Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-11
HIS ANNUAL REPORT
Engineer Commissioner Re-
views Past Year.
3sC
MATTERS DISCUSSED
--r-
THE UNION STATION PROJECT
AND OTHER INTERESTS.
Extension of Street Railways in Dis
trict - Buildings and Building In
spection-Rock Creek Park.

of the District government. This report
will form a chapter of the general state-
ment Of the Commissioners to the Presi-
dent, which in turn will be forwarded by
the chief executive, to Congress with his
annual message. The first subject touched
upon by Col. Biddle- is the union station
project, with regard to which he says:
1T is earnestly hoped that final action
will be taken this year on the bill for the
| union station and abolishing grade cross
ings within the city. Every public event
that attracts unusual crowd to the city
manifests the need of better terminal IA
cilties Under present conditions it is nee
essary to lay temporary tracks and sus-
pend the handling Of freight whenever a
large gathering takes place, and, as Wash
ngtop has many events of this kind, the
need is accentuated from year to year.
AT the last session of Congress a bill
was introduced in the Senate providing for
the location of a union station at Delaware
and Massa chusetts avenues, fronting upon
the latter. The bill was referred to the
Commissioners for report and was recon-
mended favorably by them, and later it
passed the Senate. The bill then went to
the House of Representatives and was re-
| ferred to the committee on the District of
Columbia, which requested a statement
from the Engineer Commissioner upon the
alternative locations of the site as above
and one at street and North Capitol
street as provided by existing legislation
for the station of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. On June %, in response to this
request, the acting engineer commissioner
| made this report, giving the relative ad-
vantages and Disadvantages of the two
sites. Congress adjourned few days after
the report was submitted, and action
was taken on the bill.
Advantages of c Street Site.
1.-THE advantages of the C street site may
be briefly repeated: The engineering situa-
ton is better, this site being on the side of
a hill so that there would not have to be a
| large fill, as in the other case; the founda-
tions of the buildings around the station
would be better and would possibly attract
| at the outset, better class of buildings;
| the crossing of the streets to the north of
| the station, with the exception of Massachu-
| sets avenue, would be more satisfactory
| as greater track elevation would be OBJ
| tanned, causing less change in existing
| grades and permitting stone arches instead
| of steel girders to be used; the street site
| is also nearer the lower part of Pennsyl-
| vania avenue and to the main street car
| lines as they exist at present; it would
| cost less and cause less damage to the ad
| jacent property, although no plan mas yet
| been made for treating the surroundings
| on as large a scale as has been done in
| the case of the Massachusetts avenue site,
and the probable necessity for buying two
large squares, estimated to cost SSjO,OOO,
| Immediately in front would bring the cost
| to a figure much nearer that OF the MaSSa-
| chusetts avenue site.
THE advantages of the Massachusetts
| avenue location are. 1t would be, in the
| opinion of the architects of the. station
much more Satisfa Glory with reference to
| the Capitol and lend itself better to the
| necessary development of the surroundings;
| Delaware avenue between Massachusetts
avenue and the Capitol grounds would be
saved a boulevard; MaSSa chuSettS ave-
instead of bpinp covered nv a yiaQuct
800 feet long, would be open, although HI
street. now an important thoroughfare,
would have a similar viaduct instead; the
city must grow to the north, and there
fore this would be nearer the center
of population; the facilities for handling
crowds would be much better, as in the
C-street site, being situated on the side of
a hill, the approaches would practically be
along one or two streets, while at Massa-
chusetts avenue there would be several
wide avenues; the street cars could, of
course, easily change their routes so as to
accommodate themselves to any loca ton.
LAS the station is to be a permanent and
| monumental structure, 1t Is considered by
the Commissioners that the location best
adapted for the future should be chosen,
even though 1t may involve a greater initial
expense and greater temporary damage to
property. The cost of the Massachusetts
avenue site is stated in their report to the
Senate committee on the District of Column
bia, and they are Of the opinion that it is
the better site.
Street Railways.
1.-The Metropolitan Railway Company was
authorized by Congress to extend its line
from 18th street and Columbia road east
on Columbia road to old 18th street, thence
| north on old 18th street to Park street, the
work to be done in connection with the wild
| ening of Columbia road and old 18th street.
TnIs work has been commenced. Some OF
the construction material has been delivered
upon the ground and 1t is expected that the
extension will be completed within few
months.
another extension authorized was that
of the Anacostia and Potomac River Rail
way Company on 18th street from Florida
avenue to Lydecker avenue. The act pro-
vides that this extension shall be made
within two years after a permit therefor Is
issued by the Commissioners. The Commits
sioners are ready to issue the permit when
ever satisfactory plans are filed, but SO lar
none have been presented The ONCE has
been Informed that the company desires to
| wait until the street is improved before UNI
dertaking the work of construction. In
their report upon the bill for this extension
the commissioners recommended that the
company be required to complete the work
within two years from the date of the pas
sage Of the act. This requirement, how
ever, was not retained in the bill as it
passed. q
Tree Service.
'IWenty-S1x hundred new trees were
planted in the streets during the year. The
varieties were elns. ginkgoes, lindens, Nor
way, silver and sugar NAPLES and pin and
willow-leaf oaks Six hundred and forty
four trees had to pc removed for various
causes. There are now 4,4s7 trees upon
the streets of the city! The land purchased
for the municipal hospital site-about thirty
acres on 18th street extended and Rich-
mond street-has been utilized as an addi-
tional nursery. Seedlings to the number of
1900 have been planted here and are do
1.-THE appropriation for tree service this
year is $4,000 All labor and material are
paid for from this sum. This Is the same
amount as was appropriated last year, al
though there are about 1000 additional
| trees to be cared fof The amount is much
too small to afford proper care and atten-
| ton.
Criticisms are made from time to time as
to the manner in which trees have been
trimmed removed. In this connection 1t
should be remembered that the city tree Is
beset by conditions very different from
those surrounding one growing In state
Of nature. The root space IS cramped, the
| surface nearly impervious, and the roots i'm
perfectly watered Thus 1t often happens
that the roots are insufficient to sustain the
overhead growth, which begins to fail,
and the only remedy is to severely prune the
tree, reducing it to a size which the roots