Evening star., 1900-12-22
The New b. and O. Station.
o the Editor Of The Evening Star:

10 the Editor OF The Evening Star:
The brow Of Capitol Hill north will be
reduced to single square by erecting new
depot Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
along the line Of c street northeast be-
tween 1st street and North Capitol street.
AS the line Of the green Capitol plaza runs
along B street northeast the walls of the
depot will be thin block from the shrub
berry and walks not long ago planned by
Vaux and Olmsted and from the square Of
houses purchased early in Grants admins
tration.
As the railroad is to be tresseled to the
plateau grade, or partially so. the station
will come up out of it's present hole on
New Jersey avenue and mount to COM
manding elevation.
Has Congress taken any pains to prescribe
the style of that depot it has compelled
the new Pennsylvania station to cost ST.
10000 and to harmonic with the advice Of
landscape architects?
The Penns sylvania station Is the gully OF
the city, and that railroad is nowhere with
in five blocks Of the Capitol; besides, the
Pennsylvania station Is pretty object.
But the Baltimore ana Ohio station will
be. upon Its new terrace, as close to the
Capitol as the Library of Congress, and
almost as conspicuous. The government
has acquired the land upon the correspond
ing brow of the Capitol Hill south for the
coast survey and other bureau buildings. A
bill is now up to put the Department Of
Justice, courts, etc, at b street northeast,
also a single square from the new Balti-
more and Ohio depot at and 1st streets.
The humble property holders on the north
side of the Capitol. who must sleep as well
talk there, find themselves surrounded
by these and other forms Of greatness thrust
upon them.
A few weeks ago their women appeared
before the Commissioners to protest against
two tracks of the Traction Company in
stead of ore going through 1st street north
east, where IS no sufficient width and the
shade trees We're to be destroyed to let the
two tracks through. Asked what they
wanted the two tracks for the cordial van
dals said, ITO store cars there"
The square proposed for the new courts
building has been blasted by the suggestion,
row almost a generation Old. which has
prevented Improvement and congested sale.
The new depot threat has also discourag ged
building north of the Capitol for twenty
years. When we had supposed the depot
vas to be removed somewhere afar they
Suddenly pass the bill.
The orthodox Quakers put up a neat meet
ing house last year at the corner Of 1st
street and c. How will the spirit in the
engines move them to speak? No more no.
tice is given by Congress to it's fellowmen
than II they were Indians to be moved out
OF some state limit.
Let me ask If the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad Is to turn around in it's enlarged
yard or run in and back out? The inquiry
Is based upon some knowledge OF the squeal-
ing of the wheels now that they are three
squares from our dreams, but will soon be
close by.
II we are correctly told the present speci-
men Of the Lombardo-Venitian depot Of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, with mon
olith sarcophagus pillars and a dead clock
tower, the whole in the style of Tasso's
prison, was erected in 1851. For sixteen
years previously the depot had been on
Pennsylvania avenue, at I'd street west
tIa Fa4r
passengers west could be advertised to run
through or to the Capitol, this site has
become very valuable. like the view from
Suspension bridge Of Niagara Falls. It is,
In effect running into the Capitol cellar.
The money spent on the handsome Mt.
Royal station at Baltimore had far better
for the company been put upon the new
site here. There the trespass Of the two
score ginmills around our two depots has
been obviated by buying a large area
around the depot. which, If repeated here,
would be an artistic advertisement Of the
relations of the depot to the Capitol.
AS the two railroads here are such friends
that both their bills are passed the same
day, why do they not throw off disguses
and unite upon tourists depot at 1st and
c streets northeast, worthy Of themselves
and the city? Some of us recolect
when the Baltimore and Ohio company
blockaded the CAPITOL gates with it's freight
trains and stopped the solons on their way
down the hill The Boss tore up the tracks
one night and they never We're relaid
Is 1t probable that the Tarpican rock
famed by the coolest airs in Washington Is
now to become an area of cheap taverns,
such as tester around New Jersey avenue
and C street? Or will the state and the
railroad absorb the one square which Is be-
tween them and make it necessary to the
grand plaza upon the hill top?
Where else is there such square for
statuary such as at Liege, In Belgium
faces the railroad station. or at Edinburgh
covers with gardens the railroad ravine?
There is to be tIne1when Congress will
the crown line Of the Capitol Hill.