Evening star., 1914-12-28
Plans Trolley Freight Depot.

Plans Trolley Freight Depot.
John II. Sherman, superintendent of
weights, measures and markets of the
District of Columbia, today said that If
the 34tl. street. site is approved by the
War Department and the new bridge
is built there, commodious and ade-
quate receiving depot for incoming
trolley freight from a large section of
northern Virginia will be built at that
s.-e. Shippers from as far as fifty
miles from Washington, Supt. Sherman
said, would be able to send their
produce direct into Washington, where
it would be received at the. projected
depot and from there sent by trolley
freight to consignees in the city.
At present Tatan;a said Supt coxhs Sherman man
Washington over the Aqueduct bridge
from a maximum distance of about
fifteen miles. With the proposed troll
ley freight receiving and distributing
depot at gath and NJ streets, furnishing
ample facilities for the receiving and
distributing of trolley freight from
northern Virginia. this distance would
immediately be Increased to at least
fifty miles. Large sections Of Fairfax,
Eauouier and Loudoun. counties could
ship produce of all kinds % Washing
ton by trolley with the new facilities,
resulting in largely. Increasing the ter
ritory from which Washington draws
It's food supplies -'
'.At the :;4ti, street site ground Is avail
able for the construction of n plaza coy
ering two blocks, on which, If this site
is fixed on for the new bridge, the Dis
trict government will erect modern and
commodious receiving and distributing
depots. The old Georgetown market.
which is not of great value to the city
under present conditions. will be converted
into wholesale market. as a part of the
plaza and receiving depot plan.
Blow at Georgetown.
Should the location of the proposed
new bridge be at the foot of II street. or
any other sife far removed from the site
of the present Washington terminus of
the BRIDGE continued Supt. Sherman, lit
means the virtual condemnation of the
entire business section of Georgetown.
which, by the way, is an important sec
ton of Washington. Virginia farmers
who now bank and do great part of
their buying in Georgetown would be
forced to change their credit and. bank
ing bases, and the business of the entire
section lying between II street and the
terminus of tue present Aqueduct bridge
would crumble overnight. Whether or not
the engineering difficulties that may be
attendant on building the proposed new
bridge at the 34th street site would be
sufficient 10 make this advisable is 4
QueStlon Ior tne war department. TO de-
eide.
ECONOMICALLY. the locati Of the
proposed new bridge at the 34th street
| site means the preservation of George
towns business. the establishment of
| q big municipal receiving and dis
| tributing depot and wholesale market
for the handling of trolley freight from
| q largely increased territory in north
ern Virginia. 1t means also that
IGeorgetown's business and banking in
| terests will not suffer. AS an engi-
neeripg problem, the building of the
! Will have to be built with a slight
gradient to carry it up the hill to 34th
and NJ streets. Whether 1t will be bet
ter to build the bridge at the 34th
street site, as provided i'll the Carlin
| bill, even If it must be built with a
gradient or build 1T at II street, where
no gradient would be necessary, and
| by SO doing virtually condemn an en-
tire large and Important section of
| Georgetown. is for the War Depart
| mcnt to decide
To Bring Produce Here.
Supt. Sherman stated that the estab-
lishment of the plaza and receiving
depot at the 34th street site was a fea-
ture of the general plan for simplify
ing the receiving and distribution of
trolley freight that is being worked
out by his department. a similar re-
ceiving and distributing depot, he said,
at 14th and Water streets southwest.
is to be built, probably during the COM
! ing spring. Plans for the depot have
been approved, and the project is now
The depot Is to handle the trolley
| freight coming into the city on the
electric lines that cross the river on
the Highway bridge.