davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-01-30
Story Of RoadRoute 1913 Is Worst of It's Kind in Mayan
Civic Groups Battle
To Renoyate Link
Neglected for Years
BY John ~. Stepp

On a Friday afternoon just
three weeks before Christmas
past, a 12-year-old boy was killed
as he walked beside Old Bladens-
burg road on his way home from
Eastern Junior High In Silver
Spring.
At precisely 1925 pm. an air
compressor broke loose from its
tow truck and ran the youth
down.
The school is one Of many
along this narrow, twisting.
rough, heavily travelled road.
The child was one Of many who
use the road daily to go to school.
It has been literally decades
since the thoroughfare-part Of
Maryland State Route 193-has
received major Improvement.
Might the boys life, and the
lives Of others, have been spared
II Route 193-part of which
carries more traffic than any
other State highway in its 18-
foot width category--were mod
ernized as 1t should have been
years ago?
A veteran Montgomery County
policeman observes that street
curbing might have prevented
the death. A civic leader sub
mits that the roads roughness
alone may have caused the COM
pressor to tear loose and run
wild.
The dead boys parents have
another school-age child. They
Evening star., 1955-01-30
old Blodensburg Rut'
It's Users Coll 1t Thot Because:

1t clogged with the heaviest traffic of any Maryland
State highway in its class.
It has no curbs and few adequate shoulders to provide
drainage and safety.
Its blind its invite death to
motorist and pedestrian alike
4. Every main intersection becomes traffic boteneck
s. Hidden entrances are commonplace.
6. Power poes fire hydrants bridge and culvert walls
trees and underground crowd its edges
z. It is treacherous when wet.
g.. Its surface Is pitted and uneven.
9. Sudden short inclines impair visibility.
TO- Buses and trucks slow traffic down to walk.
Evening star., 1955-01-30
It's immediate road-building pro-

its immediate rcad-building pro-
gram. One section is already
under contract and construction
the University Of Maryland by
pass from Adelphi road to the
Baltimore pike. AS for the rest
of the 13 miles Of roadway ear
marked for rebuilding. engineer
ing surveys are better than 90
per cent complete.
I'VE are rushing 193." Norman
M. Pritchett. chief engineer Of
the roads commission, declares.
"It is certainly desirable to take
care Of the most urgent projects
wherever possible all over the
State. and replacing this OBJ
solete highway is one Of the
most urgent"
Mr.. Pritchett says, moreover,
that the commission intends to
advertise all the remaining con-
struction contracts by no later
than early summer. Barring the
unforeseen, such as long spells
Of bad weather, the official
added, the entire job Is due to
be finished by the end Of 1856.
Periodically. Chief Engineer
Pritchett of the roads commits
sion hears that the commission
Is being accused Of stalling on
the Route 1913 project.
There is not a thread Of truth
In such a statement" he says.
"The project has top priority,
the funds are earmarked, and we
intend to get the Job done as
soon as we possibly can"
With construction Of the
Maryland University bypass
already started. the rest Of the
project breaks down into this
order Of construction:
Four Corners to New Hamp-
shire avenue, rs miles: Jones
Bridge road to Viers Mill road,
3.5 miles: New Hampshire ave-
nue. to Adelphi road, 1.8 miles;
Four Corners to Viers Mill road,
81 miles.
Frank v. Dreyer, location en-
gineer Of the roads commission,
explained that q slightly stag
gered schedule is dictated by the
fact that engineering and de-
sign for some Of the sections are
more advanced than others.
Gathering engineering data in
o populous series Of commune
ties such as these is q complex
job, Mr.. Dreyer says. Locating
and charting the public utility
outlets and installations is q
particular headache. Altogether,
just about as much surveying
must be done on side streets as
on the main road itself.
Construction plans call for
tearing out virtually all the ex-
isting roadway of Route 1893, Civ
ing it q modern base and con-
crete surface and easing, II not
eliminating. all Of the vexing
curves.
Perhaps Of greatest impor-
tance Is the scheduled widening
OF the entire route to two "a
foot pavementa These will allow
for two moving lines Of trafiic in
each direction. plus a lane for
parking. A l6-foot-wide divid-
ing strip viii separate opposing
traffic lanes for safety purposes.
Curbing probably win be built
along most Of Route 1893 and
storm water sewage facilities in
stalled for the f1rst time.
Another bypass on the roads
commission drawing boards calls
for a hrand-new two-lane branch
Of Route ls3 to carry eastbound
traffic one-way just south Of the
-Four Corners intersection. II
would swing OF from the present
roadway at St. Lawrence drive
on the east and Lorain avenue
on the west to q maximum dis
tance Of 200 feet from the inter-
section. The existing route
would be widened slightly for
two-lane one-way westbound
traffc.
Evening star., 1955-01-30

