Evening star., 1902-01-09
UNION STATION PLAN
What the New Railroad Bill Provides
in Exact Terms,
WHERE THE TERMINAL WILL Be
H Street VIII Be Closed at the
Viaduct Intersection.
MORE FREIGHT FACILITIES


The new bill for a union steam railroad
station, introduced in the Senate Yesterday
by Chairman Mcmillan of the District COM
mittee, does not repeal the measures passed
last February providing for new terminal
plans for the Baltimore and Ohio and the
! Pennsylvania railroads, save in certain par
ticulars. Considered in connection with the
parts Of those laws which will remain In
force when this is passed If in its present
shape, the new terminal scheme may be
thus generally stated, in the terms of or
dinary understanding:
! The Baltimore and Ohio lines will follow
their present routes as far as lexington on
the Metropolitan branch and Montello On
the Baltimore branch. They will converge
to meet east of the settled portion of Cen
ter lexington, where they will be Joined by
the tracks of the Pennsylvania, which will
be brought at grade across country from a
point on the present line near Magruder
station, Md. The lines thus united win pro-
ceed into the city along the line of Della
| ware avenue by means of a masonry via
duct according to the general design called
! for by the act of last February to the union
station located at the intersection of Mas
sachusetts and Delaware avenues. In order
to accommodate the added tracks of the
! Pennsylvania the viaduct is to be widenAd
from 80 to 12o feet, if necessary, be-
|
side of L street, and is in general to be of
sufficient width to carry the tracks of
both roads
The Station Site.
The viaduct Is to proceed thus to the
south side of l. street and then is to widen
at an angle until the intersection Of I and
1st is reached on the west side and the
intersection of H and I'd on the east side.
Then the terminal station proper is to pro-
W.T. live to
each side Of Delaware avenue, which, in
| elusive Of the width Of that avenue. will
make the terminal structure 76O feet wide
| 1t Will terminate at the north line of Mas
sachusetts avenue and will be faced by a
| circle, dimensions not stated In the bill
which the Commissioners are directed to
! cause to be laid out No provision is con-
tanned IN the bill for the payment of the
costs OF thus laying out the circle nor for
| the opening of the additional streets which.
| the bill provides, shall be opened leading to
the circle. IN addition to such changes in
! the lines and grades or existing streets as
may be required or advisable In connection
! with the terminal work
Upon the site thus stated, for the ac-
QUESTION of WHICH, as well as all other
| lands necessary for the constructions the
! railroad companies are given the power of
! condemnation, there shall be erected a
! union passenger station to cost not less
than $4,000, 600 and to be of monumental
| character. r.
| Fre1kht EStabIfS hmPnt.
| In providing thus for the additional traf-
fic to enter the city by the northerly via
| duct, certain changes are ordered in the
| terminal plans Of the Baltimore and Ohio
provided for by the, law of last February
| which is the basis of the scheme now pro-
posed. Permission is granted for instance
| FOR the railroads to establish freight yard
with tracks, switches, Sheds warehouses;
| etc, in the space bounded by Florida and
| a VnJE -
| E street, closing Sd street between r and
| New York avenue and the east and west
streets falling within that space. Other
| freight handling facilities are to be en-
| Joyed by the roads upon the bed of I'd
street between NJ and N and upon square
| I'll, which is bounded by NJ, N I'd and 1st
| streets northeast.
Streets Closed and Kept Open.
The bill provides that K, L and NJ streets
and Florida avenue shall be continued un-
| der the vfaduct according to a new plan.
| filed with the Commissioners. No men
| ton is made of H street, one Of the most
! important arteries leading to the north
eastern section, and according to one view
| a presumption is logical that It's opening
| is considered as agreed upon according
to the terms Of the Baltimore and Ohio bill
of last year. which provided that between
| the north line of NJ street and the south
| line Of street all the tracks shall
be elevated and carried on a masonry via
| duct, so constructed with arches or bridges
! as to permit each and every intersecting
street or avenue in the city to be passed
! and continued under the same through
arched openings or spaces Of sufficient
! clearance to permit the free and un-
| obStructed use of said streets and avenues"
| This would place H street at this point in
| tunnel $50 feet long, but the old law, 1t
| appears, affects the status of this street
| In the course Of "a blanket street-closing
| provision.
The streets specifically closed by the new
blll are: In lexington, between the west
| line Of 1th and the west line of 5th
Thomas from the west line Of 1th west
| ward; Seaton from the line Of the Metro
politan branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad eastward; from the Metropoi-
| itan branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad to the west side of 9th: Brent
wood from the west side of 7th to the south
side of 8: Sd from the south side of to
Florida avenue Quincy shall be closed and
abandoned In the city of Washington
| Ivy from New Jersey avenue to South
Capitol; I'd northeast between N and Del
aware avenue, and the west forty feet of
Delaware avenue between the south line of
M and the south side of L.
H Street to BE Closed.
"And also" the bill continues, ''all parts
Of streets included within the area Of the
terminal, except K and L streets, 1t being
the intention of this act that all streets,
avenues, ways and alleys within the area
to be occupied and used for said terminal
| and terminal tracks shall be completely
vacated, abandoned and closed, and the
use thereof and of any public reserva-
tion or street spaces Of the United States
within said area be granted to the COM
pany constructing such terminals for the
purposes of the same, except that X and
L streets shall be carried under said ter
| mtnal and terminal tracks by means of
bridges, substantially in accordance with
| the plans agreed Upon between the Balti-
| more and Ohio Railroad Company, the ter
minaf company and the Baltimore and Po-
| tomac Railroad Company and the Com
mfssioners Of the District of Columbia and
| now on file in the Office of the Engineer
| Commissioner" II
This, 1t will be seen from news para
| graphs printed In another part Of The Star
| today. is held by the railroad engineers
| to mean that H Street is to be closed at
| he oi,,f of< H. aaffn xr4th ,,fo