Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-13
B. g. O. BILL TAKEN UP
Considered by the House District
Committee.
CHANGES PROPOSED BY THE COMPANY
Explanation Submitted by Attorney
Hamilton.
WHY A BONUS IS ASKED
IANGES PROPOSED BY THE COMPANY
WHY A BONUS IS ASKED

Baltimore and Ohio grade crossing bill
(Senate bill 2329)
Before beginning the bill, however, upon
motion of Mr.. Mudd. an amendment was
directed to be added to the Pennsylvania
grade crossing bill, reported last Tuesday,
authorizing the widening of the Virginia
avenue tunnel so as to accommodate four
tracks instead of two.
Engineer Commissioner Beach, who was
present, said there was no objection to the
amendment
Mr.. G. E. Hamilton, Mr.. H. L. Bond and
Engineer Strauss of the B. and o. r. r.,
Mr.. Cassels and Mr.. Neae of the Pennsyl-
vania company, and Messrs. Tucker and
Frizzell OF the Northeast Citizens Asso-
citation were present at the meeting.
The B. and o. r. R. grade crossing bill
was read aloud, by sections, for the in
formation of the committee.
Proposed "Y" North of the City.
When section 2 was reached, the following
substitute therefor was offered by Mr.. Jen-
kins:
Section 2. That the said companies be,
and each of them is hereby. authorized ana
empowered to locate, construct, maintain
and operate outside of the city limits and
south of T street, yard tracks, switches,
roundhouses, shops and other structures
necessary or proper for the accommodating
of locomotives and cars for the conduct OF
its business, or for the purposes OF .,n lretghe
yard, and also to locate, build, maintain
and operate, beyond the city limits,
branch track or 'Y'' for the passage OF
trains directly to and fro between the
branch without entering the city.
Action upon the substitute was postponed
until the reading of the bill should be con-
cluded. -or
Mr. Mudd called attention to the follow
ing language in section 3, authorizing the
District Commissioners "also to make sucn
changes in the existing lines and grades OF
any street, avenue or way as may De rea-
sonably required, deemed necessary or ad-
vlsable in the construction of the works
hereby authorized" Action upon this was
also deferred.
When section 4 was reached Attorney
Hamilton Of the Baltimore and ONO gave
notice of an amendment to be offered to the
provision authorizing the company TO locate
depots within the city limits west OF "a
street east and east Of North Capltol
street." striking out those words ana IN
serting the words within the District"
Notice was given by Chairman Babcock
of an amendment requiring the company TO
remove its temporary tracks and restore
the streets within sixty days after the time
fixed for the completion of the proposed i'm
proyements. He thought this was neces-
sary, as otherwise If the work should drag
along for undue time the temporary tracks
would remain.
The Proposed Bonus to the Il. and o.
When section was reached, which gives
the Baltimore and Ohio Company bonus
of 81 ,5OOOO0 In cash, one-half to be paid
out of the funds of the United States and
one-half out Of the revenues Of the District
of Columbia, Mr.. Simms Of Tennessee said
he would offer an amendment requiring one
fourth of the sum to be paid by the gen.
eral government and three-fourths by the
District of Columbia
The Terminal Company.
When the section providing for the estab-
lishment OF the terminal company was
reached, Chairman Babcock asked for in
formation concerning the necessity for this
provision.
Mr.. H. L. Bond general attorney for the
Baltimore and Ohio, explained it by saying
that the Washington branch Of the Balti-
more and Ohio, between Baltimore and
Washington was constructed with stock
other than the stock Of the main company.
1t amounted to about So, 100000. AS the i'm
provements were estimated, he said to
cost between $5,5OO0OO and Sc, 100000. less
the amount Of the contribution OF the
United States. the cost could not be sad
died upon that portion Of the stock, and
this proposition was to permit the allot-
ment Of the expenses.
Attorney Hamilton submitted the follow
Ing explanation Of the amendments pro-
posed by the company:
Amendments Proposed by COMPANY,
''The most serious change occurs in the
third Senate amendment, page 4, and the
effect Of this amendment Is to compel the
location of the round houses, shops and
other structures necessary for the accom-
modation Of locomotives, ETC., at a point not
nearer to lexington than two squares
easterly of the east end of the proposed "
on the Washington branch. Now the wishes
of the company are contained in the section
as presented to the Senate. (This amend
ment as substitute is printed above)
by this section the location Of the round
houses and shops is within the " and
about centrally located therein. point less
hurtful and Objectionable to the public be-
cause 1t is surrounded on all sides by COM
pany's property The objection to the Sem
ate amendment from citizens standpoint,
and, therefore, from the governments
standpoint, is that it locates these round
houses and shops at least two squares east
and away from the tracks of the company,
and would compel, therefore. the construc-
tion of side tracks and switches, and sew
eral Of them, from the " and yards of the
company out to said round houses, and
these side tracks and switches would neces-
sar1ly cross streets already created, or to
be created, in the proposed plans of city ex-
tension, and would create the very evils that
are intended to be done away with by this
legislation Again, the location of these
round houses so far from the freight yards
would very much hamper the proper and
expeditions direction of trains in the shift
ing Of cars, etc, which is very essential
for fast traffic.
ut is therefore submitted that both for
the benefit of the city and for the company
that the location Of these round houses
should be within the company's yards.
where they could not injure adjoining
property because they would be sur
ROUNDED by company's property, and to this
end we ask the reinstatement of section 2
as originally presented
THE next amendment that we think
should not be made is in section T. line IT,
where the word District is stricken out
and the insertion made of the words city
limits west Of I'd street east and east of
North Capitol street Now, the effect of
this is to prohibit the building of any de-
pot or station outside of the city limits.
and to restrict the building of any within
the city limits west of I'd street east and
east of North Capitol street. The area
limited in this addition to the bill by the
Senate is right at our present depot, and
is perfectly meaningless, as 1t would be
impossible for us to wish to locate another
depot within those lines, but 1t might be
exceedingly useful to the public as well as
to the company to have q substation out
side Of the city limits and at some conyen-
lent place in the District. for example, at