Evening star., 1933-09-27
|CAR LINE TO USE
| THIRD RAIL OVER
| CALVERT ST. SPAN
Overhead Power Lines Will
Be Removed in New
Structure.
lPLAN FUTURE EXTENSION ,
IOF UNDERGROUND SYSTEM
Hope for Improvement to Limits
- of Connecticut Avenue and
Other Streets.

Sther 01ree1s.
Provision for future extension of the
underground system of power lines for
the street railway lines in the District
Is contained in plans for the new CAL
vert Bridge over Rock Creek now being
drafted for the District by an engineer
ing firm.
This is in keeping with the terms Of
the 1884 appropriation act which made
available out of the gasoline tax sur
plus a sum of S575,000 for starting Of
construction of the bridge. This was
subject. as well as the other gasoline
tax surplus items, to the approval of
the director of the Bureau of the
Budget, which recently was forthcom-
ing.
The appropriation act contained
statement that in the building of the
new Calvert Bridge the underground
system should be part of the plans
| for the span. This development will
eliminate the open pillow pits which
have existed for years in Calvert street
just beyond the Eastern terminus Of
the old bridge.
Future Improvement Expected.
Just how soon an official move may
be made to extend the underground
system out to the limits of Connecticut
avenue, and to the limits of other
streets carrying lines Of the street rail-
ways system, remained in doubt today.
Maj. John o. Gotwals. Engineer Com
| missioner, said today the prospects for
the removal of the overhead power lines
of the street railways in such sections
| would be much brighter after the rail-
way companies begin to receive the
| benefits of the merger Of the Washing
ton Railway & Electric Co. and the
Capital Traction Co., which now is be-
coming an accomplished fact, after
public campaign extending over
! period Of quarter century to that end.
Railway officials have estimated that
street railways would bring a saving OF
about 81 900 900 to the railway industry
| here.
Mai. Gotwals, who is member OF
the District Public Utilities Commis-
sion, said he doubted seriously If any
move for complete elimination OF the
overhead lines could be considered at
| once, due to the present straltened
financial conditions of the two present
companies.
| He said, however, he believed the
matter could be taken into consldera.
tion very properly at some later date II
4
| panies produces the financial benefits
which are expected to accrue.
Conforms to Other Plans
| The provision for an underground
| system in the structure of the new CAL
/ vert Street Bridge conforms to plans
made in the building of the new bridge
over Klingle Valley on Connecticut ave-
nue.. In that case the underground
system was not constructed. since it is
some distance farther out that the un-
derground system now exists, but the
beams of the Klingle span were SO
placed that later the underground sys-
tenn could be installed without in any
way disturbing the structural system
| of the bridge.
| When the new Calvert Street Bridge
is completed, Maj. Gotwals explained,
| the open pillow pits at the eastern end
of the old bridge will be eliminated.
Not only that, but the new pits to be
| developed at the western end, near the
intersection of Calvert street and Con-
necticut avenue, will be of type COM
pletely closed. This will permit traffic
to pass over the pit.
This will be accomplished by the con-
struction of a tunnel running from the
pit under the car tracks to the parking
at the side of the street, where the en-.
|
| Maj. Gotwals said he plans to call for
bids for the construction of pit and
| tunnel from both the merged street
railway company, to be known as the
Capital Transit Co., and also from other
contracting firms. This will give the
Commissioners an alternative in the Sc
lection Of the concern to build the pit.
Provisions in Act.
| The requirement that the new CAL.
vert Bridge carry the underground
power lines, instead of the overhead
| type, was written into the appropri-
alton act, in these words:
And any street railway company
using said bridge shall install thereon,
at its own expense, an approved under
ground system of street car propulsion
and, at its own expense, shall there
| after maintain such underground con-
struction, and bear the cost of surfac-
ing and reSurfacing and maintaining in
good condition the space between the
railway tracks and feet exterior there
to as provided by law, and shall defray
the cost of excess construction oc-
casioned by such use including the re-
location and construction of a closed
plow pit at the west approach to the
bridge in accordance with plans to be
approved by the Commissioners of the
OlStrlct OF COlumDla.
The present requirements in law
that the street railway companies place
their power lines underground for a
portion Of the city only is a story of
the development of the city far beyond
the limits of the old Washington, when
the original laws dealing with the sub
ject were adopted by Congress.
Abolished by Congress.
As a result of strong civic move
ment here, Congress decreed some years
prior to the turn of the century that
the overhead power lines be eliminated
with the adoption of the underground
system. That law applied to the then
existing "city limits" of the National
Capital, which stopped at Florida ave-
nue.. then known as Boundary street"
When Congress on May %, 1890,
passed measure authorizing a change
in the route of the Rock Greek Railway
Co. (now the Capital Traction Coz, a
proviso was inserted to require that the
company should not operate any part
Of its road by electric power with over
head wires within the city limits.
Changes since have been made In the
| requirements for use of the under
ground system, but the District develop
ment has far outstripped such require
| ments, and In recent years the railway
companies have not been required to
extend the underground system because
Of the dWindling profits.
Marriage Licenses Issued.