Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-03
EAST WASH|NGTON|ANS
Business Transacted at Asso-
citation Meeting.
INTERESTING TOPICS
GRADE CROSSINGS AND THEIR
ELIMINATION DISCUSSED.
Passage of House Bill Favored-Street
Railway Committee Reports
The Cross-Town Railway.

! special interest discussed at the meeting Of
| the East Washington Citizens Association
| last night In Donnelly's Hall. Mr.. McDon-
| aid, chairman of the railroad committee
| called the matter to the attention of the as
ISOLATION in a report in which he said:
Your attention is respectfully called to
| bill III. r. 1I343, to establish railroad stor-
| age yard for the District of Columbia, and
| for other purposes, and the association is
respectfully requested to endeavor to de-
| feat this effort of the Commissioners of the
| District of Columbia and the Pennsylvania
| Railroad Company to repeal that portion OF
| the act of Congress approved February -
| lyO1, which eliminated all grade crossings
| in the city Of Washington.
"The act of February II, 1901. specifically
provided that the tracks on Canal and X
streets between new Jersey avenue and
| the navy yard tunnel, and the track con-
Meeting said tracks with the United States
| navy yard should be removed within sixty
| days after the completion of improvements
called for by said act
III r. 1913 If enacted into law will eS
| tablish grade crossings at I'd, Sd, 4th, 9Th,
| L and NJ streets, the continuance of the OLD
| tunnel from 9th and Sth streets. with
deadly switch at the crossing of the old
and new tunnel. And, again, we feel con-
fident that the few gentlemen engaged in
| the removal of the city garbage will grasp
! the situation to pefpetuate tnelf 1Oul pant
at I'd and X streets southeast
'In presenting this petition for the con-
| sideration of your association, We beg to
! call your attention to the fact that the
main and principal object of the above
| mentioned act of Congress of February
| 1901, was the abolition of all grade cross
| ings in the city of Washington. and for
| which the citizens of our section and those
| of the southwest had contended for many
| years. 1t will be remembered that the
most dangerous and perilous crossing along
| the line of the Pennsylvania railroad, be
| tween the navy yard tunnel and the 9th
street station, is in the southeast section
| at I'd and X streets. known as Dead Mans
| Curve and yet this railroad company now
| asks the consent of Congress TOR the con-
! tinuance of not only this dangerous cross
street. And why? Simply because of a
| switch that runs from the main tracks on
| X street into the Washington navy yard.
Practically Closed.
For over thirty years the roadway of X
street between Cd and 4th streets. has been
practically closed to property owners and
| residents residing thereon, and as a conse-
| auence, rents have been reduced from 20 to
| 80 per cent, while taxes have been increased
| several per cent over those paid twenty
years ago.
| 1.-The property owners of this section will,
| in common with those of other sections,
have to pay their propOrtiOnate share of
| the many millions of dollars it will cost this
| city to abolish grade crossings in other Sec
tons of the city, and yet they will be I'M
| able to obtain the relief afforded by the act
| of Congress hereinbefore referred to, If the
| railroad company succeeds in inducing Con-
! gress to pass House bill 11343.
| "Other ways may be devised to enter the
| Washington navy yard, without the dan
| serous grade crossing, and thereby relieve
| a long suffering community, and we there
! fore respectfully pray that you VIII use
| your best efforts in the behalf OF an or
| pressed section of our city.
| Following the reading of the report Mr..
! Nottingham presented a preamble and reso-
| luton, in which he recited that III. r. bill
| 17343 seeks to maintain and perpetuate
grade crossings on X street south between
| New Jersey avenue and the navy yard
! tunnel, and on 9Th street southeast, by re-
pealing that portion of the act of Congress
| approved February II, 1901, providing for
| the abandonment of the tracks on X street
| the switch on 9th street and the western
| portion of the navy yard tunnel"
| Mr.. Nottingham then moved that the
| members present vote it to be the sense of
| the association that the passage of the bill
| 1913 will work a serious injury to the prop
| erty and business interests of the SOuthea st
section and be standing menace to life Of
! its citizens.
In conclusion, he moved that the associa-
| ton place itself on record in opposition to
| the passage of the bill. and use its best en-
| deavors to defeat the same.
| The resolution was adopted, and the COM
| mittees of Congress having charge of the
| bill will be asked to hear members of the
| association in opposition to the bill.
| Street Railway Committee.
! President Smith read the report of Mr.
| w. Mosby Williams, chairman of the street
| railway committee, showing what has been
done respecting street railway legislation
| After reciting what has been done in Con-
| gress upon the question the report says:
l hoe DIV of,,I,
| sideration to the proposition to introduce
universal 3-cent fare in the District, and
| in view of all the circumstances the COM
mittee reports adversely on such a propo-
| sition. We do not believe that the present
| is opportune or that the conditions applying
| to the street railroads are such at the pres
| ent time to make this reduction and on the
| other hand, your committee fears that the
| agitation such proposition may seri-
| ously interfere with the favorable results
on the proposed cross-town car line project
| which with universal transfers. which your
| committee has at all times insisted should
be provided for in the proposed legislation,
would be of far greater beretits to residents
| of East Washington than the present condi-
| lions of car traffic with the reduced fare.
| 'on January IA the Senate passed the bill
| IS. 3343) authorizing the Anacostia, Surats-
| vile and Brandywine Electric Railroad
| Company to extend its railroad along Wal
| ker road. Good Hope road Harrison street
| and Monroe street in Anacosta to a juno
| ton with the Anacostia and Potomac Rail-
| road Company, or the Anacostia and 18th
| street line. This bill authorizes the COM
| pany to carry, in addition to passengers,
parcels, milk. garden truck and other small
| freight. II is a line much needed in the
section through which it is proposed to
| traverse ard 1t is hoped by your committee
| that the bill will become law and the road
| constructed
! Letter to Senator Gallinger.
| President Smith then read copy of a
letter recently addressed to Senator CALM
| ger by the officers of the association which
| in part Is as follows:
"Our organization, the oldest of it's kind
| in the city. having probably two hundred
members and for its territory all east of
| North and South Capitol streets. about one
/ fourth of the population of the District. has
| unanimously Endorsed the present project
| Of a cross-town railway. Our association
has been working earnestly fer More than
i q d1oca ting the ssa2e of the btu