Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-20
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
RUNNING OF CARS ON ANACoSTIA
BRIDGE REGULATED.
Must Carry But Forty Passengers at
Speed Not Exceeding Four
Miles an Hour.

bridge Will not be permitted to carry more
than forty persons at time, and the maxi
mum speed on the bridge must be not more
than four miles per hour. An order to this
effect was adopted today by the Commits
sioners, upon the recommendation of Col.
Biddle, and will remain in effect for two
years, or until the new bridge now In
course Of construction is completed. This
marks the conclusion of -drawn-out
discussion between the citizens of Anacos-
tia, the District Commissioners and the au-
thorities of the Anacostia and Potomac
railroad.
For the purpose of greater safety the
street railroad company discontinued the
operation of traiiers across the bridge and
used instead only single cars. 1t was
found, however that these single cars were
crowded to the platform edges and that the
weight was just as great. Therefore the
Commissioners took the matter under con-
sideration again, with the result that late
yesterday afternoon Col. Biddle made the
following recommendation:
II have gone carefully into the question
of the weight of cars, empty and loaded,
crossing the Anacostia bridge, and make
the following recommendation as the re-
suit of my investigations:
up to the time of changing from the
lighter to the heavier cars on the Anacostia
and Potomac River railroad, which took
place about a month ago. it was customary
to use a motor car and trailer over this
bridge. and this gave a distribution of load
which was not considered dangerous. al
though the bridge has been for several
years examined with great care daily, and
in several instances breaks have been found
and repaired.
Bridge Essentially Weak.
LAS has been stated previously regarding
this bridge, 1t is essentially weak and
there is no method of repairing it other
than rebuilding, or building trestles under
meath the center of each span, which latter
method would cost about $4,000 and for
which there is no appropriation available.
The present practice of sending a sin
gle car across the bridge with heavier
load than was usually the case under the
trailer system has made conditions more
dangerous. This bridge is old one, and
although calculated originally for an ultf-
mate strength of $4,000 pounds, it is not
thought safe at present to estimate more
than 10000 pounds due to rust and the
granulation of the members which is known
to have occurred. The present car cross
ing the bridge, and assuming a pedestrian
load of fifty pounds per square foot, which
is not much over one-half what Is calcu-
lated that new bridges should stand, gives
factor of safety of POI.
1.-THE usual practice for new bridges is a
factor of safety Of five, or at least four, so
that 1t is seen that the present factor of
safety is inadequate.
ITO allow the present open cars, holding
100 passengers. which go as far as the
bridge, to cross the bridge, would bring
this factor of safety down to 1.67, and
with the winter cars which. although
heavier, have a better distributed load. a
load of 100 passengers would give a factor
of safety of 1.91.
While this last factor is but little less
than 207, it is thought that this In itself
is too small and that any change should
ha to n dfYpf
ish 1t.
Limits Number of Passengers.
II, therefore. move that the number OF
passengers to be allowed on the cars cross
ing the bridge be limited to forty, and that
the vice president of the Anacostia and Po-
tomac River Railroad Company be notified
to this effect. / have written to him on
the subject, copy of the correspondence
being inclosed In his letter of reply he
states that it is impra cticable to apply such
rule. While limiting the number Of pas
sengers may be difficult to do. it is certain
ly not impossible, and If the public safety
case, such action should undoubtedly be
taken. The railroad company. by having
trallers on the cars which cross the bridge,
even if these were taken off at the end of
the bridge could reduce the stress to an
ordinarily safe limit and accommodate all
probable passengers. With this limit of
forty recommended there Is no reason why
the open cars as well the winter cars
should not go over the bridge.
The Speed Limit.
II further move that a speed limit be ad.
hered to for cars crossing the bridge of
four miles an hour. which was established
by an order of the Commissioners of Octo-
Der %, 1897. allowing the cars of the Capt.
tai Railway Company to cross the bridge.
This is laid down by the regulations, and
should be required to be carefully observed,
and any case of exceeding this limit should
be prosecuted. The reason for this is that
the impact due to swiftly moving cars strik-
ing the bridge is one Of the main causes
of danger. While it is quite possible that
cars could be run with ordinary load over
this bridge without accident until the new
bridge is completed, it is also very possible
that any time a serious accident, result
ing In the drowning of a number of persons,
might occur, and situation which any
day might be the cause of a serious acci-
dent should not be allowed.