Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-10-28
MUST OBL|TERATE
4 GRADE CROSSING
Dangerous Conditions at
Telegraph Road to be
Abolished.
NO COST TO FAIRFAX.
Commission Orders Southern and
Washington Southern Railways to
Proceed With Work at Once.

A sweeping victory for the people
of Alexandria city and Fairfax coun-
ty was won before the State Corpo-
ration Commission in Richmond yes
1erday when that body decided the
long drawn out fight against the
Southern Railway and the Washing
ton-Southern Railway by requiring
the two defendant companies to at
once eliminate the Telegraph Road
Crossing, one mile west Of the city
limits of Alexandria, and substitute
therefor an underground crossing
which is to be paved with gool mate
rial and properly drained.
The underground crossing to be
used by teams, automobiles and Pc
nestrians will eliminate one of the
most dangerous grade crossings in
the state, where there have been
LARGE number of accidents. The Tele-
graph Road, which is the highway be-
tween Washington, Alexandria and
Richmond, has been in existence Tor
more than 100 years. 1T is at pres
ent crossed by seven ralroaa tracks.
Protests have been made for many
wears against the dangerous condl-
tions existing at this point and after
several conferences with the rept
resentatives of the railroad companies
the latter agreed to construct an
underground crossing provided that
the expense be divided between their
companies and Fairfax county. The
county authorities refused to do this
snl matter then went to State Cor
noration Commission which rendered
a decision that the entire cost must
h;. borne by the railways.
The decision rendered by Judge
Rhea as follows:
This is a proceeding instituted by
The State Corporation Commission
AGAINST the Washington Southern
Railway Company and the Southern
Railway Company on complaint OF
the authorities and citizens OF Fair,
fey county to investigate the alleged
doncerous situation where what Is
known as the Telegraph RoaG cross
es ot grade the tracks of the defend
ant companies in Fairfax county.
This action was taken on the par
Of +he commissioners after long CORE!
nondence and repeated efforts ~
the part of the Commission and th'
authorities of Fairfax county to IN
duce the said railroad companies II
take such action as might be neces
sary to relieve the situation at salt
crossing.
The said railroad companies appear
el and made answer to the said pro
ceedne instituted by the Commission
and practically admitted the necessit,
for the elimination Of said grad
crossing in cause 5 of said answe
as follows: "That the defendant com
nanies are willing that the said Teie
rraph Road be carried under the
tracks as contemplated in the sal
order issued by this honorable ooa
ON March -, 1913, provided the eS
pense of the same be equally divide
between the said railroad companle
on the one part and the county
Fairfax on the other part, as coz
templated by the laws of Virginia
For the purpose of making tt
authorities of Fairfax county part!t
to the proceedings the said defendal
companies asked that their anSwe
be taken as cross petitions again
the authorities of Fairfax count
and that they be required to appe
and make answer to said cross
titions. On the day set for hearn
the Board of Supervisors of FART
County appeared before the Coz
mission by counsel and objected to
being made party and required
answer in said proceedings upon I
ground that the State Corporatl
Commission had no jurisdiction
against the Board of Supervisors
Fairfax county and could not enfol
anv or5er or orders it might ma
in said proceedings against the 30:
of Supervisors Of Fairfax county
could only enforce such order or
der. against ths defendant compap
a. being public service eolpo