Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-11
CAL1ERM|NALW WORK
Col. Biddle Addresses Civil
Engineers.
TELLS OF CONDITION
IMPORTANCE IN ABOLITION OF
ALL GRADE CROSSINGS.
Concentration Of Passenger Traffic and
Yards for Freight Trains
The Bridge Work.

E1gnt as 1OiioWS:
In accordance with legislation by Con-
| gress which was perfected on the 2Sth day
| of February. 1903, the steam railroad To-
| cations in the city Of Washington are in
process of remodelling.
1.-The most important result to be ac-
complished by this work. and the primary
| cause Of the legislation, is the abolition of
all grade crossings of steam railroads with
| In the city of Washington and of a large
| number outside of the city limits, with the
gradual elimination of all grade crossings
within the District of Columbia.
"A secondary result is the abandonment
of both existing passenger stations and
the construction of new union passen-
ger station for the use of all roads.
The scope of the work can be judged
broadly by its estimated cost Of $40 OOO, 900
at least, nearly one fourth of which will be
| charge upon public funds. about 3,000,-
600 being a direct bonus to the railroad
companies on account OF the advantage to
the public Of the abolition of grade cross
ings and the evacuation Of the mall. and
the remaining 81 100000 to $2.OOO.OoO for the
work to be done by the District, as purchase
of land for plaza and new streets, large
fills, paving outside Of railroad right Of
way. change of grade, damages to private
property, etc.
In addition to the revision of the grades
VI tlc OtuS important changes OF
line have also been accomplished and, es-
pecially in the southwest section of the
city, some very heavy grades in the exist
ing tracks have been reduced, the COM
siderable.
In consequence of these changes of line
great facility in construction work has re-
suited. since considerable portion of the
new work is not interfered with by exist
ing railroad traffic. All the plans for these
changes are prepared by the railroad COM
panies and the work executed by them The
plans are required to be approved by the
Commissioners of the District. They are
examined by the engineer department and
suggestions made. Inspectors further see
that the plans as approved are carried out
and that the public is inconvenienced as
niue as possible. Along the route of the
Baltimore and Ohio road the present traff1c
mas been DETECTED On temporary tracks
around the field Of construction of the new
terminals.
j., Inc general plan Of the terminals proper
is essentially In accordance with the pro
Ject OF the commission for the Improvement
OF the park system in the District Of CO.
iumbia, In that 1t results in the removal of
an tracks and railroad structures from
the mall and establishes a monumental
union depot fronting upon a newly created
plaza facing toward the Capitol building on
the north side OF Massachusetts avenue at
Its intersection with Delaware avenue.
The dominating single structure of the
project Is the union station itself, a monu-
mental building of 76O feet front facing on
the plaza, an elIptical park about 800 by
800 feet. which Is planned to be eaborately
developed with radiating approaches some
or which are new streets 1t will be con-
structed with facing of white Bethel
granite. very beautiful stone. and it is
the avowed purpose Of the railroad com
panies to have a station which will be a
model In every respect
The Typographical changes at this point
are the greatest within the city limits The
grade OF the plaza, which is at the same
elevation as the main floor and terminal
tracks In the station, necessitates fill of
some thirty feet above the present street
grades and of about 100000 yards of
NIL. not including private property Be-
sides the terminal tracks in the station
there are certain tracks on the extreme
east side of the structure forming the pas
senger connection with the south. These are
depressed some twenty feet below the main
floor of the station, and continue through
and under its front walls, and thence
through tunnel down LIST street east be-
tween the Congressional Library building
and the Capitol grounds to a junction with
the Pennsylvania railroad tracks on Vir-
ginia avenue, and thence to the south.
Historic Long Bridge.
''The historic Long bridge is to be re-
moved and the traffic which 1t now carries
is to be divided between a new railroad
bridge-which has been constructed and is
parallel to it and several hundred feet fur
Their up stream. whose early completion can
be expected. The electric cars to Alexandria
and Mt. Vernon, which use the old Long
bridge. are planned to cross on the new
highway bridge when completed.
The present navy yard tunnel of the
pennsylvania railroad Is being Strengthened
and extended about five squares on the line
OF Virginia avenue SO that It's western
portal Will be at ID street east instead Of
at 1th, and this route will be exclusively
for freight, none but passenger traffic being
brought through the union station and the
LIST street tunnel The passenger traffic will
be brought from the north to the union
station by three different lines of road:
First the Baltimore and Ohio's western
connection over its Metropolitan branch;
second, the Baltimore and Ohio's northern
connection over its Baltimore branch and
third, the pennsylvania northern connec-
ton over branch line which, crossing the
Anacostia over new bridge at the Boys
Reform School grounds, will intersect it's
present Philadelphia main line at Magruder
station. In MARYLAND. a short distance be-
yond the District line. All of these tracks are
carried within the city limits proper along
the line of Delaware avenue on viaduct
crossing the intersecting streets on bridges,
except that certain streets are closed.
These terminte at the station. There will
be no train she'd but a platform protected
with an umbrella-shaped covering.
THE Baltimore and Ohio freight facli-
ties Will ne almost eDllTely reconstructed,
and alarge fraction of this work has already
been accomplished, the new coal delivery
yards at LIST and NJ streets northeast and
the new freight delivery station at New
York and Florida avenues being now in
operation.
ITO provide freight tracks and storage
capacity for the passenger equipment for
the new terminals, yards have been laid
out north of New ork avenue extended
and east of the subdivision of lexington
on most liberal scale, the grading opera
lions in this locality being by far the
heaviest that have ever been undertaken in
this vicinity, involving the moving of some
100000 yards of material, the depths of
cut running up as high as eighty feet.
THE Pennsylvania railroads freight ter
minals in South Washington are not
changed in general location, but new ones
| are created and the existing ones are en-
larged and adjusted to the new railroad
grades. In the development Of the terminal
plans minimum clearance Of fourteen feet
| from the grade OF street to the under side
| of an overhead bridge has been consistently
observed This is somewhat greater than
| has been used in many other municipalities
Where a street Is carried over the railroad
| track the minimum distance from rail to
under side of bridge has been made eighteen
| feet.
1.-THE supporting structure of the elevated
| railroad tracks and the terminal structure
| of which the union station building forms
| the southern limit, consists of masonry
lc{d mi lio ad In