no longer let him walk to school.
1t is on the other side of Route
1913. His father now drives him.
One recent Sunday. a house.
wife in Four Corners had q bad
fall in her home. Her husband
tried to rush her to the hospital.
What ordinarily would have
been a l0-minute drive, required
80 minutes. They were caught
in one of Route 1895 infamous
traffic jams.
Not long ago the Georgia
avenue and Four Corners fire
companies of the Silver Spring
volunteers were summoned ST.
multaneously to an apartment
house blaze. Although the
Georgia avenue company, was
situated farther away from the
fire than the Four Corners sta
ton. it arrived first and extin-
, guished the flames. The -Four
Corners outfit had been delayed
by bottle-necked traffic on Route
1893.
The pastor of the Methodist
Church on Route 1913 at Coles
vile road often delays Sabbath
services to give his congregation
time to get their cars through
Route 1893 traffic. For the pedes-
trians who must cross this buzz
saw to get to church he breaches
in his sermons that it is better
late than sorry" 'life is more
precious than time
Evening star., 1955-01-30
The Need

The real miracle of Route 1913
is that its death. injury and
property toll scars no higher.
The road serves a rapidly
growing local population of
nearly 100000. It carries a
daily average traffic volume of
nearly 10000 vehicles. This has
led to well over $50 traffic acci-
dents in the last five years. Three
of the victims were killed. more
than 100 injured and upwards
of $4,000 in property damage
sustained in Montgomery County
alone.
Part OF the traffic burden
stems from the fact that despite
its long looping trajectory be-
tween College Park and Chevy
Chase Circle, Route 1913 serves
as the only "direct" croSs-country
road linking those areas Of
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties.
And nearly a score of schools
and as many churches crowd the
areas adjacent to the thorough
fare. Montgomery County school
buses pick UP even those children
not entitled to public transpor-
tation Just to keep them OF
Route 1913 wherever possible.
The route has retained SUBJ
stantially the character Of the
Colonial tobacco road that part
of 1t once was, Tobacco hogs
heads used to be rolled down
Old Bladensburg road 10 the old
Port of Bladensburg.
Only between Chevy Chase
Circle and Chevy Chase Lake
Is Route 1893 q straight two
lane divided highway. This Sec
tion into Kensington Is actually
Connecticut avenue extended. AT
the lake the dividing strip disap-
pears, the roadway gradually
narrows to single lane and the
Evening star., 1955-01-30

ton to q later date in the pro-
gram. #
The point made to the Gen.
eral Assembly by Committee
Chairman Joseph M. Matthias
was this: State Roads Commis-
sion standards call for a four
lane divided highway when traf-
fic volumes reach 5000 vehicles
a day. Route 1893 carries over
three times this volume and the
traffic is increasing daily"
That the committees voice was
heard is evidenced by the roads
commission decision last summer
to place all but the section be-
tween Wheaton and -Four Corr
ners in the flrst-year construc-
ton schedule.
This decision still fell short Of
the wishes of the community.
The commission was prodded
into further reconsiderations.
While hopeful, however, most
of the citizens still have their
fingers crossed.
Clarke L. Fauver, president OF
the Allied Civic Group. explains:
We've got such short shrift
from the roads commission so
often in the past, naturally
we're still dubious"
Fred B. Farrell, q subcommit-
tee chairman of the Route 1913
Committee, puts it this way: I'VE
appreciate that the present COM
mission has a tremendous job on
its hands getting its big highway
program started all over the
State. But, so fer we have had
little better than a series Of
urOnfiSeS since 1046."
Evening star., 1955-01-30
The States PIun

