Evening Star Newspaper, November 23, 1882, Page 2

OUR STREETS “AND ROADS. REPORT OF “LIEUT. GREENE. IMPORTINET RECOMMENDATIONS /- AND SUGGESTIONS, Repiacement of the Wood Pavemenu— New Work Done—The Permit Sys- tem—fereet Cleaning and Lighting— + Theo: Schedules” tory—Geol'Work Done by the Park- | jeg Comminyion—steam Hailroads in | the City—Restrictions Needed for the Safety the Public. Lieut. F. V.. Greene, the engineer officer in Immediate charge of the streets and roads of the ‘Distriet, has made his annual report to Major G. J. Lydecker, U. 5. Engineer Comthis- sioner D, C., as_follows: Distaice or CoBUMBTA, } Wasntnutox, November 20, 1882. Mojor: port concerning the streets and roads of the District of Columbia for the fiseat year, ending Tune 30, 1882: . EXeinekk DEPARTMENT, IT have the honor te submit the following re- | The natu! of the work performed is shown in the foliowing statement: & WijdpoWg ‘popuodxy | “GBHT~ TRBT 00'091 OOLt | On'ooR FTOF | ET'FCR*AgOF PAVEMENTS. The condition of the streets on July Ist, 1882, ‘Was as follows: sq. yards. miles. €onerete (asp! coal tar) ses 1,155,090 48.68 Stone xranite or tray 18.00 Rough si 5 Macadam Gravel Wood. Total improved... Tnimproves During the year, as during the years Eas. the. principal expenditure on the Trets Has been for the replacement of the Worthless wooden. pavements. The progress in this expensive and tedious work Is Indicated by the following table, which shows the amount of ‘Wooden pavement remaining on the streets at various dates since the present form of govern- ent was established: Square yards. Miles, 790,000 34.0 July 1, 1873. July 1. 1879 July 1, 1880. July 1) 1881 16.7 | July 1, 1382. S161 113 During the present tiseal year about 105,000 yards will be replaced with durable pavements, | nd 55,000 vards have been temporarily repaired | With zravel. leaving 120,000 yards (6 miles) in | 1 impassable condition at the beginning of the Bext fiseal year, “The estimates tor that year Contemplate the replacement of 104,000 square | Jards, so that there will still remain a consider- &ble portion of this rotten wood to be replaced @uring the y ending June 30th, 1885, Le., Seven years from the time the work was begun in bs nembered that the amount ©f wooder pavement originally laid covered More than 5) miles and cost over 34,000,000. One-third of the expense was charged to the abutting property, in addition to the gen- 7 eral taxes. The replacement has been paid. for enues, without special as- nent. Its cost. as far as the work had pro- | ed to the close ofthe last tiseal year, is | wn in the following table: =A ee 3 Bec) 2c! : S| sssi| sj 2 | fab eS Sr 5 te28 1 = ZRES 2 z 2|/2228 2 “ : fleess] : =] i} > Bigsss|ee| |g aieeeel"2z {213 2| 2888 | 3 3/2 g 3 $133 g1Fls = J 2 |? | 3} ae =| a be = | 22 a 5 a ae Se eT a Hel * FS e¢ lz] E3 | = I | s os 813 2: | =|, 3 2,3 a E z\ 2 ris sis | ‘The expense of all that portion of the street pavement which lies between the exterior rails Of street railroads and two feet beyond them on each side (a total width of about 18 feet) is Unsatisine- | | | oF occupied by street railroads in such manner | 9s to restrict the travel in a narrow space next | more than four | a little less than that of three classes of pavement for the Ms four years and a-half are shown in the following table: | Granite Asphalt block. ASPhalt. “biog | years by the contractor, ten } careand 1 Paid by the railroad companies. During the past year the companies have thus paid, for pavements exterior to their rails— . 2,429.20 sq. yds. granite block pav't....¢5,984.51 24.02 sq. yds. asphalt block pav't. = 43.68 2,420.53 ag. yds. repairing concrete. 2,426.08 © 6,873.55 SWE sce <cesee--- four pun fe years the asad coat companies under th amounted to $40,817.50. naoee Tees NEW STREET woux. I: addition to the replacement of wood. a con- ‘Sideradle amount of new work was executed cn treets last year. This included granite Block pavements on portions of 4° street and __. Virgin’a avenue in the southwestern section of -tthe city, asphalt pave:nents on portions of Ver- Front avenue and 13th street in the northwes the of portions of New York avenue : and 18th and 224 streets northwest, ens opening of South Capitolstreet through river. Detailed statements of this work will be found In the tables in the appendix: Its entire cost was $77,214.06. The system of paving established by your pre- decessor, the late Major Twining, in 1878 has been adhered to since that date-with only such modifications in details as experience bas shown to be advisable. -Whether or not this system fs applicable to otlier vities (from which we have constant inquiries) it is harslly moecenasy to dis- cuss here; but there can be little question that it is well adapted to the conditions existing in this city, and “that it has given nearly uniform ‘satisfaction heré. | The — essen- tial features of this system. were to lay a pavement of small, regularly shaped granite blocks, cemented In the Joints with tar and gravel, so as to be thoroughly water-proof, on streets of heavy business :ravel, of steep grade, tothe curb. For streets where the travel was uniformly distributed and the grade not too steep an ‘asphalt pavement was adopted, con- sisting of a solid base o&conerete masonry, six inches in thickness, protected and covered by ® wearing surface two and a haif inches in thickness, composed of &’-'mixtare of sand and powdered, stone cemenfed dy refined asphalt from Trinidad. The natural bituminous limestoRes of France. © commonly called “asphalte.” were distinctly rejected as being too slippery, independent of the fact that’they were far more