Evening star., 1934-04-22
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star


heenly aroused nifty years ago over
the plans for the
hdl4road tracks placing of rail-
in the Streets road tracks
through the city
and Parks. streets. The fol-
lowing news story
in The Star of April "a. 1884. tells
of an organized effort to save the
streets and parks from such en-
croachment:
The Senate District Committee
at their meeting tomorrow will hear
representatives of the citizens on the
subject of railroad routes through
the city and locating passenger
depots. DR.. c. P. Culver will advo-
cate the Morrill, bill to locate a union
depot down near the Navy Yard. and
remove the tracks from the streets on
which they now run in South WASH
ington. The indications are. how
ever, that the committee will not
adopt the Morrill, bill
while the question is by no means
settled, yet there are reasons to think
that the committee will decide either
to require both passenger depots to
be located in accordance with the
recommendation of the Commits
sioners (between Seventh and Ninth
and C and D streets southwesD. or
if the B. & P. depot is permitted
to remain, then to allow the B. &c o.
to construct a passenger depot OPP
poSite to it on Sixth street. 1t is
probable, too. that the committee will
insist upon the reconstruction of the
Long Bridge"
In the same issue of The Star the
following memorial" addressed to
the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States appears:
"The undersigned citizens and tax
payers of the city of Washington
respectfully petition your honorable
bodies that in the bills defining the
routes of steam railroads within the
city limits now pending before your
committees on the District of Co.
lumbia, full provision shall be made
for the prompt removal of the tracks
and sheds of the Baltimore & Poto-
mac Railroad Co. from the public
park or reservation where they are
now situated, and also from Sixth
street west. This park from the
Capitol to the Executive Mansion is
one of the principal features of the
original plan of the city: and as the
city grows in population the impor-
tance, both for public health and
pleasure, of having this park in the
heart of the city becomes every day
A.
the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad
Co. was allowed to occupy it the park
was unimproved, and it was not real
lied how large a sacrifice was being
made to their convenience. With
the completion of the Washington
Monument, the National Museum and
the improvement of the grounds, this
sacrifice is very apparent. Moreover,
the rights and facilities granted to
one railroad must eventually be
granted to others, and it is therefore
only a question of time how soon the
greater part, if not the whole of the
park, will be absorbed for railroad
purposes, unless the existing tracks
are promptly removed. The removal
of the track from Sixth street is
earnestly prayed for, because there
are only five streets crossing the park
to give access to the southern part of
the city and the Potomac water
front, and of these every one except
Sixth street is occupied by a street
railway. The presence of steam rail-
roads on Sixth street virtually closes
it to public travel, and 1t Is Of the
highest importance that this street