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

Senate bill 1929, providing for the elimi-
nation Of grade crossings on the line OF
the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in
! the District Of Columbia, was favorably
reported 10 the Senate yesterday by Nj
/ Mcmillan. from the District Committee
/ The bill as submitted 10 the Senate con
4 talns a number Of amendments suggested
/ by the District Commissioners. and three
changes were made in ID by the District
Committee.
The first Of hesp requires the railroad
company TO ro6aild.the United States Fish
/ Commission buildings on the Mall west
Of their present location. which will be
occupied by the tracks of the company,
/ at a cost Of not exceeding 81, GOO. The
original bill provided that the cost should
be borne by the United States.
/ Section y Of the bill which provided
/ for passenger bridge to be constructed
. over the Potomac above the site OF the
! Long Bridge. at the expense Of the United
+ States. i- changed so as TO arrange for
I street car traffic. and the cost. which is
. not 1 exceed SOS coo, is to be divided
. |afIN aFN INF IlAtN FNIhltr anu lUf us
trlct iof Columbia.
third committee amendment provides
that arches shall be constructed nor Iess
Than 800 feet Ia width on the line OF IVES,
Capitol Street or he proposed Centennial
Avonge through ;he Mall. The original
bill crowded for an arch fifty feet in
widths
The Committees Report
The report submitted 10y the committee
to accompany the bill is in part as follows.
For ten years The subject OF eliminating
grade crossings along the lire Of the Bal
timore aud Potomac Railroad and provjd-
ing enlarged terminals. has been agi,at,d
both in Congress ana among the people of
the District. The rapid increase in the
Southern business Of the railroads. the
increasiug size OF the crowds OF people who
come 20 Washington OF special occasions
and the natural growth Of the city itself
all have combined 10 make the present
terminal growth facilities Of the Baltimore
and Potomac Railroad inadequate 10 Tho
point OF discomfort of passengers and mn
due expense Oh the part Of shippers The
crossing al grade OF two great street rail
way lines and Of many much-used streets
has been the source always OF delay auu
apprehension often loss of life. The press
81 tut 'lANs ttlF ItiiItHellt atlNt ntl4tN OF
citizens and the public generally have re-
poatedly and unanimously called for
change in the location of the tracks Of This
company, and this committee has long
been working on plans 10 meet a situation
constantly growing more and more EN-
barrassing
There has been no reluctance on he
part of the railroad company to meet the
desires Of Congress and OF the people Of
The District On the contrary. the highest
officers of the Pennsylvania Railroad nave
recognized fully the importance and de-
STABILITY OF placing their Washington ter
minals ia q. condition not only to meet The
fast growing business. but also 10 make
them worthy of the Capital City OF the
United States. The one great thing that
stood in the way OF an adjustment was he
engineering problem. The railroad regard
ed as a physical imp0ssibility an overhead
structure and the elevation Of its tracks
while the District authorities opposed
sinking the tracks. or al least we're not
able TO work out the change in a way SAT
isfact0ry to the engineers OF The railroad.
After repeated failures to handle the
engineering features OF the plans in such
a way AZ TO commend them for presenta-
ton TO Congress Capt William VI. Black
while Engineer Commissioner OF the Dis
trict. devised a plan Of combining the de-
pressed and overhead systems. according TO
the topography OF the region through