The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-30


pending bill to require the railroads using
the Union Station TO comply with the
smoke law The attendance of railroad
men was large. Commissioners Macfar-
land West and Biddle We're present
The railroads submitted a promise:
First, that they would require their yard
engines used wholly within the city linz
its 20 burn coke, ard if that was not sat
isfactory, anthracite, or some other
smokeless coal. second. that all road
engines hauling trains in and out of
Washington should use selected coal OF
the best grade, so as 20 reduce smoke to
Il minimum, and, third, 10 issue instruc-
tons 10 firemen. engineers. and conduc-
tors. and all trainmen. TO exercise strict
care to avoid scattering cinders within
the city.
This proposition struck the committee
members favorabiy, but no indication
Ras given as to how the committee would
act on the bill The committee viii take
the bill up for action Friday Commits
sioncr mcfarland, speaking for the Dis
trict was not inclined TO agree that the
bill should not be passed, but thought
the railroads should be bound by law
just as are all private plants in the city
employing steam power.
The hearing was intended chiefly to
give opportunity for representatives. Of
roads TO the south of Washington 20 be
heard. When the former hearing was
held the general idea was that the only
alternative from present smoke-producing
conditions was electricity. Senator Cal
Iingcr at the outset yesterday explained
that this was not true and that the Ian
guage of the bin simply required that
railroads should comply with the same
law that applied TO all persons or firms
in the District whose plants produced
smoke in offensive quantities. Hotels,
factories. and all power-producing con-
Germs i'm the District had complied with
the law It was now desired that the
railroads should place themselves on the
same footing
No Need for Electricity.
aIr. Samuel Rea. third vice president
of the Pennsylvania Railroad speaking
for the Washington Terminal Company,
the Washington Southern, Atlantic Coast
Line. Seaboard Airline, Chesapeake and
Ohio. and the Southern. read prepared
statement He first took up the state
ments presented by Commissioner Mac
farland at the last hearing from various
engineering authorities and magazine ar
ticIes. and urged that they did not repre-
sent fairly what was the true condition
of the effort now being made by various
railroads to substitute electricity for
steam at terminals He said that the
problem in New York. with three OF four
millions of people where the PennsyI-
vania viii use electric power, was very
different from that in Washington, with
a population Of 100000
The plan i'm New York was only ap-
piled 20 passenger traffic In fact, he
urged electricity was only being tried in
short zones to provide for suburban
traffic. In anything more ambitious il
was wholly an experiment. IN which the
cost Of installation was very great, and
that of maintenance beyond the point
where fl could be used To advantage.
The Pennsylvania line from Camden to
Atlantic City was only a passenger line.
There We're no terminal yards and there
We're but two tracks in the system. No
comparison with what was asked for
Washington could be instituted from this
always would be, for freight on the At
lautic City line.
Speaking of the substitution Of cleo
tricity for steam by the New York and
New Haven, Mr. Rea said it was done
because signals could not be seen in the
tunnels. The identification of the Long
Island lines was done because Of the
necessity OF union with the Manhattan
subway lines. The tunnels also were a
consideration with this line All trains
outside of Brooklyn were hauled by
steam. The problem In New York City
had 90 deal with highly congested traffic,
and the company was planning 20 use
electricity voluntarily, the city authori-
ties allowing the use of coke and selected
coal for locomotives within the city
limits
The yard movements in WASHINGTON
Mr.. Rea said, would be very expensive
for electricity There were efrht roads
.oentering here and dealing not only with
the traffic termining in Washington, but
with that originating i'm the North and
destined for the South and that coming
from the South northward This would
require over 100000 train movements an
uually. No electric system possible
could handle this
On the freight traffic terminating and
would increase the cost to at least So q
car. The numerous public celebrations
held In Washington would require a sys-
tom, II the terminal was electrified that
would give maximum facilities for han
ding traffic. and then this system AT
other times would need 90 be maintained
Tor conducting "a minimum traffic
Mr.. Rea declared that the railroads en-
teTing into the arrangement to build a
union station had done so In no mig
Eardly spirit. ard had provided improve
ments that were twenty-five or thirty
years IN advance of the growth of the
city. lie urged that the cost to the mer-
chants Of an electric system would be in
tolcTabie. that the present plan was to
Keep the freight movement as far out
from the city as practicable. and that
reasonable period should be allowed
AFTER the station was ready for use to
allow the roads to demonstrate by test
what its capacity and facilities were. He
then stated the pledge that the various
roads had agreed 20. of using. as nearly
as they could. smokeless Goals or coke
on yard engines. and that trainmen
should toe held strictly by fines TO ex-
irene care in firing in the city or ap-
preaching IT,
Extension of Time.
Senator Gall.nger asked Mr.. Rea If it
was desirable to extend the time within
which the roads were TO comply with the
Jaw.
Blr Rea said that the time should be ex-
tended from January l. 1905. to January l.
l9lg, at least, and said the roads hoped
that they would not be compelled 10
adopt measures TO do away with smoke
h.-f
way had q trial He said that house