Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
l4TH STREET GRADES
ACTING COMMISSIONER MORROW
MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS.

After mature elaboration on all points IN
volved Acting Engineer Commissioner Jay
J. Morrow has recommended to the COM
rnissioners that the original grades iaAo
down in the plans for the Improvement OF
I4th street extended be permanently
adopted Several communications respect
ing the grades on this new street were be-
fore the Commissioners. some or them from
property owners and from the Capital Trac-
ton Company. One in particular, from
Blair Lee. representing the Washington City
Orphan ASYLUM voiced serious protest
against the grade being fxed at so steep an
angle as 4o-Ioo Der cent and 3o-1oo per
cent. he claiming that the property Of the
institution would be affected, and also that
the public interest would seem to demand
easy grades on what promised to be one OF
the most-used thoroughfares in the Dis
trict.
Mr. Lee took up the grades especially be-
tween Piney Branch and the Spring road
and cited a series OF reasons why the per-
centage should be reduced, follows;
"a grade of 4o-1OO per cent is too steep
10 be used upon any great thoroughfare
where it could possibly be avoided. Such
heavy grades will be a handicap to the COM
rnerce of this great street. 18th street ex-
tended having the prospect OF being one OF
the most important and much-used thor
Oughfares of the of the future city. Such
grade will make both more costly to the
company and more dangerous to the pubic
the operation of the street car systems.
When the macadam is put down and the
street car company has hxed its conduits.
tracks etc. IL would be expensive to the
public and unjust and oppressive to the rail-
road company and the adjacent property
holders to change the grade.
THE fact that the grade of the hill run
ming north from Florida avenue is ~ per
cent is no reason for permitting, where
avoidabIe. similar sharp grades on this i'm
Qortant thoroughfare.
Gould Scarcely Be Avoided.
The grade Immediately north OF Florida
avenue could scarcely be avoided, being the
change from the lower plano of the city of
Washington to the plane Of Mount Pleas
ant. but the hills between Piney Branch and
Spring road, being m the nature of undula-
lions. can be easily managed by slight ad-
dltional expenditure, cutting the same and
removing the earth to the adjacent fills
north and south. and this can be done
economically and effectively at present.
The land OF the Washington City Orphan
Asylum is left by the present insufficient
cutting in a disadvantageous position, which
could be helped by adopting a grade at
that point more suitable to the public in
terest. Sixteenth street being closed to
rapid transit by reason of the park on the
west side. and 18th street being omitted
from the extended streets, 1t Is obvious that
as rapid transit street 14th street extend
ed Will in the future be exceedingly impor-
tant and the main way Of city commerce In
this vicinity. The grades, therefore, should
be reduced. and should not exceed 81 per
cent at any point"
No Objection Expressed.
In his recommendation Capt Morrow
stated that the Capital Traction Company
had expressed no objection to the grades
suggested. but had sgnihec its intention
TO push the work ahead as soon as the mat
ter was settled. He added that he believed
14th street would always retain many OF Its
characteristics as semi-suburban thor
Dughfare, and that IL would be almost en-
tirely residential street. where heavy
teaming would be the exception rather than
the rule
II Is believed to be probable that the board
Of Commissioners will approve Capt Nor
rows finding that the interests of a major
fty of the property owners and of the public
will be conserved by adoption of the grade
OF 4o-1OO per cent and $1,000 per cent
along the line OF the new street