The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-11
The Grade Crossings.


method of eliminating grade crossings
along this line
The Grade Crossings.
The committee has no hesitation in say
ing that in so far as the elimination o.
grade crossings is concerned, no better
plan viii ever be proposed Continuing, the
report says;
after much discussion of the proposition
to straighten the lines Of the railroad by
allowing the occupation of small portion
OF Garfield Park. the committee is of the
opinion that such occupation is imperative
in order to prevent the cor .inued loss of
life at the so-called Deadnen's Curve at
the western end of The tunnel under X
Street southwest. The Improvements con-
tomplated will protect the lives of persons
using the park, while the additions to the
park spaces already made and In ccntem-
platiOn viii allow the proposed dminution
of Garfield Park to be made without any
real curtailing of the parks in a section
that must Of necessity be given over large
ly TO business purposes.
''The continued and enlarged occupation
Of the Mall is also a subject which has re
ceiyed much attention. AS the District
Commissioners pcint out the location OF
the railroad within the Mall was made by
the board OF aldermen and the common
council of the city OF Washington Oh March
%, 1871, which location was confirmed by
act of Congress approved May 81 1872. The
city has adjusted itself to these conditions
and to disturb them now would be not only
a practical impossibilty. but also would
BE in the opinion OF the committee, highly
undesirable. By virtue Of the proposed
4 viii
improved so far as sightliness is concern
ed and a. result the visitor to the Ma
,ional Capital will not only be landed near
the heart OF the city, but also his first
impress ons of the city will be of the
pleasantest possible character
1t Is proposed 10 remove the tracks nj
the railroad from Sixth Street and to oueu
that thoroughfare to public travel and. in
order "a accommodate both the road and
the public, to widen Is Street in front OF
the present station SO as TO make there
broad plaza. Then q new and comlnod-
ious passenger station is to be constructed
in such manner as 10 make the buiIGiup
one Of the architectural features of thu.
Capital. This station building will cost
the company about million and half OF
dollars From the station the tracks are
to run on an elevated structure in 4 south
erly direction to Join the main lines OF the
company on Virginia and Maryland Aven-
ues, and provision has been made for carry
ing the proposed new avenue underneath
the tracks by arches having a combined
width of 200 feet an architectural feature
that car be made 10 add beauty TO the new
thorouehfare. Indeed, so far as sightliness
is concerned the proposed charge will add
greatly to the beauty of that portion Of
the Mall.
~
ment recommend that there shall be but
one bridge across the main. or Virginia.
channel Of the Potomac. and the railroad
people prefer Two bridges. So strong is
this preference on the part of the rail-
road company that it is willing 10 build
the second, or highway, bridge for the
sum that the District and the Government
would be required to pay as their proper
tomato sum for single brdge-that is
to say. the railroad company would pay
The difference in the cost between one and
two bridges.
The question as 10 whether there should
be two bridges across the Potomac in
place of The present Long Bridge is one
which should be determined upon the ba-
sis of the relative value of the commerce
passing up and down the river and that
passing across it at the point in question.
The railroad desires to have wagon traffic
removed from the railroad bridge on the
ground that in spite of all precautions
runaways and similar accidents are Ger
tain to occur due TO proximity Of trains.
Mr.. Brown, the engineer OF the road,
states that at least seven people already
have been killed on the Long Bridge by
such accidents.
The officer in charge of the river and
harbor improvements OF this District
claims that the interests OF navigation