At long last the State Roads
Commission has placed the re-
construction of Route 1893 all the
way from College Park to Chevy
Chase Lake at the very top Of
Evening star., 1955-01-30

edges dribble into the landscape.
Vicious curves begin near Rock
Creek. The bridge over this
stream and culverts nearby have
walls that crowd the roads edge.
Beyond Kensington- that sec
ton known as the Kensing-
ton Wheaton road-the curves
become nastier, the traffic lanes
tighter. At Wheaton, where the
stretch called Old Bladensburg
road begins, the situation betters
only slightly through the shop
ping area. But just short dis
tance beyond Wheaton. toward
Four Corners, comes the climac-
tic curve of them ala sharp
right angle job at the intersec-
ton Of Kemp Mill road. This is
only an introduction to a whole
series of drivers Nightmares all
the way to the Prince Georges
County line. at which point Route
1913 acquires the name of Uni
versity Lane. -
These include:
Hidden entrances; sudden in
clines and drops: sharp blind
curves, both single and double;
fire hydrants, power poles and
shrubbery hard by the roads
edge; scant shoulder space for
parking or standing; congested
intersections: pedestrians squeez-
ing along the shoulders in the
absence of sidewalks: road sur
faces bumpy as a backwoods
trail; little drainage except as
provided by terrain; surfaces
quite treacherous when wet.
Only at the county line do the
bends and other hazards vanish.
But even in this Prince Georges
stretch. the roadway is, only a
slightly wider single lane in
either direction. And there is
also the university campus bot
tleneck.
AS one civic leader in the
area succinctly sums it: Con
ditions on all of Route 1913 are
a menace to life and property"
The Civic Fight
The present state Of obso-
lescence of Route 1913 has bound
together the organized citizenry
of the adjacent areas as has no
other community problem in
recent years.
The fight for a thorough
going improvement Of the high
way began modestly enough
around l947 when one Of the
first leaders, the Clifton Park
Citizens Association, stumped
for such minimum betterments
as reducing the height of en-
bankmerits at some Of Route
1895 more prodigious curves.
Over the years the citizens
came to refer unlovingly to it
Evening star., 1955-01-30
The Bypass conflict

-Four Corners businessmen,
with the support Of the Route
l93 Improvement COMMITTEES. OPP
pose the bypass, the only appar-
ent roadblock standing between
citizens and State.
Roads commission ofIicials
contend that. In terms Of right
of-way acquisition COSTS the by
pass would be about S300. 600
cheaper tiisn widening the pres
ent route into = four-larie dual
highway STRAIGHT through the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Star STAFF Photo.

1t was then, says Mr.. Metzler,
that it was decided to ask for an
appropriation to pay for an en-
gineering survey to determine
the cause of the buildings de-
terioration and the cost of Struc-
tural repairs. A letter dated
December II, 1852. from the
Quartermaster Corps to MDW,
substantiates this:
Don Craig, a special assistant
to the quartermaster general, re-
ports that a $4,000 appropria-
ton for an engineering survey
eventually was approved in fiscal
year 1854. The survey concluded,
according to Mr.. Metzler, that
extremes of heat and cold were
causing the circular colonnade,
which surrounds the amphithe-
alter. to rock back and forth.
This in turn wrenched the joists
over the trophy room.
The survey concluded that it
would cost $4,000 to right mat
tiers. A House Appropriations
subcommittee. according to Army
spokesman, will consider the re-
quest soon.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Lane Cautions Builders
On Scope Of SIum Plans

The total impact on the con-
struction industry of District
urban renewal program may far
exceed the effect of the public
works program. Engineer Com
missioner Thomas A. Lane said
yesterday.
Keep your eye on the ball
as this one develops" he told a
meeting of the Washington
Building Congress at the May
flower Hotel.
Col. Lane said that the con-
sultants who studied the prob
lem size it up as requiring 5000
million of public funds and pro-
ducing an increase of 5000 mil
lion in assessed valuations.
Since assessments run about
so per cent of market value, he
said, the program would appear
to represent improvements OF
approximately 5000 million re-
quiring $400 million Of private
financing over a period OF IL
years.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Keneipp Suspects
Burden on Postmen
Slows Auto 7 ogs

