Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-07
A Mooted Question.


invested seems in this case at least to out
siders SO remote. then the question natu-
rally arises, why did Messrs. Mclean and
prise to put their money in 1t. AS there is
no positive knowledge generally available
on the subject men naturally indulge in
speculation. One of these Is in the direc-
ton of an alliance of some sort with the
system Of steam railroads controlled by the
Goulds, and known generally as the Wa
bash system. 1t is supposed to be the am
bit1on of this system to secure an outlet to
the seaboard.
Its holdings embrace the Western Mary
land connection between Hagerstown and
Baltimore. and through purchase from Sen
atOr Elkins and his associates the same
company controls lines in West Virginia
which give connection with the coal fields
of that state. From all these facts the con-
clusion Is reached that 1t Is possible the
Wabash managers may decide to make use
Of the charter of the Old Dominion road
and come to this city, possibly with the
view of continuing the line farther south,
perhaps to Quantico.
AS to how the passenger business can
be handled with terminal on the Virginia
side Of the Aqueduct bridge, the explana
ton Is decidedly haZy. In general way 1t
is said. arrangements could be made for
the transfer of passengers across the bridge
by electric cars. The Old Dominion Com
any has at present the privilege Of run
ming Its cars across the bridge to the
Georgetown end but no further.
Regarded as Possibility.
At this point comes in another interesting
batch Of gossip. 1t seems to be recognized
that terminal at point which the ordi
nary visitor to the nations capital would
look on as in the outskirts Of the city is
hardly suitable for great railroad system
at one Of the principal cities in the country.
The difficulty Is removed on paper, or
rather in talk in the following way: At
next session OF Congress- or whenever that
body may be induced to act, an effort may
be made to secure the passage of bill
comforting on the Old Dominion Company
the right to run over the tracks Of the
present terminus at the end of the
Aqueduct bridge along M street and
across the, bridge over Rock Creek to the
turn where the track passes to the line Of
Pennsylvania avenue.
According to this proposed plan of fur
Their following the tracks Of the Capital
Traction road, 1t will continue on M street,
making what would be called cross town
road and when a point is reached conve
nient to the proposed union depot at Mas
sachuetts and Delaware avenues, to pro-
coed to that point along some suitable
route to be hereafter selected.
Connection With Union Depot.
Legislation of this sort would give the
Old Dominion road a direct connection
through the city with the union depot, and
then in the event any arrangement Is made
with the Wabash system or any other
steam road, the transfer of passengers
could be made on the Virginia side of the
Aqueduct bridge to electric cars that would
take them without further change through
the city to the union depot. 1t Is claimed
that without any connection with steam
road. such a cross-town line connecting
Georgetown with the new railroad station
would be a valuable franchise.
In thus outlining what in the objest of
more or less Of the current talk on this
subject, 1t is not publicly asserted that
those interested in the Great Falls project
have any other motive than to connect this
city with a place of so many natural at
fractions as are found at Great Falls.
However. as said before, on account Of the
men who are now interested in the enter
prise more or less Industrious effort has
been made to ascertain what other possible
motive may have had its influence in in
ducing those men to become actively in
terested in an undertaking of this sort.