Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-23
USE OF RESERVATION.
License Granted Railroad Company Not
to Be Revoked

Acting upon the advice of General Mac
kenzie. chief of engineers, and Colonel
Cromwell, superintendent of public build
ing and grounds. the Secretary of Wan
has acted adversely upon the petition OF
the South Washington Citizens Associa-
ton for the revocation of the license
granted by the War Department to the
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington
Railroad Company, to use temporarily gov
eminent reservation No. 113 at the inter
section of Maryland and Virginia avenues
between It'll and 9th streets southwest
Tie decision of the War Department has
been communicated by Secretary Taft to
Mr.. r. Harrison johnson, chairman of the
citizens association.
In his letter Secretary Taft states that
Col. Bromwell expressed the opinion that
the license should not be revoked at the
present time, and suggested that the mat
ter be held in allegiance until the actual use
of the grounds by the railroad company
demonstrates whether such use creates the
damages and dangers feared by the pro-
testants. In his report on the matter Gen.
Mackenzie called attention to the fact that
the license simply gives permission for the
placing of a specified number of tracks On
for additional street crossings, which. he
says, is a matter over which the War De-
partment has no control
The license" says Gen. Mackenzie, 'is
revokable at will by the Secretary of
War and was granted upon the expressed
condition, among Others that said reSer-
walton shall be used by the licensee only
for the purposes specified therein, viz,
to enable said railroad company to fur
nish safe and adequate accommodate ions
for, and to facilitate the delivery of, large
quantities of building material and other
freight intended for use in the construc-
ton of the new buildings for the Depart
ment OF Agriculture, the National Mu-
scum and the municipal building of the
District of Columbia, now In the course
of construction" ~ fi9
Secretary Taft announced his approval of
the recommendations of the engineers
against the revocation of the license, and
said: 1T may be added that any violation
or the terms of the license will receive
prompt attention by the department"
Col. Cromwell in his report expressed the
opinion that the possible damages and dam
gers arising from the proposed use of res
ervation lib were doubtless exaggerated
by the prOtestants. He called attention to
the fact that for many years Maryland and
Virginia avenues at that reservation have
been used by the railroad Company, and
said that trains are passing at all hours of
the day and night and that cars and en-
gines are being constantly moved from
1T Is not likely said he. that freight
cars will be moving In and OUT of the reser-
walton continually and consequently that
their infrequent movements across 9th
street to the main tracks will add mate
rally to the dangers already existing from
the present grade crossing at that point.
1t IL true the cars will undoubtedly be al
lowed to stand On the reservation but that
Will not constitute danger but only an In
convenience to those persons who have
habitually used the reservation as thor
oughfare. and that Inconvenience could be
reduced If the railroad company were re-
quired to keep the line of 9Th street across
the reservation open and. Waterman or
guard there when cars are being moved
across the ground"