The reason some motorists
aren't getting their District Ii
cense plates promptly through
the mail may be that postmen
are being slowed up by the
weight of the tags.
Traffic Director George E..
Keneipp, in his television broad
cast last night over WMAL-TV,
The Star station. said each set of
tags weighs a pound. He sug-
gested that $1,000 people who
still haven't applied for the
plates come to Room 1880 in the
Municipal Center and get them
in person. Here. he said, they
may have a 10-minute delay at
most before getting service.
His Office is up to date on mail
requests. Mr. Keneipp reported.
So far, 87.784 sets Of tags have
been processed, as against 3.487
this time last year. The dead
line is March 81.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Unknown Soldier Trophy Room,
Kept Shabby by Red Tape

A snarl of red tape wreathes
the laurels of the Unknown Sol
dier.
Seepage through a structural
deficiency in the southeast cor
ner of the Trophy Room. which
stands directly behind the tomb,
has caused the collapse of large
sections of plaster. Peeling paint
and clammy walls add to the
disreputable appearance. The
net result is a shabby sight to
the estimated II million Amer
leans who come each year to
the tomb of their country's cele-
brated warrior.
Responsibility for the condi-
ton of the Trophy Room. which
contains scores of medals from
many countries and fraternal as
sociations, is difficult to estab-
lish
Representative Rodino, Demo-
crat, of New Jersey charges "the
buildings maintenance has been
neglected for seven years" Mr..
Rodino said his attention was
called to the state of the Trophy
Room by veterans groups.
Cleanup Staff of Three
John c. Metzler, superintend-
ent of the cemetery, said three
janitorS work full time in keep
ing the tomb, the amphitheater
and the building which houses
the Trophy Room neat and
clean. Despite this, he says, the
building is deteriorating.
1t. Col. j. J. O'Grady, a
spokesman for the Military Dis
trict of Washington, which adj
ministers the cemetery jointly
with the Quartermaster Corps
of the Army, added that some
$4,000 of the cemetery's average
annual operational budget of
about $4,000 is devoted to
maintenance of the deteriorating
structure.
Mr.. Metzler appears to have
substantiation for his contention
that he has long been aware of
the condition of the structure
and has taken steps to correct
it, In a letter dated December
9, 1852, an MDW official, appar-
emily replying to query from
the quartermaster general con-
corning temporary repairs to the
building, stated:
Survey Money Asked
"It is the opinion of this head
quarters that the high repair
costs ($4,500). coupled with
many structural defects in the
edifice, render the accomplish
ment of the painting and tenn
porary repair project injudici-
ous."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Civil Service Approval Asked
For D. e. Police CodetProqrum

the cadet plan was recommended
in a recent police department
survey by the Criminal Justice
Association and is used in other
cities. Mr.. Spenver said Chief
Robert v. Murray is strongly
behind it."
Schuyler Lowe. director of
General Administration, said the
District plans to hire not more
than Is of 80 youths during the
first year and said there are no
plans to ask more money for
the department to finance the
program. The youths, he said.
by doing clerical work. will per-
NIT release of clerical workers
and permit shifting of some
patrolmen to street duty.
The cadets would start as GS-1
clerks at $4,000 a year.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
US. Agencies 10 Test
Centers 10 Be Used
In Case Of BOMBING

The Government is getting
ready to place in operation on
a small scale the relocation CEN
tiers from which vital agencies
will be operated in times of
emergency.
This is to be done as a test
of the adequacy of the plans
and to provide training for
agency officials and employees.
1t. Gen. w. S. Paul, retired,
said today the new move is
planned for May /. Gen. Paul
is assistant to Director Arthur
S. Flemming of the Office of De-
Tense Mobilization for plans and
readiness.
Gen. Paul said the plans mean
that a nucleus of about six per-
sons from an agency will be dis
patched to the agency's outlying
emergency center for a two
week tour of duty.
Would Ease Secrecy on Sites
Apparently this means that in
most cases the secrecy surround
ing the sites of these centers will
be abandoned. Gen. Paul said
that if the weather is good. as
it probably will be in the spring,
he presumed the Federal work.
er's wife would accompany him
if she is not kept at home by
children in school or other re-
sponsibilities. Z
Gen. Paul said it is only by
testing out the facilities of relo-
cation centers can it be found
whether they will be adequate
for wartime use. In some of the
places telephone and other COM
munication lines have been estab-
lished; in others that is still to
be done.
So far ODM has not disclosed
publicity where the dispersed
centers are. 1t has said only
that there are about 80 sites in
cities and towns in an area ex-
tending about 80 miles west and
north of the Capital and about
200 miles south.
Government Owns Some
Some of the places are owned
by the Government. others are
vacant private properties. Still
others are institutions such as
colleges with which arrange
ments for the use of facilities
have been made.
The step to be taken May l
is another in the gradual build
up of emergency arrangements
in view of the possibility of an
attack.
The most ambitious plans to
test the various arrangements
are to be held in the Capital
area June Is. Is and II. These
will be in conjunction with the
| Nationwide civil defense exer-
else scheduled for June IS and Is.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Pearl Buck Discusses
Children With President

