Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03

the least injury. Those 'who opposed these
changes and advocated the plans as ap-
proved by the Commissioners expressed
their anxiety to have the grade crossing
problem solved, and said that as the Com
missioners and the railroad companies had
agreed upon plan to accomplish this end
the people of this city should do nothing
to interfere with the plan because some
personal interest happened to be affected
by it.
Mr.. c. B. Hunt, assistant engineer In the
office of the Engineer Commissioner Of the
District was present and was invited to
the platform to explain the differences be-
tween the plan approved by the Commits
sioners and that proposed by the railroad
committee. Mr.. Hunt said the proposed
change had been brought to the attention
of the Commissioners by Mr.. Server before
they had adopted their report, and 1t was
fully considered by them. He said they
in view of the grades that 1t would cause
on the line of the road. which was one of
their reasons for not embodying it in the
bill. The grade on this proposed route
from Florida avenue to Winthrop Heights.
ne said, involved some very heavy cuts.
The present grade of the Metropolitan
was per cent. and he regarded that as
very heavy, On the proposed route the
grade was increased and made 13 per cent
The route could not avoid running into Har-
mony cemetery without running into two
very high hills. The amount of cutting at
places would be from 4S to so feet. An
other objection to the proposed plan was
that it placed the new freight yard about a
mile further out of town than Is proposed
in the Commissioner bill.
Another Proposition.
Mr.. N. H. Shea suggested that the wishes
Of the people of lexington might be met
by route in a more direct line to Brook
land, from where the railroad crosses Flor
ida avenue at Sd street, yet located east Of
lexington. He said he had been told that
the people of lexington would have no OBJ
lection to such a route.
Mr.. VIM. G. Henderson, a member of
the board Of directors and formerly -presi-
dent of the North Capitol and lexington
Citizens Association, said the people of
lexington would have no objection to such
direct route, provided the railroad COM
pany is not permitted to raise a dirt en-
bankment through the heart of that suburb
and close the streets.
while the line proposed by the people
of lexington he said, seems to indi-
cate a much larger distance than that of
the railroad company, yet 1t was only 800
feet longer. We are prepared to show that
the grade on this line Is less than that
Hhich now exists on the Metropolitan line.
AT present it is about l per cent, while
under this proposed plan it is less than 1
per cent. and when that plan is adopted
you allow the city to extend east and west
in the vicinity of lexington instead of
cutting off its growth, and we say the
railroad company should not be allowed to
close the streets in that beautiful and i'm
proving section. to locate round houses and
machine shops practically in the city
The people of that section of the city
have advocated abolishing grade crossings
and they favor that today. but while you
do that see that you do not take them out
of one part and locate them in another
beautiful part Of the city, where people
have purchased their homes and which is
used for residential purposes alone. 1t is
to prevent such action that our people are
3,iVGPati shifting Of thaSa NLS to
the east. While the railroad company and
the Commissioners want to make these i'm
provements the people OF lexington want
them made in i way that will do the least
harm. The people of this section have Sc
cured their homes by hard labor, and they
should not be injured. Why should they
be forced to give way to the railroad COM
pany when, with very little additional cost
a more convenient location of the tracks
can be secured little further toward the
east?
Suggestions Are Practical.
I'VE are not asking the railroad company
to do what is impossible. The suggestions
We have made are practical. 1t may cost
the railroad company $4,000 more than the
plan they propose. but what Is that COM
pared to the loss that would otherwise
come to the people of this beautiful suburb?
We do not know why this company Is to be
given million and a half dollars and al
lowed to destroy beautiful suburb. This
Embarrassing problem should be solved in
way that will be just to ali interests.
Another objection urged against this
plan is that the proposed route will run
throush Harmony cemetery, and that that
would be objected to. The objection has
no force, as. we are informed. the cemetery
company will be only too glad to sell to the
District or to the railroad company the
land which would be needed.
I'VE are obliged to appeal to the people
of Washington at this time. We stand
shoulder to shoulder to abolish railroad
crossings and we have plan which Is per-
fectly feasible. If this Were an impractical
pie pan, 1t would present another question,
but ii is not. and you can be convinced by
reliable figures that it is feasible
Mr. Hunt said he did not think the figures
showing grades that would be encountered
on the proposed route were correct. He
sad the freight yard at lexington, as pro-
posed by the company, would be located so
mat 1t would be approached by improved
streets, While the proposed freight yard at
Ivy City would have to be cut down TWEEN
~ feet to grade, and the streets leading to
1t would I, 1 have to be graded and improved.
Mr.. 5. w. Curriden inquired what streets
would be closed by the provisions of the
Commissioners bill.
M, Mr.; Hunt said all thoroughfares between
Florida avenue and T street, except New
ork avenue, would be closed
Mr.. Edison remarked that In order that
the DEBATE on the report might proceed
promptly there should be some limitation
or the time of speakers.
Mr. Thomas w. Smith moved that Mr. A.
H. Server be given half an hour to explain
the plan proposed by the railroad commit
Zee. after which members would be con-
hned to speeches Of three minutes each,
which motion was adopted.
MIR. Servers Explanations.
Mr.. Server said the plan proposed by the
committee had been submitted to the Bal
tinsore and Ohio railroad about ten years
ago. He had not learned this until after
the plan had been adopted by the Ecking-
ton Citizens Association. He had also been
informed that in 1885, when the same mat
ter was under discussion, Commissioner
Powell presented report quite similar to
this plan, and 1t did not propose the clos
Ing of any streets. He said he was not
himself a civil engineer though he had had
some training in engineering work. He had
engineers of the largest expert
ence concerning the plan adopted by the
committee. and 1t had been approved as
practical. By this plan, he said, the grade
was .o7 OF one per cent for 5000
feet north Of Florida avenue, and .65
OF one per cent for {, 100 feet. The grade
of the Metropolitan branch at present, he
said, was about l per cent. The repair
shops of the company had nothing to 90
with the business of the people of this
city, he said, and the committees plan pro-
posed moving them near the Ivy City race
tracks at 18th and u stroets northeast