Evening star., 1935-02-17
NORTHEAST BODIES
G|RD|NCFORF|GHT
TO OBTAIN BRIDGE
Danger to Children, Fire
Hazard and City Need Are
Pointed Out.

A Franklin street bridge must, In
the opinion Of some northeast citi-
zens' associations, be constructed
over the Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad
tracks, otherwise some Of the small
children attending the Crosby Noyes
School may be killed.
A. F. e. Scheer, chairman North
east Conference Of Citizens Associa-
tions, advances this and two other
reasons which residents Of the area
consider of sufficient importance to
include the project in the 1896 Dis
trict budget.
The fire hazard alone is SUFFICIENT
reason for the construction of the
span, Scheer declared, citing two in
stances in the past where the need
for direct route into the area is
necessary. In the case Of the fire
at the Monumental Stone Co., the
alarm was reported from the east
side of the tracks, to which point
the fire companies responded. In
order to reach the west side Of the
tracks a detour of such length was
required that the structures were
completely destroyed.
Lumber Fire Recalled.
In 1924, at the burning of the
Pierce Mill Lumber Yards. at Eighth
street and Rhode Island avenue, the
latter thoroughfare was completely
blocked for many hours. Should a
fire have occurred on the east side
of the tracks during this time. Scheer
declared, detour of from 8 to 10
miles would have been required for
equipment to reach the conf1agra-
ton
This is community Of small
frame houses, closely built, and the
lack Of bridge causes a great fire
hazard" Scheer stated. I'VE in this
section are peculiarly hemmed in by
the Baltimore and Ohio tracks on
the west and the Pennsylvania and
B. and o. tracks on the south. The
bridge over Franklin street would
afford an outlet to the northwest
Juliet "IllCI1 "Oulu kIGdIly
tate Police Department and emer-
gency runs to the northwest section"
The third reason advanced is that
the need for the Franklin street struc-
ture is much greater than that OF the
projected Eastern avenue bridge, since
the eastern terminus of Eastern ave-
nue. runs into a dead end on Bladens-
burg road. 1t is held that the $780,
900 appropriation, as passed by the
House. should be reallocated to the
Franklin street project. Eastern ave-
nue. does not serve as a cross town
street, Scheer stated, nor lead TO the
downtown section.
Bridge Must Come.
1--WE fully realize" he said, "that
q bridge will eventually have to be
built over Eastern avenue, when and
II the Fort drive Is ever completed"
The Franklin street span is included
in the five-year bridge and highways
plan for 1927: however, the compile
ton of the Fort drive project ZAP
pears to be many years in the future,
and We, therefore, see no urgent need
for the project at this time"
For years citizens groups In the
area have sought the aid Of the
Commissioners and Congress to build
the bridge. Last year the Dahlgren
Terrace, Burroughs, Michigan Park,
Brookland and North Capitol Citizens
Associations requested that money
saved from the Calvert Street Bridge
amounting to $135,00O be used for
this purpose instead Of on the Eastern
avenue overpass.
In this, the Endorsement OF the
Federation of Citizens Associations
was also secured.
In appearing before the Senate Ap-
propriations Committee during the
last Congress. Scheer quoted Senator
Copeland as saying: II would rather
have 10000 buildings burn than to
have one child killed by the railroad"
"I might say" Scheer stated, that
live on the east side of the tracks
and have no children in the public
schools, nor do I know of the parents
Of children in the section to the
west of the tracks, but I feel that
we owe to these helpless, innocent
little children every protection and
safeguard that we can give them"