Mrs. Pearl Buck reported today
that she found President Eisen-
hover very sympathetic" to the
idea of a project she is thinking
about to help mentally retarded
children.
Mrs. Buck. accompanied by
Gov. McKeldin, of Maryland, dis
cussed her ideas with the Presi-
dent at the White House.
She said she and other in
terested persons were in the be-
ginning stages of planning a
project to "do for retarded chill
dren something like the Warm
Springs Foundation has done for
children afflicted with polio"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Citizen Reaction Slow
In Zoninq Survey

A need for more citizen reac-
ton to QUESTIONABLE sent oft
by the Districts coming consult
ant last January was seen yes
terday at meeting of the Execu-
tive Committee of the Commits
sioners' Zoning Advisory Com
mittee.
Only about 40 responses have
been received to the l24 ques-
tionnaires sent out.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Central Drivers File Gets
Us Requests on First Day

The Districts new Central
Drivers File handled more than
125 requests for informa ton
and duplicate traffic records
yesterday during its first day of
operation. according to Traffic
Director George E. Keneipp.
Mr.. Keneipp said the opening
of the new office. in room 1904 of
the Municipal Center Building,
went ahead in accordance with
the plan"
The unit combines police and
Traffic Department records Of
drivers permits. automobile reg
istrations, traffic arrests and
point system charges assessed
against motorists.
The records center yesterday
received % requests for photo
static copies of traffic records.
Most of the remainder were per-
sons verifying the fact they once
held District drivers permit.
Six requests came from Federal
agencies making security checks.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Taxpayers Aren't
So Dumb After All,
Collectors Find

Internal Revenue Service tax
consultants. bracing for a heavy
run of misinformed persons. got
the surprise of their lives today.
They thought the lobby would
be full of those who didn't re-
member, or hadn't heard, that
this years income tax deadline
is not March Is as heretofore,
but April Is.
What happened?
The shortest line of assist
ance-hunters since the first of
the year. Instead of the aver
age waiting line of 200, only SO
or so were there.
January's assistance seekers
ran 5000 higher than those of
January, 1854, and the February
load was up about 1000.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15
Eighteen Calls Received
In Cancer Phone Hour

The District division of the
American Cancer Society last
night held the second of its
cancer telephone information
hours and got 18 customers.
They called the society's office
to ask questions on the symp-
toms, treatment and causes of
cancer and the cost of cancer
operations.
The series of telephone ses-
sions is part of the society's
community education service. A
physician will be on hand at the
District of Columbia division Of
flee from 7 to 8 pm. each Mon
day of March. April and May.
to answer telephone inquiries
about cancer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15

The District Commissioners
today asked the Civil Service
Commission for approval of a
police cadet program.
The plan would permit the
Metropolitan Police Department
to hire high school graduates
between the ages of 17la and
10 as apprentices. They would
do clerical work and take police
training until eligible for ap-
pointment to the force at age 81
The present police practice,
said Commissioner Samuel Spen-
GER, is to recruit only men over 81.
Consequently, he explained,
most young men by that age
already have gotten started in
other lines of work and are no
longer potential police recruits.
Mr.. Spencer pointed out that
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-15

Blessed are the poor in spirit
-" When you are weak and help
less and no help comes from the
material world, then you look to God
for this help and strength. All of us
have our weak and helpless times,
and all of my help and all of my
strength has come from God.
BLESSED are the pure in heart
:. =" After l am done with the tolls
of life, and through with all the aches
and pains and sickness, know there
will be place for me. Through all
of my difficulties, can hear His
voice saying, at the end, We'll done,