Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

With the installation OF the new
District government under the or
III. ,c.h s+rA.. ganic act Just adopt
Standpipe. s wsGs act ZEN IN pre- de-
mands and claims for municipal I'M
provements TO the new administrators
SO years ago. In The Star Of July 10,
1878, Is the following:
THE District Commissioners deserve
the thanks of our citizens for the en-
ergetic way in which-with the ther-
mometer In the 90s--they are meeting
and disposing of the important Ques-
tions pressing upon them. Their
prompt action in the matter Of the
Fire Department appropriation for two
new engines and d hook and ladder
truck Is worthy of special commenda-
ton. as there is no knowing how soon
our city might be visited by q con-
fiagration which our present small IRE
force would be unable to control. There
has been some talk of the standpipe
making the station.ng of a new engine
In the northern part of the city un-
necessary. To act IN this theory would
be very unwise The increased water
pressure from the standpipe viii be
a valuable help to the fire engines
and that is all. Such pressure Is not
one-half what would be required in
case of a serious flre-not one-half the
water pressure in the engines could
do effective service. The people OF
North washington who have large
and growing property interests at stake
are very decided In the expression OF
their opinion that one OF the new
engines should be stationed In that
part OF the city
It was announced In the news
columns of the same issue that the
contractors for the standpipe had
broken ground for the work at Crescent
street and Sixteenth street extended.
The iron tank stood for many years on
the crest of the sixteenth street hill"
and was q Landmark until q compare
lively recent date. when 1t was removed
for the extension of Sixteenth street.
-
While New Workers were very keen
for the establishment of the elevated
Railway their transports soon after
Nn;s.s the lines were put in OPP
NoAScs' Grafton, In The Star of
July Is. 1878, is the following: :.
II seems likely that benefit OF
some Importance. outside Of the evident
advantages connected with the New
York elevated railroads. may at no
distant time be credited to their con-
The citizens living In houses
along the metropolitan line becoming
convinced that the racket of passing
trains was breaking them down
driving them distracted In
tellectually and injuring them morally
by arousing the strongest passions. ex-
pressed themselves with vigor ON the
subject. both verbally and through the
company, desiring to reduce this objec-
ton to a minimum. naturally and con-
fidently applied for remedy to Edi-
SON. who seems To find time. between
making inventions. and proving to the
English that he hos invented them.
to straighten out ell sorts OF DIM
culties for other people. Preliminary
experiments by which II Is designed to
discover the cause Of the noise and
din to which objection Is raised have
already been made. but no conclusion
Of satisfactory completeness has yet
been reached on this point, and. Of
course, no suggestions can yet be made
AS to how the evils are to be- obviated. |
what gives the matter general In
terest Is the fact that IL has drawn |
the attention OF civil engineers in all
parts OF the United states to the |
nuisance of the noiSc of trains In pass |
Ing through large cities. and has set
their wits to work aScertainins causes
and devising remedies, when II has |
been discovered with accuracy To what |
the din on the elevated road Is due |
and In what proportion steam. vibration |
or other causes are To be held re- |
sponsihle, and corresponding remedies |
have been suggested, ii Is not unreal
aonahle to suppose that the investiga- |
tion will furniA 9aluahle hints for re-