Evening star., 1936-12-12
GEORGET0WNROAD|
WIDENING BACKED
Bethesda Firemen Aid Move,
Citinq Peril to Drivers
and Children.
q, . stan Correspondent Of The star.

BS stan Correspondent OF Ihe StAH.
BETHESDA, Md, December Ia
Heads of the administrative and oper'
atins units of the Bethesda Fire De.
partment today joined the ranks OF
Montgomery County citizens who are
advocating immediate widening and
'resurfacing of Old Georgetown road.
Not only the safety Of the fire fight-
ers and their equipment, but also the
lives Of motorists, school children and
others who travel the narrow thor
-oughfare are imperiled on each fire
alarm or ambulance call, they de-
clared.
John A. Dickinson, president Of the
Bethesda Fire Board, and Hiram Mus
grove, chief of the Sc volunteer men,
bers, charged further that hazardous
conditions of the highway react against
the efficiency of the department on
emergency runs.
Good Luck Averts Crash.
'The fact We have never been in
volved In a serious mishap has been
due primarily to good luck they
stated. 1T appears to be only ques-
ton of time before some real tragedy
will occur unless steps are taken to
eliminate the dangers"
The department, generally regarded
eS one of the most efficient and best
eouipped in the State. one which an
swers an average of 200 fire and am
bulance calls annually is located on
the treacherous road where two mo-
torists died in a bus-auto wreck Sum
day.
Dickinson said both the volunteers
and Fire Board, which Is composed OF
delegates from the citizens associa-
tions and governmental bodies located
IN the fire tax area and charged with
administering tax funds. have urged
Improvement Of the road on several
occasions.
The county commissioners referred
the proposals to the State Roads Com
mission, but no favorable action was
ever taken by that agency" he de-
clared.
He said representatives would be
sent to the mass meeting to be held
by the Old Georgetown Road Citizens
Association at the Bethesda Women s
Club on Wednesday night to urge
State officials to widen and resurface
the road at once.
Near Catastrophies Occurred.
atastrophies with other We
hcles have occurred number OF
times when the departments equip
ment turned into the narrow road on
emergency calls. but all, fortunately,
have been averted, the board presi-
dent said.
The road really should be widened
into a three.lane traffic artery to In
sure the safety of firemen and others
forced to use the thoroughfare," he
concluded.
Chief Musgrove declared the eff
cheney of his men suffers a great deal
because the thoroughfare is of width
insufficient to safely accommodate the
traffic 1t Is forced to bear.
IAN average of 40 men respond
on each alarm" he explained. They
leave their homes or places of en-
ployment to offer the county service
1t could not afford except for volun-
teers On each call they are forced
10 wind their way through trafic to
reach the fire house.
Hard to Reach Quarters.
Great difficulty is always expert
enced by the men in reaching quar-
ters because of the congestion which
occurs all along the lower section Of
the road when traffic halts at the
sound of our siren atop the fire house.
THE delay slows us up in getting
out with our equipment. We suffer
an additional loss of time because We
must proceed carefully with our
large engines to avoid a crash in the
maze of traffic confronting us each
time we go out.
There is no one who would rather
see Old Georgetown road improved
than the men of this department"
Both Dickinson and Musgrove and
possibly other department officials will
attend Wednesdays mass meeting and
voice their views regarding the pro-
posed improvement.
The meeting was called by indig-
nant citizens of the many subdivi-
sions along the road after Sundays
tragedy. Another motorist was killed
IA months ago when his car over
turned on Gingell's curve, one of the
worst hazards in the roadway.
Spurred by the complaints against
hazards along the road, the Advisory
Board Of the District of Columbia
branch of the American Automobile
Association today ordered an immedi-
ate investigation of conditions on the
thoroughfare.
A special committee was created by
john Vandergrift, vice chairman of
the Advisory Board, to study condi-
tions and recommend remedial meas
ures. Officials of Montgomery County
and civic organizations will be con-
suited during the survey.
y