Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-20
OVERHEAD WIRES ILLEGAL
AGAINST MOUNT
VERNON RAILWAY COMPANY.
Strip Of Track Approaching the
Highway Bridge Not Equipped
With Underground Service.

Before his departure from the city yes
terday afternoon Secretary Taft referred
the case of the Washington, Alexandria
and Mount Vernon Railway Company to
the Attorney General for prosecution
under the law. The case involves the en-
plOyment Of an overhead trolley by the
railroad the Washington approach to
the Highway bridge. Lieut. Dent. the
United States engineer officer in charge of
the bridge. has reported to the War De-
partment that the company is using the
approach in violation of law in having
failed to install complete and satisfac-
tory underground system
The company has been repeatedly no.
tilted to change it's system to comply with
the provisions of the law. but Lieut.. Dent
reports that 1t has failed to do so. 1t was
expected that Congress at Its recent ses-
sion would enact Legislation which would
remedy the situation. but the bill to allow
the tracks to remain where they are
failed of passage.
Requirement by Congress.
The situation as explained by Lieut.
Dent is that the railroad company has
failed to establish a satisfactory system
of operating cars over the stretch of about
go feet between the plow pits at the
SOUTHERN vi tIIc uHOci OtAhu
system and the north end of the Highway
bridge. The act of Congress of Feb
ruary H. 1901 authorizing the Washing
ton. Alexandria and Mount Vernon Rail-
way Company to change the location OF It's
tracks so as to enable them to cross the
Highway bridge provides that mo dynamo
furnishing power to this portion of the
road shall be in any manner connected
with the ground Lieut.. Dent says that
so far no effort has apparently been made
by the railway company to comply with
that requirement on the short section be-
tween the pillow pits and the bridge, al
though his office has made repeated ef-
forts to hasten the work.
The engineer officer recommended that
the company be notified that unless it
complied with the requirements of the
law in the respect noted the tracks or
the company will be removed from the
bridge and it's approaches. The judge
advocate general of the army has given
an opinion that the government has full
legal power in the premises.
Legal Steps to Be Taken.
1t was upon the recommendation Of that
officer that the Secretary referred the
case to the Attorney General to take the
necessary legal steps to compel COM
pliance with the law, and failing that to
cause the removal of the tracks and
operating apparatus from the bridge
ana It's approaches he ldtteT COulSc VI
action would prove a serious blow to
travel between the District and the state
of Virginia. and would be resorted to
only as last extremity 1t will be In
teresting to see what course of action
will be followed by the officers of the
Department of Justice under the instruc-
tions of the Attorney General. 1t is prob
able that the case will be referred to
United States District Attorney Baker for
action.
The Company's Side.
R. c. Chester, the director of the road,
who has had the matter of the disputed
construction in charge, said today:
THE action Of the Secretary is news to
me- as had not heard of it before. When
the bridge was built no provision was
made for underground construction. The
bill in Congress did not pass on account
of the filibustering. although it is on the
calendar. The bill has the approval of
the War Department. We have been
notified, but We have always had the no
tificatiOn extended"