Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-18
hemisp here may well be said to mark the
beginning Of a new epoch In the history OF
fra aDOrtatiOn.'
Mr.. Macfarland's Conclusion.


make the change" Mr.. Mcfarland con-
ciuded. 1T is regrettable that they did not
voluntarily undertake 1t, in the interest Of
the travelling public, Of their own union
station. and. above all, Of the national cap
ttal. No one appreciates more than their
corporation with the Commissioners and
especially what was done by the great pres
ident of the Pennsylvania railroad, In all
our efforts to make the terminal improve
ment here minister not only to convenience
and safety, but to beauty. so as to give us
q noble gateway on our great east and west
boulevard. while freeing George Washing
toms mall from the servitude OF railroad
tracks and station. But no one regrets more
that this participation of the railroads In
the greatest municipal Improvement we
have secured was not crowned by the vol
untary elimination of smoke-emitting loco
motives"
Mr.. r. P. Andrews, representing the Busf-
ness Mems Association. made strong plea
in favor OF the smoke law provision Of the
bill and declared that railroads could make
themselves nuisances and yet be tolerated
while II business men were to act IN the
same way they would be carried before the
courts and fined. He believed that tho
smoke law should be complied with by the
railroads.
Mr. Evan H. Tucker, representing the
Northeast Washington Citizens Assocfa-
ton. appeared in behalf of the bill, but
wanted it amended so that the street pro-
vided east Of the terminal station would be
Mr.. Rea's Opposition.
Mr. Samuel Rea, third vice president OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, adj
dressed the committee at length on the
subject of the bill and said that it would
oe very unjust for Congress to undertake
at this late day to legislate requiring the
railroad companies to bring their trains in
and out Of the District by electric power.
He said that in fact that would be the only
way in which they could comply with the
smoke law. He said that the railroads had
gone ahead and had spent up to this time
$4,000 900 in order to make these great ter
minal improvements, and they had done
that in compliance with legislation provid-
ing for steam power in the terminal.
for steam power. Now when they are
Just about completing the terminal the
proposition is brought forward to equip
with electric power. He said 1t would be
enormously expensive to do that. and
would require additional expenditure
of s., 900. 900. Mr.. Rea stated that In ad-
dition to the $15.0O0.00 the railroads had
spent the completion of their plans In,
GLIDING the approaches to the city, would
cost them another $10,00o.000. He stated
that much has been done 10 dlscoVeT
but that effort had not yet been success
full.
Senator Gallinger asked what was
meant by the statement that the Penn
sylyania would use semi-bituminous coal
MIR. Rea replied that the president Of
the road meant by that that the hlghest
grade of coal would be used.
In reply to another question by MT. Gai-
lnger Mr Rea said that If all rallroads
were to use anthracite coal there would
not be sufficient anthracite to supply the
demand He said that 1t should be borne
in mind that the CRATES and other parts
. of the irebox and boiler had to be adaptea
to the kind of fuel used, so that IT Is not
always possible to change the character or
fuel upon entering the District. Then,
too he said that anthracite coal lacks inc
steaming qualifications that are necessary.
He said that coke does not make steam
well enough to be used. OF course,
change of fuel might be made by puttine
coke on the fire as they enter the D1StrIct.
but he said that would involve delay
which would be very serious 80 Iar as
the southern trains were concerned, MI
Rea declared that it would not be posSlple
for the trains from Richmond or from
Iynchburg to use coal because OF the ex.
pense involved. even II It had s sun. emf
sbiftina engines Of the Pennsylvania rail-
road used coke to reduce smoke.
Four Hours to New York.
ultimately" said Mr.. Rea. I'VE will have
a four hours service between Washington
and New York. and II that 10 to be real
lied we cannot hamper the trains by STOP
ping to change fuel. or by having an In
ferior steaming coal.
The enormous expense involved ~ nahins
the change from steam to electricity, ne
sald was sufficient to make II unjust "
contemplate such a change. He said tha'
n they would undertake to put the eiec.
trical service in operation in the Dlstrlct
alone n would mean delay of two years
in completing their terminal arrangements.
Changes in electrical development are pc
ing made so rapidly that he feared they
would hardly adopt one system pelore IL
would be regarded as obsolete:
MIR Rea declared that The PennsyiVania
railroad. does not look forward to having
electricity in the District OF columo,a ra me n.
such a thing In New York and In Paris
where electric. equipment Is useo' tne cor
ditions were entirely different In new
York trains pass through the tunnei Two
minutes apart and the smoke accumulating
i'm the tunnel makes it necessary 70 proVioe
electrical engines. In Baltimore the Trains
that pass through the tunnels nave an eiec-
trio engine TO heip tHein On tho Doi
and Ohio. -.
tention to the three-mi!e tunnel through the
Cascade mountains on the NoTthefn
posed to have an electrical engine to haul
the trains through that tunnel Ihat peins
practical, he wanted to Know why II couio
not be done in the District 4,
Mr. Rea said that the difficulty OF VENT
Iating that long tunnel, in which employees
had been asphyxiated, were SO sFsat thae
1t presented an entirely dlHereht p,oo. .aar,
Within the tunnel there was steep
grade and the tunnel itself Is at the sum
init of the roadbed, with water power near
nv. Electricity could be generated cheapiy.
Mr.. Hansbrough suggested that the Great
Falls of the Potomac might give cheap
electric power, but In reply Mr.. Rea said
that was matter that he had not Deeh
contemplated.
Al this point Mr. Macfarland stated that
tie bill does net make mandatory the IN
reduction of electric power, but merely
uroyides that there shall be adopted some
method for doing away with the smoke
nuisance.
MI. Bonds Objection.
Mr.. Hugh L. Bond. jr.. second vice pres
ident of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company. and vice president of the Wash
ington Terminal Company. was the next
witness He called attention TO the fact
that the bill provides for the acquis!tlon
by the Terminal Company of an additionai
area east OF the present station mat pro-
vision was made in order TO do away Witn
the unsIghtliness Of old buildings and to
provide for the handling Of postal matter
and for other conveniences to the public.
1--WE are willing TO do this work. said
Mr. Bond but we do not care whether
No do il or not II the bill Is to contain
this provision for introducing electric power
we cannot go ahead. because it becomes
impossible.
Senator Hansbrough suggested that Con-
gress had reserved the right to alter, amend
for IA q