Evening star., 1907-08-24
NEW SIGHTS APPEAR
Fairy Wand Is Being Waved
Over the City.
MANY WSTAS ARE CREATED
W.. -. j
What the Photographer Found on His
Journey.
THE UNION STATION TRACKAGE
=, q
Advance in Price of Land Near Ter+
minal-Is Washington to Have
New Business SectionP
HE UNION STATION TRACKAGE

Have YOU looked around lately? a
! OF course, you know that the District of
| Columbia Is experiencing period of publio1
and private building and engineering cons
| struction unsurpassed in extent at any
| other similar period in its history. IndeedS
| the present summer is notable here for acs1
| tivities which are so numerous as to sugfs
gest the story Of the building OF ancient
Carthage by Queen Dido or. better. the re-
building of Rome by Augustus. i
But have you looked about you within
| the past few weeks to see the strkingp
| permanent changes that have been ais
| ready effected in the aspect OF the city as1
the result OF these activities Have youH
| seen the new and beautiful architectural efsT
| fects, the pleasing vistas and the startllngi
| engineering products that have sprung into
existence almost over night, like the won.
derful palaces of fairy-book fame? y,
1t is true that practically nothing IS yet
perfected of the new works started within
the past two years by the national goverfss
ment, and the railroad companies, vastI
and complete are the plans, but stones and;
| steel have been raised, grading and tunnelIl
ing carried forward and trackage laid to al
| point where things begin to look decidedIyl
different, and pretty good idea OF thsl
| final result may be had without stretchinR
! the Imagination too far.
Probably the immense amount Of track
age, raised high above the level of the
streets, which extends northward for many
| ~
| the most interesting view of the changed
| portions of Washington at this time. Tho
| very fact that these tracks are so higH
| prevents the average citizen from getting u
glimpse Of them from the most striking
| angle.
| View From the Train. ,
As one will come into the city from Bali
timore next year, If he looks out of the
car window toward the south, he will be-
hold a sight worth seeing. On both sides
the wide expanse Of trackage, bordered by
freight and express offices and warehouses
! Of all kinds, will converge in the distance
| into the great train sheds Of the new sta
| ton, which will loom up in attractive archi-
| tectural outlines. From the elevated po-
sition of the train a good view of the sur
rounding city may be obtained and the
Capitol and Library of Congress will be
! more plainly seen on the skyline.
There is no doubt about it; the stranger
| coming to the National capital for the first
time, if he comes from the northward, will
| gain much better car-window impression
than he could ever do before.
| 1t is already becoming clear how beau-
| tiful will be the stretch of Delaware ave.
| nue. from the front of the new station 10
| the Capitol, and thence across the plaza
| down past the House Of Representatives.
| office building. The skylines of both of the
| big new Office buildings are nearly COM
plete. The effect of the simple, massive
outlines of the two structures, clearly
marked IN white marble. can already la
noticed.
A New Business Sectionf
| There has been much speculation lately
| among real estate men as to what is to
| be the future Of Delaware avenue between
| the Capitol and the new station; as ia
what sort of buildings will ultimately oc-
cupy the sites not used by the government
or the railroads. This speculation has also
extended to the other streets in the vicinity
Of the station.
To what degree is this going to become
a new business section?
There Is probably no one who has any
idea that the union station will detract in
the least from the downtown business
section which is establishing itself anew
along New York avenue and G street be-
tween 11th and 18th streets, and shows
signs Of extending northward along 14th.
But it appears to be certain, nevertheless.
according to those who have given the mat
ter a thought. that a separate and lively
business section will before long spring UP
around the station.
The first buildings looked for in the VI
cinity are modern hotels and cafes, and
doubtless these will be followed by stores
of all sorts. Property in the vicinity has
increased enormously in value, even over IN
the northeast, which is out Of the line or
business.
Property High.
Property owners in this part OF the city
are known to be holding tight with tho
hope of selling at big advance to investors.
OF, practical business men who, they think.
will wish to avail themselves of the busi-
ness opportunities about the station.
A warning note was sounded not long ago
by one realty man who had been looking
for an investment in the neighborhood and
who found everything held at prices away
beyond his limit.
Il hope" he said, that these owners VIII
realize the danger of asking much for
their property as to kill the rush Of busi-
ness in their direction property owners
in the early days killed the chances OF
Capitol Hills becoming the fashionable res
idential section by holding their land at
exorbitant figures"