The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-28

The District Commissioners yesterday
| transmitted their report to the Senate
| committee on the bill providing for the
| elimination of grade crossings on the line
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the
| city of Washington.
The report is exhaustive, going into the
minutest details of the plans. 1t is pre-
| faced by statement of the present system
and its Objectionable features.
Speaking OF the objects of the bill the
report says:
| The main objects of the bill are: To
| eliminate grade crossings by abandoning
certain portions of the railway Rates;
| by consolidating the Metropolitan and
| Washington branches, and bringing them
! into the city on a single viaduct along
| the line of Delaware Avenue. The viaduct
| is to be carried over street crossings by
| closing certain streets.
"A modern passenger station is to be
| provided on the north OF C Street north
/ east, between First and North Capitol
I Streets, and also a station for fast
and perishabe freight on the east OF
! North Capitol Street between ID and +
/ Streets. Railroad yards and station for
heavy freight in the territory bounded by
| Florida Avenue. S Street, the Metropolitan
! Branch and the Brentwood Road, are a
part of the plan.
| THE bill also proposes to authorize the
| formation of terminal company, If de
sired, in carrying out the purposes Of the
bill. But this is believed TO be an in
ternal feature of the project which need
not TO be discussed in this report.
Effect of Closing Streets.
The report then gives the routes to be
abandoned and the new route provided for
| in the bill. 1t also gives a list of the
| streets to be closed by the new routes. OF
these the report says:
Delaware Avenue between and c
| Streets. and D and Streets, between
! North Capitol and First Streets. are bound
| ed by squares owned or controlled by the
company, or which the company is author
; lied by the bill to acquire for railroad pu--
( poses. They are virtually closed at pres
ent by reason of existing tracks and shift
I ing trains Practically no traffic passes
over them except that connected with the
/ business of the company. 1t is recommends
| ed that authority to close these streets be
I granted.
r Street, between First Street and
Massachusetts Avenue is quite an impor-
! tant line of communica tioa between the
/ eastern and western sectors of the city.
| 1t Is believed that the CONSTRUCTIONS Cf the
company could be carried over 1t without
undue difficulty or expense. 1t is therefore
recommended that the street be not closed,
/ and that the bill be amended as to pro-
vide for carrying it through
Delaware Avenue, between Florida
| Avenue and NJ Street, and Street be-
| tween Second and Third Streets are
, bounded by four small triangular blocks.
I
I four put together are but little larger than
an ordinary city block. There is consid-
/ cradle rise in the ground here, and in order
/ to carry n Street under the road, Delaware
! Avenue. within the limits named. would
! have to be first excavated and q viaduct
! then constructed. Through travel would
not be in the slightest degree incommodei
by the proposed closing. and as all of the
AUDITING property is owned by the COM
pany, there appears to be no objection TO
closing the streets as proposed.
The streets in lexington east of the
Metropolitan branch between Street and
Florida Avenue. and Brentwood Road be-
tween S Street and Florida Avenue, are
bounded by squares already owned by the
company, which they are authorized by
the bill 10 acquire. They are desired for
use in connection with the proposed rail-
road yard and freight station, and viii not
be needed If authority is not granted for
the establishment of the yard at this local
ity. The question of locating the yard and
freight station at this point is referred to
further on in this report
The New Passenger Station. ...r
Concerning the proposed passenger sta
ton the report says:
THE new passenger and fast freight ter
minal Of the company will be located in
fta 1apt,r
North Capitol Street northeast. The com
pany now owns or controls most of the
property necessary for the purpose. The
proposed site is most admirable one. 1t
is on a bluff Just north of Street, in the
line OF Delaware Avenue. The ground is
some twenty or thirty feet higher than The
land to the north, and possesses peculiar
natural advantages which make possible
the unique combination of an elevated
railway with a station at grade.
The station building will be set back
from c Street. affording a broad plaza in
front. It's main floor will be on the grade
of Street so that passengers will not
| have to climb steps or use elevators. Along
| the street in front run the principal street
| car lines of the District. II is bounded on
the east by street 10 feet wide and on
the west by one 100 feet In width, which
afford ample room for the traffic incident
to a railway station. The location of the
station upon this site will permit also the
removal of tracks from North Capitol
Street and the full restoration of this
grand avenue to the uses of the public.
THE company proposes to locate its de-
pot for fast and perishable freight to the
east of North Capitol Street, between
and F. Streets The station will be set
back good distance from the street, and
an ample yard will be provided so arrang-
ed that no business attaching 10 it will be
transacted in the street, the freight yard
| having ample facilities within its own
limits The site is a most excellent one
for the purpose. being centrally located
and easy OF access"
The lexington Objections.
Taking up the subject OF the proposed
location of The railroad yard and freight
station the report continues:
THE bill provides for the location Of
railroad yard and freight station on the
| east side of the Metropolitan branch be-
tween Florida Avenue and T Street. The
lexington Citizens Association objects
most strenuously TO the location of a yard
and freight station in this territory. Their
| grounds of objection are that such an
establishment would affect most injurious
| ly the value Of the contiguous property;
| that the closure of the streets necessitated
| thereby would cut off all travel between
their section and the east from New York
| Avenue 10 T Streets and that large num-
Der of residents in the county whose ac-