Evening star., 1902-01-01

that these flats are capable of being trans
| formed into one of the finest parks in the
, country. The Districts superintendent of
| parking reported that during the fiscal
year ended June 80 a total of 3,125 trees
were planted on the public streets being
96s more than were planted during the pre-
vfous fiscal year. 1t was announced that
| the public parks Of the city embrace an
| aggregate area of 1856 acres
In August Washington suffered from a
plague of caterpillars, and hundreds of
shade trees were sl1eleton:zed The Asso-
| clated Charities suggested that it would be
advantageous to provide Fairgrounds for
| children throughout the District AS a
mark of especial honor to the former En-
gineer Commissioner of the District, Cap
tain Lansing H. Beach, U. s. A, the board
| OF control of Rock Creek Park decided to
! name the principal thoroughfare in that
reservation the Beach driveway
Steam Railroads.
short time before the adjournment of
| the last Congress laws were enacted en-
powering the Pennsylvania and the Balti-
| more and Ohio Railroad Companies to re-
construct their tracks and stations so as
| to abolish grade crossings. The tracks of
| the Pennsylvania Railroad Company were
] to be depressed and the company was given
additional space on the mall for the erec-
| ton OF "A larger station than it now has,
! facing on B street between 9th and 7th
| streets. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
| Company was empowdered to bring it's
tracks into the city on masonry viaduct,
| and to change the location of it's depot from
| the corner of New Jersey avenue and C
| streets to a site on the north side of c
street between North Capitol and 1st streets
/ east. At the same session of Congress the
Senate committee on the District of Column
! b1a was authorized to appoint park com
mission, and this commission took up with
1he pennsylvania railroad the question Of
| the removal of its depot to the south side of
the mall About the same time the Penn
| sylvania Railroad Company acquired con-
! trolling interest in the Baltimore and Ohio
| railroad, which made the project of a union
station, agitated from time to time for
many years, more than ever feasible. The
park commission and the Pennsylvania
railroad Company had conferences on this
/ subject. The company favored the pro-
! posed site of the Baltimore and Ohio depot
| as union station, the project involving the
! tunneling of Capitol Hill along the line of
| lst street east in order to bring the tracks
! from South Washington into the. proposed
station The park commission then recon-
mended new location for the union sta
| t1on, on the north side of Massachusetts
| avenue east of North Capitol street this
| plan involving the same tunnel on the line
J OF lst street, so constructed that it will
| pass under Massachusetts avenue and AL
| low the gradual elevations of the tracks
| after it enters the station. This latest
! project for a solution of the steam railway
problem that has so long confronted Con-
gress and the people of the District of
| Columbia has been fayorably received it
| is understood by the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company. 1t will require additional
! legislation, and very early in the new year
| bill authorizing the. changes contem-
plated Will be introduced in the Senate
Should the project be carried out as it
! seems probable 1t will be, it will accom-
| pilsh the abolition of. grade crossings on
| the line of steam railroads, will cause the
/ removal of all steam railroad tracks from
the mall and will provide for the citv one
OF the finest union stations of the country
| bridging the River.
The last year has seen a great advance
| in plans foI bridging the Potomac The
memorial bridge project went over to the
present Congress after plans for the, bridge
| had been practically agreed upon The au-
! thority given by Congress for a highway
| bridge and a renewal of the Long bridge
| for railroad traffic only has resulted in re-
| ports by the commission placed in charge
! of that work Plans for highway bridge
| have been made by them, and in the case
! OF the new railroad bridge the Secretary of
! War has requested the PENNSYLVANIA rail-
| road to submit plans for more ornamental
| structure in keeping with the highway
bridge proposed to be erected just above
| IT, The piers of the Aqueduct bridge have
| been strengthened in accordance with a
provision by the last Congress.
| Mckinley Arch.
After much earnest work ON the part of
| the Mckinley Memorial Arch Association
| formed to raise funds for the erection of a
| memorial arch in this city, the project for
| securing popular subscriptions was aban-
| doned In the interest of the project for a
| memorial to be erected at Canton. In lieu
| OF the plan originally adopted for securing
| money for this purpose the association de-
| termined to look to Congress for an appro-
priation to realize their desire to have a
| fitting memorial to the memory of the
martyred President erected here.
| The HOxfe Tunnel.
| In the water department the principal
| event OF the year was the completion late
| in November of the Washington aqueduct
| or HoXie tunnel, connecting the distribut-
ing reservoir with tAe~ acknowledgements
| reservoir and providing an increased pres
| sure and supply for the eastern section of
| the District. The tunnel was successfully
| placed in operation. Its varied history is
| familiar to all Washington people dating
! back over score of Years. Water Will be
| turned into the distributing pipes from the
| Howard University reservoir early in Jam
| uary, 1t is believed.
The subject of filtration was thoroughly
| discussed In Congress before that body ad-
| journed on March 3 last. The advocates of
the filter won out and during the last fiscal
year more than 100000 was expended in
| purchasing the filter site and securing the
preliminary plans. The Commissioners have
| asked that an appropriation of 81 600. .OOO
/ Tor carrying on the work be made at this
session Of Congress.
A serious break occurred in both pumping
| engines at the q street pumping station in
July and there was danger of a water fam
Inc in the high service district. especially
Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant
The supply in the Brightwood reservoir
was sufficient to last, however, untn the