials Of the railway companies
promised to further consider the list OF
crossings prepared by the chief engineer of
the ire department, who was also present
at the conference. stating that they desire
to cooperate to the fullest possible extent
with the Commissioners in the matter
return to the near-side rule of stoppinr
street cars was incidentally referred to
but 1t Is understood that during the absence
from the city of Commissioners Ross and
Eeach nothing will be done in this matter
Mr.. Ross, 1t Is understood, favors the near
side rule.
Street Car Parking
The attention of Col. T. A. Bingham. the
ohcer in charge of public buildings and