Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-10-28

we are OF, upliiluil Liite siiS ooJNN>t
ton of the Board of Supervisors OF
Fairfax county should be sustained
and that said county should not fbe
required to answer said cross peti-
tions.
The evidence of number OF wit
nesses was taken at the hearing as
TO the dangerous character OF saia
Telegraph Road Crossing.
1t appears that the Telegraph
Road. which is a highway between
Richmond and Alexandria, has been
in existence for more than one hun
dred wears, and was there before the
tracks of either Of the defendant
companies were built across it just
outside the city limits and south Of
the City Of Alexandria, Virginia.
There are now seven railroad
tracks of the defendant companies
crossing sait road at sraAs at the
pOlnC IN lueAIioI'
There are four main line tracks,
two owned by the Washington South
ern Railway Company and two by
the Southern Railway Company. The
other three tracks are used for
standing of cars and for switching
purposes.
It appears that there are from two
hundred to two hundred and fifty
passenger and freight trains pass
ing this crossing every day.
This crossing is frequently travel
ed by persons going in and out of
Alexandria, and accidents have oc-
cure, and others been narrowly
averted, although there has been a
day watchman there for several years,
and the said companies were re-
ouired several months ago to put {
night watchman there also.
But Notwithstanding this the dam
rerous character Of the crossing has
not been eliminated.
1t appears from the record that
the Commission made personal M
spection of this crossing, and this
was done in the presence of the rep
resentatives of the two defendant
companies.
From the record in this case and
all the evidence before the Commits
tion. we are clearly Of opinion that
said grade crossing should be elm
mated, and that as early as prac-
t;cable there should be substituted
therefore an underground crossing
such as is shown on the blue print
filed in the record marked "No.
1904. Washington and Southern Rail-
way Proposed Urdergrade Bridge at
Telegraph Road Crossings Fairfax
Co., Va" with the following addi-
tions recommende3 by Burton Mayre,
civil engineer. in his report OF date
June 25, 1912, addressed to mem
ber of this Commission, as follows,
to-wit:
! lst. That a wire screen covering be
placed on top of the ties, extending
from inside to inside of guard rail
Tor about 9 feet in width on eacf
track for its entire length) to pre-
i vent clinkers, etc. from the ash pan;
! of engines, and leakage frong de-
fective cars, falling into the under
pass, and provide open skyhghts
between the tracks for light and ven
tilation.
2n,H That the roadway or under
! pass be paved for its entire Length
! between the concrete walls with SOM
good material and tha four catch
basins properly protected by remov
able iron gratings should be con
ctructed one on each side of the nortl
or west entrance and one on eac
| side of south entrance, or each just a
the end of the abutments. conneetln
i same with 30-inch iron drain pip
leading from the underpass al
emptying into the overflow race
situated about eight hundred fee
south of the tracks, as shown on tn
; blueprint.
The defendant companies conten
in their answers that under Claus
; 80 of Chapter of an act approve
January 18th, 1904, that the count
of Fairfax should be required to pa
one-half the expense of constructor
2 an underpass at said crossing. VIVA
S ever rights the defendant companl'
t may have against the county OF Fal
s fax for any part of the cost OF ma
t ing this improvement cannot be a
:, serted before this tribunal, for
r stated heretofore, this commission
: has no jurisdiction over the autho
g tiles Of, Fairfax county.
x Tn Clause So of said Chapter