Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-08
WILLNOTMAKE CHANGE
STATION FOR ALEXANDRIA ELEC-
TRIO RAILWAY.
Final Location Likely to Be Near Cor
ner of 18th and D Streets
Northwest.

The Commissioners will adhere to their
recent decision to locate the passenger sta
ton of the Washington, Alexandria and
Mount Vernon railway on ID street near
18th and extend the tracks south along 18th
street west of the Post Office Department
building, unless there should be some rea-
son why the route proposed Is impractical
BILE. This was the substance of the an
nouncement made by Commissioner Mac
farland this morning during the hearing
relative to the protest of the Postmaster
General against laying tracks along 18th
street northwest. From present indications
it is not believed that the Commissioners
will change their former decision in the
matter.
Postmaster John A. Merritt of the Wash
ington city post office represented the de-
partment at the hearing. OtherS present
were General Agent Crawford of the Penn
sylvania railroad, representing the Wash
ington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon rail-
way; Leo P. Harlow, representing the
Washington and Alexandria Commuters
Association; Allison Naior, in his capacity
as a citizen and taxpayer of the District,
and others. Commissioner West was alb
sent from the city, and only Commissioners
Macfarland and Biddle were present to
listen to the arguments presented. The
notes of the hearing. however, Will be re-
viewed by Commissioner West when he re-
turns.
Postmaster Merritt, the first speaker, said
that 18th street is only forty feet wide from
curb to curb and that the operation of cars
on that street would greatly interfere with
the postal business. The amount of mail
matter leaving the post office building by
way of 18th street, he said, IS extensive.
while all the coal for the department is
delivered on the 18th street side. He men
toned that last year $500 tons of coal
were delivered at the department building.
The arrangement of the building is such
thai all coal must be delivered on the 18th
street side. There are no storage accom-
modations for coal in the building, Mr..
Merritt said, and coal is being delivered
at the building almost constantly during
the entire year. .t.-t
BY placing tracks on 18th street he es-
timated that a space only about fifteen
feet wide would be left between the curb
and the tracks. This space he considered
too narrow to permit of the. unloading of
coal wagons in satisfactory manner, as
the delivery of coal would interfere with
the operation of the cars, and the cars
would interrupt the delivery of coal and the
taking out of the ashes, which Is also done
by means of the chutes on the 18th street
side.
After Careful Consideration.
Commissioner mcfarland at this point
stated that the location of the passenger
station on D street and the location of the
tracks along the proposed route had been
decided upon by the Commissioners after
the most careful consideration of the vari-
Gus routes suggested and thorough eX-
animation into the relative merits of the
routes. The proposition to locate the sta
ton on d near 18th street, and to run the
cars north on 1872 street to d, then east
to the station and then south along 18th
to G street and west to 18th, said the Com
miss n he SatiSf1cfnrV
the interests concerned. Several eXamina-
tions had been held on the matter, and
prior to the decision of the Commissioners,
he said, they had not understood that the
Post Office Department had any objections
to the proposed route.
The Commissioners. he said. had consii-
cred the postal business before making their
decision and they had not understood that
the laying of tracks along 18th street would
interfere with the postal service. Mr.. Mac
farland then asked Postmaster Merritt sew
eral questions.
Cannot 18th street be utilized for such
postal business as is now done on 18th
street?' he asked
Eleventh street could not be utilized for
the postal business under the present ar
rangements for the distribution of the
mails" replied Mr.. Merritt
In response to further question MI
Merritt said that 1t would not be impracti-
cable to change the sy@tcm CT handing the
mails so as to utilize 18th street for the pur-
do this however, he said, would necessitate
a Encouragement of the interior OF the
building.
Cob Piddle: How much mail goes out
18th street? / have boon paying some at
tention to this matter for some time, and 1
have never seen a mail wagon standing st
the 18th street entrance. l do not say that
the mail wagons do not St&nd thefe, pul
have never seen one. .
Mr. Merritt: II cannot state exactly the
volume of the mail business on 12th street
but all the small collection wagons prlng III
the mail from their rounds over the CITY 70
the 18th street entrance. During the gay
suppose 100 wagons deliver mail at the l<th
street entrance, and probably a ooZen y.
these small collection wagons STAND III iLoiie
of the entrance at one time. In uLtio. u.
the wagons from the various depar tlheheS
unload az the 18th street entrance.
THE greatest objection, however IL seem seem
to me- would be TO the general conses.eu
condition 18th street If car tracks ,e W.
laid on 1t, and the dlfhcIlty IN rSi'' s'''s
coal to tie department. IL r.
Considered All Objections.
At this point Mr.. mcfarland said: me
Commissioners will carefully consider aii
the objections and the points raised MI
Merritt. But 1 have to say that unless
there should be some reason why ING
route proposed is impracticable' Unless ~
is found impracticable to utilize soihe
other street for mail business, the Coih-
missioners will have to adhere 10 their
former decision as to location OF station
and route, since it seems so satisIacto
and agreeable to the many other inter
ests. The Commissioners, 1t must De
stated, have no desire to interfere In any
manner with the postal service OF the
city" zl-.. . 49,
Allison Nailor mentioned that !lth
street is used a great deal by freight
traffic from the wharves. The only Oh.
lection / have to the proposed route,
said Mr.. Naylor, rs to the additional ex-
ington."
The Commissioners explained that any
change in route would impose expense on
Would cost about 5000 and that change
is unsatisfactory to nearly all the inter-
ests The route formerly ia vored by the