The Washington times., 1901-11-09

speed-The Cost OF "a Floor in
Manual Training school Building.
Joseph l. Keefer of 50 Seventh Street
northwest. has written to the Commis-
sioners complaining Of the going out of
the lights in street cars at the crossings,
and of the speed At which cars are run
ia going over the crossings. He thinks
that these matters ought 10 be rcmedied.
Mr. heefer says, writing under Is tie Of
November 5:
Last night about { O'Clock, two ele-
gantly dressed ladies boarded car at
X Street and Connecticut Avenue, and
when the car reached Georgetown. at sew
eral places along the way, the light went
out for a short space, giving a grand op-
portunity for a rogue to snatch the dia-
mond earrings or other trinkets the ladies
had on them, and get safely away. There
should be some way 20 remedy this defect
in the railroads OF the city. Even slow
Baltimore is ahead of us. and we must
have somebody here to look into other
things beside those which have the dollar
mark upon them.
Another thing in the same direction
Is the way the cars come over the cross
fnSs at a rapid speed, They have to do
so. they say. because there is no cur
r'nt. There are a dozen different good
patents to remedy the matter and all the
ether cities are adopting them, because
the people are waking up and demanding
dollar mark once in a while; must strike
the railroad company once in while. as
well the business people.
Washington is getting to be n large
city. and is getting a larger percentage
OF bad characters in proportion to its
growth. And much larger crowd stands
ON the corner awaiting street car. and
when they come like blazes. they are
unnecessarily dangerous"
With reference TO the going out of the
lights at the railway crossings. the Elec-
trtcal Engineer states that he does not
know of any switching arrangements for
underground electric railway systems
which will work satisfactorily and fur
nish current constantly 10 the car as IT
passes over turnouts and crossings. IL
such an arrangement were feasible, he
says 1t would have been adopted long
ago by the railroad companies.
For a report upon the speed of the cars
at the crossings. The paper has been re
ferred TO the Engineer Department for
consideration and report.
W. e Spier. contractor for the construc-
tion of the manual training school build
ing. at the corner of Seventh Street and
Rhode Island Avenue, recently wrote to
the Commissioners relative TO the laying
of the floor in the carpenter shop in the
basement. The cost of the floor. il ap-
pears, was Si7S.31. and the question at
issue was whether the cost should be
charged against the contractor or the
District
Reports were made upon the subject by
the Inspector of Buildings and iy CaGt
Chester Harding. which wera recently
published in The Times. These officials
took the ground that the item was fully
covered by the contract and specifications,
and that ii was properly included III the
contract price.
Iife matter was finally discussed by the
board and in accordance with the de-
cisi1u then reached, Major Biddio. the
Englneeg Commissioner has recommend
ed slat the contractor be informed that
in view Of the requirement Of the speci-
fications. all work Indicated in the draw
ings and not mentioned in the specifca-
tious is TO be furnished and executed the
same as if il was called Tor by both
cravings and specifications; and the floor