The Washington herald., 1910-07-28

For the first time, in its long and inter-
esting history, GEORGETOWN has direct
railroad connection with the outer world.
This week merchants in Water and X
streets are receiving consignments Of
freight az their Office doors, and the long
haul from lexington. or the Pennsyl-
vania terminal in Washington. or the
shorter but almost as troublesome pro-
cess Of unloading from the barges on the
river, are things OF the past
The new branch Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad has opened its train serv-
Ice for freight, and a schedule OF two
trains a day will be maintained until the
completion Of the buildings and yards
for the permanent terminal
Under the present arrangement the cars
for the Georgetown merchants are sepa-
rated from the train In Water street and
left before the stores where they are TO
be unloaded or loaded, as the case may
be. while for those farther uptown the
cars are left at convenient street cross
ings. where the haul TO the places OF
business is short.
Will Build Terminal.
Within a few months the company will
have constructed its freight terminal near
the foot of Thirty-frst street. on the
property recently purchased for that pur-
pose. This terminal will consist Of
large freight house. with yards adjacent
for handling all the trains that will be
needed for many years TO come in the
freight business Of Georgetown and for
the territory generally west Of Rock
Creek
The business Of receiving freight and
consigning it TO the Georgetown mer-
chants is in the hands Of w. +. Harrison,
agent Of the company. who has a small
Office max street. near Thirty-frst. At
present only carload shipments are
handled. though in some instances the
car load may 0e divided among several
business men who have made purchases
in Baltimore or elsewhere and have their
eonsignments all IN one car,
Twenty Years Building.
The Georgetown branch Of the Balu-
more and Ohio Railroad is the realization
Of plans that have been several years IN
working out The road runs from the
Metropolitan branch of the Baltimore and
Ohio from Linden. Nd The new road in
cludes three franchises which the COM
pany secured in past years. From Lin
den, Nd, to the District line the fran
chise was obtained from the Maryland
legislature under the title Of the Wash
ington and Southern Railroad. From the
District line 70 the Aqueduct Bridge the
franchise for construction has stood in
the name OF the Washington and Western
Maryland Railroad, while from the Aque-
duct Bridge eastward the title 70 the
property has been IN the name of the
Georgetown Barge and Railroad Com
pany. which for many years has conveyed
cars OF freight from the Alexandra ferry
at Shepherds Landing and across the
river from ROsslyn 70 the vicinity OF
Thirtieth street for unloading All these
franchises are held and controlled by the
Baltimore and Ohio Company, and the
branch and terminal is the property OF
that company. The branch was con-
structed by the c. A Sims Company. of
Philadelphia. and cost 100000
Advantage to Georgetown.
The opening OF this connection with
the outer world will be Of immense and
permanent advantage 70 Georgetown. A
large volume OF traffic is handled by the
merchants west OF Rock Creek. and more
than twenty years ago il was seen that
some kind OF direct railway connection
with the Baltimore and Ohio north, or
northwest Of the District in Maryland
was highly desirable. Many years ago
the route in from Linden was surveyed.
and through various vicissitudes legis-
lative. legal, and financial. the enterprise
has been hanging fire through the inter-
vening years
Finally after the decisions made for
the location Of the permanent terminus OF
the Baltimore and Ohio and Pennsylvania
systems In Washington, and OF the South
ern lines on the opposite shore Of the Po-
tomac, between Alexandria and RossIyn
the way was opened for the completion
or the Georgetown branch. which is in
effect a belt railroad between the freight
yards on the south shore OF the Potomac
around the city over the tracks OF the
Baltimore and Ohio 10 Georgetown. The
connection between the Pennsylvania lines
and It's terminal in South Washington is
physically made at Magruder Nd. and
the system of transfers OF freight between
all the lines entering Washington IS now
complete. except the completion Of the
new Georgetown terminal
At present the new line serves only
the larger merchants Of the West End,
but ultimately Will take on all the fea-
lures of the lexington and South Wash