Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-03
ROSY RAILWAY PLANS
Excellent Facilities Promised
Alexandria Commuters.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PROMISED BY PRESIDENT KING
OF MT. VERNON COMPANY.
Hearing Before Corporation Commits
sion in the Virginia City-Manage-
ment and Equipment Scored.
Special Correspondent of The Evening Star

special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
ALEXANDRIA, Va, February g. 1905.
The plans of the Washington, Alexandria
and Mount Vernon Railway Company for
an Improvement of the road, involving the
expenditure of the sum of 100000, were
explained by President Clarence P. King
of the company this afternoon before the
state corporation commission. The state
ments were made at the conclusion of
long line of testimony. commenced yester-
day morning in which volume of varied
complaints was heard against the passenger
service of the line between Alexandria and
Washington. President King recited in de-
tail the purposes of the company for the
radical betJerment of the service.
The sum of 100000. he said will be
available by the LIST of March. 1t will be
expended in making Il complete double
track between Alexandria and Washington
to be ready for operation by next July;
the building of approaches to the new
highway bridge. the purchase of new motor
to be delivered by April, the INSTALL
ment of new system of heating, and in
many other improvements. The interest in
the proceedings was evidenced today, as
was the case yesterday, by large gather
ing of representative citizens in the court
room.
Mr.. ]. Hugh Hazelton, an electrical engi-
neer of New York, was put on the stand
when the session opened this morning. Mr.
BoOthe announced that he had called Mr.
Hazelton to give expert testimony. The lat
ter stated that he had been given courteous
permission by the Washington, Alexandria
and Mt. Vernon Company to visit and in
spect the power houses and rolling stock of
the company. He reported that there
ample power for running all the cars now
in use on the road and even more, but he
said he found the rolling stock in very bad
condition. In his opinion the motors and
other cars showed abundant evidence of
neglect
He noticed that the frames of many of
the cars were so unstable that the roofs
swayed about in a rickety manner when
put III motion. He had seen six motors of
the &c. Z. 1000 type apart for repairs in
the shops and had learned that this
one-half of the motors belonging to the
company. He believed that the most of
these should be relegated to the scrap heap
and motors of an improved type put in their
place. Two motors of an improved kind
were seen in the shops for repairs.
Mr.. Hazelton said there was no necessity
for having motors that break down on the
road every day.
Great Neglect Manifested.
He thought that great neglect had been
manifested in the operation of the road and
the inspection and maintenance of the
equipment. The heaters, he said were not
placed in the best position for proper serv-
Ice. In his opinion there ample power
TO- sufficient heating, which could be pro-
Nlded for without much expense. He had
been shown new heaters in stock at the
shops He thought the company should
discontinue the use of the &c. Z. 1000
motors in pulling traers. He said he had
found no arrangements for traffic emer-
fgencleS such as excursions and special
trains. He said this was the only road he
had ever seen without provisions for get
ting through snow. As to the condition of
the tracking he said he had found the
Joints rough "A ian
ton conveyed to the passing trains
Mr.. Boothe asked Mr.. Hazelton what
caused the whirring sound often heard over
mead on the cars, and the latter suggested
that 1t was due to WORKOUT trolley Wheels
He said, in answer to Mr.. Boothe that the
company should have double track all the
way from Alexandria to the bridge over the
Potomac. He thought a double track could
be completed by next July. The witness
recommended the purchase of at least
eight new motor cars of fifty horsepower
each with a double floor. The sum of 49, 700
was given as estimate of the cost of
each motor. Under cross examination by
Mr.. Moore the witness stated that the COM
pany should have rolling stock of % per
cent IN excess of the usual requirement for
service.
Mr.. Charles F. Thompson of this city, an
electrician, was the next witness called. He
thought the company did not own any good
motor cars, and in general his testimony
accorded with that of the preceding wit
ness; Mr.. T. H. Netherland, the president
called and told of writing letters of com
plant to the president of the road, to which
no reply was received. He said the con-
ferences with Superintendent J. CoIvin had
been pleasant but productive of scarcely
anw Improvement. At the conclusion OF
his testimony Mr.. Harlow announced that
the case for the compliments was rested.
President Kings Promises.
Mr.. Clarence P. King. the president of
the road, then took the stand. He said the
testimony reminded him of the condition Of
affairs on the trolley lines about PhiIadel-
phia, which he thought were worse than
those on his own road. Going back to the
time when he took charge of the presi-
dency he reviewed the history of the road
up TO the present. The road he declared
had labored under financial difficulties for
long time, but, he said the management
mad lately concluded negotiations whereby
on the list Of March, the road will have AT
its disposal more than 500 600 with which to
make all improvements demanded. 1--WE
VIII discard the old motor equipments and
nave ordered four new motors, and viii put
two additional motor equipments into serv-
ice as soon as possible" said President
King. lie then recited some of the special
conditions, such as change from overhead
TO underground currents, the passage over
the Potomac and the crossing of many
steam railroad tracks, which made the op-
Grafton of the road difficult
In conclusion he asked the commission m
allow the road TO carry out its plans with
out any compelling order. He saw no rea-
son Tor any mandate, as he said all the re-
quirements would be met
Mi. Bnothe then addressed the commits
sion in short argument. He was followed
Journed until o'clock 49,
Some Of the Witnesses.
Among the witnesses who were ex-
amined at the afternoon session Yesterday
We're the following: Messrs William Il
Pinkham, an architect in the Treasury De-
partment; Albert C. Murdaugh, a real es
tate broker; Capt. Albert Bryan, member
OF the common council; Samuel p FISHER
member of the board of aldermen; Court
land Lukens, F. A. Stoutenburgh J. Han
son Price, Robert B. Marshall Frank G.
Grimes, John T. Harrison, member of the
council; A. G.. Uhler. Julian Taylor, George
H Rucker, clerk of the courts for Alex
andria county; Henry White, George Har-
low, Frank d. Pollard, e. Walton, w. T.
wilkins, Miss Lucy Graves. Miss Fannie
Herbert. Mrs M r Evans Miss I.ucy O.