Evening star., 1939-09-24
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star
"A plan for connecting Washington
with Baltimore by magnificent boule-

with Baltimore by magnificent boule-
ward says
Proposed Washington The Star of
Baltimore Boulevard September TO-
1885, was dis
cussed in paper prepared by John c.
Heine and read before a meeting of the
Landlords Protective Association of Bal
timore last evening. Mr.. Heine says that
the boulevard between the two cities
should be made wide and well graded. 1t
would connect Washington, city that
will ere long, it is calculated, contain
several million inhabitants. by an avenue
at least $50 feet wide with Baltimore,
connecting there with Fulton avenue,
which is 100 feet wide. and terminating
city park in the world. The route of the
boulevard, after going few miles from
Baltimore, should be over the Washing
ton turnpike. The roadbed should be
completed by 1892 and it would then be
one of the greatest attractions at the
Columbian Exposition.
He suggests that the road might be
divided into sections-one of 80 feet in
width to be macadamized and used ex-
clusively for heavy travel; another of
equal width to be made of good, hard
material for foundation, rounded and
topped off with fine gravel, and should
be used exclusively for carriages and
light wagons, and another of equal width
to be constructed of asphalt for light car
riages, bicycles and the like-this would
be peculiarly desirable in wet and wintry
weather-and another, also 80 feet wide,
should be set apart for rapid transit,
either by electric motors or cable cars
Thus there would be four parallel roads
in the boulevard, leaving still 80 feet for
two sidewalks of Is feet each on either
side of the boulevard.
Mr. Heine thinks that the road with
all its embellishments would probably
cost $4,000 per mile. His plan for secur-
ing the money for the cost of construct
ing the road is as follows:
The Legislature should pass a bill
to authorize the construction of the
boulevard and appoint, say five men, one
C.
Ann Arundel, Prince Georges, Howard
and Montgomery. to establish the width
and grade, to assess the damages and
benefits to the property owners along the
road for about one fourth the entire cost
and providing for the balance by the sale
Of the franchise to an electric. cable or
other company, which should realize
from $3.50, 900 to $500,OO0 The counties
through which the road would pass
should be required to construct the
bridges and to issue from 100000 to
$500 900 bonds each for the construction
of the roadbed This would aggregate
from two-thirds to four-flfths Of the en-
tire cost of constructing the greatest
boulevard on earth, The City Council
should be empowered to do the same
from Franklin street along Fulton ave-
nue., where it is less than 100 feet wide.
Congress, no doubt, would do the same
thing and provide most literally for this
project, which will give an opportunity
for the immense population centering in
Washington to build country villas. In
addition thereto many liberal contribu-
tions would be received from the enter
prising merchants and capitalists along
the line of the boulevard
He is of the opinion that this would
be better plan than to organize COM
pany to build the road and grant the
privilege of charging tolls, as the latter
would undoubtedly be high.
I'm conclusion Mr.. Heine says: WASH
ington is undoubtedly the most beautiful
city in America and the best shaded too
Washington can become city of several
millions Of people without any manufac-
lures and without commerce. The latter
belong properly to Baltimore. Men of
wealth and leisure 60 to Washington and
locate there. The boulevard will afford
them every desirable opportunity of
changing literary quiet for rural life or
coming to Baltimore and hearing and
feeling the din of industry. Its social
attractions are pre-eminent. Editors,
lawyers, statesmen, authors, artists, all
men Of taste and culture, who love re-
tirement and social companionship with
men Of equal culture, seek their homes
there"