Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-26
The Union Station.

Tomorrow marks the real beginning
| OF the end of the Capital cty's made
Quate railroad equipment The Baltimore
and Ohio road VII start the running of
! its trains to and from the new union
station abandoning the ancient structure
a short distance to the south which has
| been one of the landmarks of the District
| for decades. Three weeks later the other
| ines will have been sufficiently adjusted
! to the new conditions to permit their en-
trance as well. and the great joint termi-
/ nal of Washington will have become a
| practical fact. II will of course be some
tine before the station building is COM
! plate with all the facilities for public con
venierce and the artistic items finished
Nevertheless, tomorrow may he set down
rs date Of great Importance in the his
tory Of the District. marking the end Of a
long suffering from grade crossings and
from insufficient terminal equipment.
The history Of the fight for decent and
safe railroad trackage in the District
forms important chapter in the rec
ord OF the national capital Doubtless in
a few months. nevertheless. the average
citizen Of Washington will have become 50
accustomed to the new conditions that he
when trains were run swiftly over streets
without barriers. when lives were crushed
out with shocking frequency. when dense
crowds at the stations impeded ingress
and egresS and train service was unen-
iurably poor With a monumental station
building, equipped with every facility for
the prompt and satisfactory handling of
the traffic. the process of entering or
leaving Washington will be attended by
none of the discomforts and dangers Of
he past. Washington will indeed be
furnished with one of the most artistic
and practically modern railway terminals
n the world
For some months the users of the union
station will be put to a decide I'd incon-
yenience. for which the District govern
meEt or the railroads are not in any
wise responsible. They VIII rot find
means of rapid conveyance Immediately
1t hand no street cars approaching closer
TT an two blocks. For this condition thu
blame must be laid at the doors of Con
grass for its failure to pass the BILL
framed after full agreement between the
street railway companies and approved
by the Commissioners. to adjust the Lines
to the new conditions This bill should
have become a law at the latest a year
ago last spring, in season to enable the
railway companies to order the eel and
to secure the proper foundations for their
new tracks to and across the plaza. This
work cannot be done in a hurry. owing
to the character of the ground which is
10 be covered. The stael manufacturers,
furthermore. do not carry special material
stock such this syst I'm of lines re-
quires II must all be made 20 pattern.
and this process involved loss OF much
time 1t is doubtful whether. If Con-
sress enac.s the necessary law permit
Lting the track changes at the very outset
of the session in December. the
companies can have their cars in service
before the first of next July.
Every passenger who comes into WASH
ington to find the street railway service
in its present condit ION should BE- fully
advised by residents of the reason be-
aind the fact Possibly the object lesson
IN Congressional procrastination in mat
terS affecting the National capital will
serve d good end hereafter Washington
is The city of all the people. of all the
states and any sin of omission or COM
mission on the part of Congress retarding
its progress is to be resented by the whole
country