Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29
THE CAPITOL EXPRESS
ONLY FOR HENDERSON SENATE
AND HOUSE.
All Underground and Practically
Completed-Run at Present by
Supt. Elliott Woods.

"All aboard for the Senate limited! This
way for the House accommodation! Step
lively, pleased"
1t Is two minutes to ~ o'clock noon,
and there is a crowd In the waiting room
underground. The trains of two cars
each, the cars about ten feet long and
without roofs, fill rapidly. There is a
sharp clang of the bells: more cries of
'All aboard!' ring out: the gates of the
cars swing shut, and almost Simultaneous
y the two electric trains dash off around
the curves Of the brightly lighted tunnels
a cozen senators reach the Senate cham
Der, and several score representatives
reach the House, just half minute be-
fore the respective gavels OF the Vice
President and the Speaker pound their
desks
1t is he midday express of the Consoli-
dated Capitol railroad, which never sees
the light of day. but whose trains wind
through Capitol Hill like moles scurrying
through their holes.
1t is the United States governments first
experience in government owned and
operated railroad.
A Star reporter was conducted through
the tunnels from the Capitol to the House
and Senate Office buildings yesterday by
representative of Supt Elliott Woods of
liiC NdpltOly 90 tIldl lie COulu see lIldl
everything is ready to install the railroad
systems, and that something like the fore
going will be more than a dream in the
very near future. 1t is understood to be
part of the plan to ultimately extend the
tunnel system across the front of the Cap
itol beneath the plaza to connect the two
Office buildings.
Government Ownership.
1t is 1umored around the national legs-
lative halls that there is quite a contest
on among the Bryan democrats to get
elected to the board of directors of the
road. 70 direct the operation of the first
experiment in government ownership of
railroads would be an honor which no true
Bryaalre would regard lightly.
1t is pretty generally conceded that Mr..
Woods Can be elected president of the
road IL he wants the job. AS a matter of
fact. Mr.. Woods does want the job on one
condition. He wants to be the real preSi-
dent of the road, with the power of en-
ployment and dismissal of subordinates,
and un'ess he can be the real thing it
Is understood that he does not want to
be anything
Mr.. Woods has an idea that it would not
be good thing to make political capital
OF the new road. He is not a democrat,
nor is he an exponent of government own
ership to the extent of wishing to see the
road kept unstained from political graft,
but he thinks an engineer of the Capitol
express ought to be appointed because he
knows how to run an electric train and
properly protect the lives of his dstin-
guished passengers, and not because he is
good republican or democrat, and did
good work In this or that campaign.
Neither the Senate nor the House has ex-
pressed any official opinion on this all
important subject, but it Is generally be-
lieved the first president of the road will
be named Woods, and that he will like his
job.
Various plans for making the subway
attractive have been presented to Mr..
Woods, who has charge of the construc-
ton, now practically complete, but no sor-
did details have yet been definitely de-
termined. One glorious scheme provides
for sort of Bishop Potter tavern as a
halfway house." but while this is said
to have met with almost universal ap-
prevail around the Capitol, 1t is not appar
ent that it will be provided.
Nice Concrete Promenades.
There are nice concrete promenades from
the Capitol to the office buildings. They
wind gracefully. following the curves of
the tunnels, and with the brilliant glare of
many electric lights and a summer breeze
furnished by up-to-date methods at all
seasons of the year, they ought to be very
attractive for an afternoons stroll Hang
ing gardens, an occasional fountain, and
perhaps some statuary or an appropriate
panorama, are some of the things that have
been suggested 20 enhance the natural
beauty Of the passages.
Whateve, may be done to the tunnels
no matter whether they are left in their
present condition of simple though severe
attractiveness or turned into Arabian
Nights corridors-one thing is certain,
which is that they and the railroad they
will contain are likely to play promi-
future.
The question Is being asked, and most
naturally, whether or not the republicans
in Congress realized what they were doing
when they voted to establish the ConSoli-
dated Capitol railroad.