Evening star., 1909-08-28
DILEMMA SURE THING
Vexing Problem Confronts
Commissioner West.
ABOLITION OF DUST CLOUDS
Sprinkling Cart Effective. but
Creates Another Difficulty.
STOPS THE RUNNING OF CARS
Avenue Residents Com
plain of Conditions Due to
Work on Railway Line.


investigate complaints that dust clouds
were hanging over the tracks OF the
Washington Railway ard Electric Com
pany. along the route OF the Connecti-
cut avenue cars from 18th street and
New York avenue to Dupont Circle, and
throwing q haze around that section of
the Capital city. he realized that in find
ing a solution he was between the deep
sea and a roaring lion.
The street railway company has been
putting some new and heavier rails along
the route of the Connecticut avenue cars,
and that necessitated the tearing up of
the pavement between the car tracks.
or course tnat work made some dust
fly: but the residents along the route
ultimately come and said nothing After
the new rails were laid the workmen be-
gan replacing the old pavement with
tarred blocks between the car tracks; and
on top of the blocks they sprinkled a
layer of sand to sift down and fill up the
crevices between the blocks.
Sand in Drawing Rooms.
But according to the complaints re-
ceived at the District building. the sand
filed crevices in drawing rooms, dining
rooms and kitchens Of homes along the
route, and every time car swirled along
the line persons living on one side of the
street were for several minutes unable
10 distinguish houses on the other side of
the street. And persons who waited on
street corners to take cars were impel!ed
to rush out to the tracks upon seeing a
cloud of dust moving along the railway
rails.
AS soon as Commissioner West heard of
the dust clouds he ordered out the
Ill % n ha md
1t wet the sand all right and for little
while the atmosphere was clear.
But the water made the blocks in the
pavement swell, and as they grew larger
they began to narrow the slot. AS that
grew too narrow 1t began to smut of
the connecting board that runs through ii
underneath the cars. This swelling OF
the blocks therefore threatened to stop
traffic along the route.
If the tracks were not sprinkled, there
was dust; If they were Sprinkled, there
was danger of stopping the cars.
The Commissioner was advised of this
dilemma, and began to consider the pos
sibilities of using some other material be-
sides sand to put on the block pavement
and conferred with Acting Engineer Com.
missioner Markham. But he found him.
self in another dilemma Cement could
not be used because the jarrng Of the
tracks as the cars run over them pre-
vented 1t from becoming hard, and thus
leIt the DOCKS loose. IdI was lHe HcX'
suggestion. but experience showed that
as soon at hot weather comes along the
tar ooZed out Of the crevices between the
blocks and formed sticky layer on tor
of the pavement.
Capt. Markham's Suggestion.
II realize that the conditions are very
annoying" said Capt. Markham, but
there is no other way in which the work
can be done properly and as the wooden
blocks cost twice as much as asphalt
am very anxious that the railroad com.
pany shall be given ample opportunity to
demonstrate the value OF the experiment
il is making.
Upon this presentation of facts Com.
missioner West decided to deal with the
problem through the agency of the stree,
clea ming department by using all BILE
sprinkling wagons that could be put into
service. BY the use of water the condi-
tions in the neighborhood of 14th street
proved, and this work will be continued
until all likelihood Of annoyance has
ceased. The matter is one to which Com
missioner West has given considerable at
tention but he said today that he would
as far as possible. reduce the cause OF
complaint TO a minimum.
II is stated by the engineer department,
that the trouble would not continue more
than six or seven days. and that when the
sand has thoroughly settled into the
blocks the conditions will be vastly i'm
proved. inasmuch as ii is expected that
the wooden pavement Will reduce the noise
OF the cars. The use Of too much water
in sprinkling only postpones the time
when the work will be completed. mas
much as the water causes the blocks to
swell. and in many cases they have TO
be relaid.