Evening star., 1923-01-05
DARK D. c. STREETS
ENCOURAGE CRIME
Driving Automobiles on Poor
Iy Lighted Streets Is
.,
Dangerous.

In the dark and neglected south
(! east section of the city and sections
| where modern electric street lighting
is sparse, and confined almost entirely
to the main thoroughfares. there are
great possibilities for accidents and
criminal depredations aided by the
| lack Of efficient public highway light
ing. The old and infrm, and even
| the youngsters. too, furnish a prob
lem in accident prevention when
travelling in the section between
South Capitol and sth streets and
East Capitol and o streets. last night
| traversed by a representative of The
| Star.
The only bright spots in the sec
| ton, except on the main arteries
were the automobile headlights. and
! IL was observed in a number of in
J stances parked automobiles left on
! their headlights to furnish a welcome
! addition to the street lighting. II Is
necessary to travel through the
/ Mostly Gas Lights.
The streets are lighted almost en-
/ tirely with. the archaic gas lamps,
| which. in many instances, were OBJ
served to cast more shadows than
| light. This is due 10 the fact that
! the burner is close TO the base OF the
| lamp proper, which increasesl the
| shadow Immediately around the lamp.
| 1t was observed that at street corners
the shadow completely covers the
pavement, making livery difficult for
- cd t~tn 1u~Nt Ia rlxy
when dressed in dark clothes, stepping
| off the curb into the street. For the
same reason IT Is difficult to gee the
approach of a dark-colored auto
! mobile from an intersecting street.
Running along South Capitol street
from p street southeast. the southern
boundary of the Capitol grounds, II
was absolutely necessary as a mat
ter OF public safety and for personal
safety to use headlights.
The lights there are OF the gas
mantle type, far apart. and between
them long spaces of deep shadows,
which were particularly noticeable at
the intersecting streets South of the
Virginia avenue railroad yiaduct the
streets were black, and only with
difficulty could one proceed IL he had
only the street lamps. In this section,
below Virginia avenue, the mantled
lamps failed hopelessly to pierce the
nights darkness.
Accident Narrowly Averted.
Only keen eyesight averted an ac-
cident on Z street southeast between
South Capitol and New Jersey avenue,
when the driver caught a CLEAN re-
hected for a second from the handle
bars on a bicycle being ridden by a
colored man. The man was directly
under the lamp at the intersection Of
Z and Canal streets, but the lightfaH-
ed to show him. except for a second.
The driver Immediately switched on
headlights, and there, but foot ahead
was the bicyclist. The street lamp
had utterly failed IN its purpose Of
lighting the highway 6ufficieltly.
First street between and f streets,
a lighted street, is very danger
Gus, and this condition Is aggravated
by the fact that there Is q car line
there. The mantleS throw out only
weak beams, which are gobDled up
even a quarter of the distance across
the street. This street, from G street
north to East Capitol street, Is light
ed by modern electric lights. aided by
the lights of the House office build
ing and the Congressional Library.
New Jersey avenue is poorly lighted
by gas lamps, but the conditions there
are relieved OF dangers somewhat by
the fact that 1t is a very wide street
and a wider view OF intersections IL
had.
Hospital Neighborhood Dangerous.
Second street from 3 street to
street, where the street practically
ends, is extremely dangerous for both
pedestrians and vehicles alike. and
those in automobiles travelling within
the speed limits, unless they have
very keen might eyes," are courting
disaster. The conditions around the
Providence Hospital are particularly
bad, and were only relieved last night
by the lights from the two dozen. or
more automobiles parked outside.
Third street from East Capitol
In the vicinity of the Brent School.
Providence Hospital and Garfield
Park It was with difficulty that the
writer could see a pedestrian on the
opposite side of the street
Fourth street from East Capitol
street to NJ street Is. dark and danger
ous particularly from street south.
In one place pile or coal within few
feet Of a gas lamp was made out with
dificulty. Fifth street between the
same thoroughfares is in much the
same condition. and at 5th and q
streets last night an automobile near
ly ran down an elderly woman who
stepped of the pavement under the
shadow Of a gas light casting a weak
gleam over the highway.
other Streets BADLY Lighted.
Sixth street southeast from East
Capitol to II street Is not well light
ed. South OF Pennsylvania avenue.
and particularly at the intersection OF
south Carolina avenue. within "a block
OF the ffth precinct police station, 1t
was necessary TO switch on headlights
to make out the roadway. Caution re-
ouired the use OF headlights as Tar
south as NJ street.
Seventh street southeast. gas-light-
ed also. can hardly be called a well
lighted highway. On that street be-
tween South Carolina avenue and e
street last night little boy ran into
the street. He was dressed In dark
clothes and could not be seen until
within . couple Of feet OF an auto