Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-26
Present System is Conglom-
GRAFTON of Confusion.
HOW TO IMPROVE IT
CONSIDERED BY ASSISTANT EN-
GINEER W. p. RICHARDS.
Suggested That Committee Be Ap-
point-Commissioners Will Act
Soon in Matter.

AAe~S
submitted a special report to Col John
Biddle. the Engineer Commissioner. on the
subject Of street nomenclature in the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
Previous to the act OF 1883 for regulating
the subdivisions OF land within the District
no rules or regulations controlled the nam
ing OF new streets. each subdivision being
named in accordance with the wishes Of
the party making 1t.
Mr.. Richards says the result is confused
mass Of names. as adjoining subdivisions
were named without regard to each other
and without system, except that certain
characteristic names were used throughout
some subdivisions
In some subdivisions names Of prominent
men were used. in LIE Droit and Takoma
Parks, names Of trees were employed; in
Meridian Hill, names of lakes; in Brook
land, names Of cities; in Washington
Heights, names of states; in Columbia
Heights, names of colleges. About thirty
subdivisions received names in this irregu-
lar manner.
Suggests Committee.
MIR. Richards suggests that the Commits
sioners name a committee to again take up
the matter of adjusting the nomenclature
Of thoroughfares and that proper steps be
taken to secure from Congress authority
to change the names wherever such au-
thority seems In doubt at present.
Continuing his report, Mr.. Richards says
that under the act Of 1888. the Commits
sioners were given authority to regulate
the subdivisions Of land and g. general
scheme of naming streets was adopted.
This provided for numbers to thoroughfares
running north and south. state names for
avenues, and names of cities for east and
west streets when the alphabet had been
exhausted.
This system was followed for ten years
and was applied to over forty subdivisions.
No authority was given under the act OF
1888 to change the names Of the streets
in old subdivisions. so that the same con-
fusion existed. The Commissioners were
given authority TO name all streets. ave-
nues, alleys and reservations laid out or
adopted under the highway act Of March
2, 1893 but it was impossible to take the
best advantage of such authority until 4
system of highways was completed for
the entire District.
In 1899, the orders made under the act
Of 1888 were so amended as to allow a
different system for naming the east and
west streets and the names used there
after were in accordance with plan de-
vised by Captain L. H. Beach, who was
then Engineer Commissioner.
This plan calls for the use of names OF
distinguished Americans. First. names OF
one syllable throughout the alphabet; then
two syllables, and so on. This provided
a scheme of naming such as Ames, Blaine.
Clay, Dix, and so on through the one
syllables; then Adams, Bryant, Charming.
Douglas, etc, and then Allison, Buchanan.
Crittenden, Decatur. etc. 1t was estimate
that these three classes of names would
carry the east and west thoroughfare1 to
the northern line Of the District.
More Confusion.
''To carry out the real intent Of this last
order" says Mr.. Richards, "a map was
prepared for record showing the new sys-
tenn accompanied by list of changes in
the various subdivisions. These changes
included all subdivisions outside the city,
but the map was withheld from record be-
cause Of an opinion by the corpora ton
counsel, which asserted that an amendment
to the highway act. approved June %, 1885,
allowed no changes to be made in the names
of streets In existing subdivisions Of sec
ton L.
This made 1t necessary to obtain con-
gressional action in regard to this section
so that uniform system could be record
ed In the meantime some half dozen sub
divisions have been made under the new
order of naming, thus adding more con-
fusion to the records.
''As an example of present conditions, one
direct and continuous street, passing
seven blocks the following names: Hart
ford, Austin Galveston and Fulton. Such
differences are quite general in the streets
around Brookland and in the locality just
north OF Florida avenue between the Sol
diers' Home and the Geological Pork The
need Of some action u.s. therefore, pressing,
and almost any system Of remaining will be
an Improvement over present conditions
Efforts have been made from time to
time to do away with the lettered streets
and with any duplication Of names A bill
was introduced in the Senate on March 30
1885, to change the names Of the lettered
streets in the city to the names Of distln-
guished Americans
Justice Hagner Of the Supreme Court Of
the District of Columbia favored this in a.
paper read before the Columbia Historical
society about two years ago. One Of the
Justices OF the Supreme Court of the United
States. in communication to the Commits
sioners, advocated such change and char
acterized the present city system of letters
as 'UtflltarianiSm run madi
"One writer In strange contrast to this
recommended that above w street the mo-
menclature should begin with 'AA' street.
BIB street, ETC., until the alphabet was ex-
hausted, then use three AS, three BIS. ETC.
tenn perfect model. which could be ap-
piled here by changing the lettered streets
into numbered avenues, thus A street "a
LIST avenue, B street as I'd avenue, etc
The Best idea.
"Any system has It's minor objections.
and I believe the last order of the Commits
sioners embodies the best idea on this SUBJ
5ect and should be adhered to- Its appli-
cation to the suburbs north Of the latitude
of east Capitol street will do away with
lettered streets in that part Of the county,
and may serve as an entering wedge to q
change in the city.
IF the system be applied to the city and
county, with the exception that all north
and south streets east Of the meridian of
the Capitol be numbered above one hun
dred. there would no longer be any neces-
sity for using the terms northwest, north
east. southwest and southeast.
1.-The frequent errors arising from conf,-
sion OF letters-putting down B for v. copy
ing l. for s. ETC.. will become more trouble
some as the streets grow longer and as
the duplicate number Of houses thereby
grow further apart
1T is suggested that committee might
be appointed to consider this subject Of
nomenclature, as here suggested, so that
the sections of the District could be elirni-
mated; but believe that the main point to
be considered at the present time Is to OBJ
tain congressional action in regard TO the
remaining of streets In section one, and It is
recommended that steps be taken in that
direction"
The Commissioners will soon act upon the
matter.