eostly than the Trinidad agphi nd the Belgian pavement of traprock, the cobble stone, the rubble, the macadam and the wood, were all cast aside as having been thoroughly tried and found inferior. The two standard pavements in this city are therefore the asphalt and the granite block, with tar cemented Joints. In addition to these a small amount of pavement of compressed asphalt blocks has been laid each year. At first, this was laid as an experiment, but some of it has now been ears on the street without any repairs, and its character is thus pretty well de- | termined. It 1s, of course, not equal to granite in durability nor is It as smooth as the sheet It. But it has shown that ft resists mod- very well, gives a firm footing tor horses and is less noisy than granite blocks. Tt is adapted to a large number of our streets, ¢ the trafic is light; it has been very ac- ple to the residents wherever laid, and | there is no reason why it should not be further used in localities for which it is suitable, espe- jully if the price continues as at present to be halt. The average prices per square yard of the It is bel fourth less during the same period. hows that the a ‘The table pi axe cost of r 3s been $2 alks, buildi All new pavements are cus p nt of his pay- invested in bonds and withheld du- tegrated, le of repair: bble, s Iaid prior to 1873 nd of broken stone, pebbles, sand dered stone, cemented by some ot the ons products re: mn the distilla- products slowly volat in the air, resultin on of the pavemenit, he are inferior to the asphalt of Trini¢ ementing sub- any of th ever, have made very d street. for. after seven ; others were ¢ thought, a few all in’ danger would soon be worthless that by careful repair: in excellent hout an interior charact that y of destruction, and ut it has been shown ch small in amount, by skilled workmen pervision of inspectors of long ex- lence in that class of work, that they can be made to last f% eral years to come; and that even when the top surface is completely worn off and can be patched no®longer, the base still remains of durable materials, on which a new top coat can be laid, making ‘the pavement al- most as geod as new. An appropriation of » has been annually made for the specitie purpose of keeping these pavements in good ¢ and a similar appropriation is asked for the next year. As we have about 32 miles of these pavements, with a superticial measure- ment of 750,000 square yards, all of which are kept in order with the 350,000, the average cost per square yard is between six and seven cents ayear. This inciudes every expense necessary keeping them in thorouzh repair, besides re- 000 yards each year, and it is certainly not a heayy charge for the luxury of smooth pavements. The cost to the contractors of keeping the new asphait pavementsin repairis, as far as can belearned, between one and two cents a yard annual! It has often been urged as an objection to these pavements that they ive great trouble in opening the streets to re- pair pipes, ete. But this is not the case. Under the regulations now in force no street can be opened without a permit, and before receiving permission to cut a concrete pavement a deposit must be made to cover the expense of repairing it. At certain intervals all such cuts are re- ‘ed by the contractor for repairing concrete pavements, under the supervision of an inspec- tor. The work is caretully done, and the street is then inas good order as before the cut was The average cost to the plumber of re- uch cuts in the pavements is about 35. of the macadam pavements (of have about seven miles) an appropri- 000 has been made annually, and a similar appropriation is asked for next year. During the last year this appropriation was ex- pended in making a thorough repair of ail that prtion of the macadam on 434 street, which ras not replaced by granite blocks. Macadam is not suited to the heavy travel of this street, and the roadway was in very bad condition. T street and Boundary and portions ot 11th street southeast, and of New York avenue, were also put in good order from this appropriation. These streets were not as badly worn as 43¢ street. The total number of yards repaired was For the repair of the Belgian, the cobble, and rubble pavements, and the graveled streets— aggregating about 60 miles in length—as well as the alleys and sidewalks, no specific appro- priation is made. All this work is done under the appropriation for “current repairsof streets, avenues, and alleys.” The work being of a na~ ture which cannot be specifled in advance, it is all done by day's labor under the superintend- ent of repairs. The appropriation for the last year was reduced to $20,000. which was ent for the purpose, and much necessary work was omitted for lack of funds. For the present year the appropriation is $25,000, and it has been bie to take up and reiay much of the rouxir rubble pavement which was in very bad order. A similar appropriation 1s needed for the next year. The nature of the work exe- cuted under this appropriation is shown in the appended statement of the superintendent of repairs. The principal Items are: of cobbie laid_or relaid, 3,400 feet 20,300 feet of gutter-stone set or reset. 8.800 yards of brick pavement and about flye miles of graveled streets repaired. IMPROVEMENTS UNDER THE PERMIT SYSTEM. In addition to the repaying and the ordinary repairs of the streets a certain amount of im- provements are made each year under the “per- mit system.” An appropriation is made ($20,000 for last ae 5 tor the purchase of materials for permit work. Curb, bricks and flagging are purchased from this appropriation, and furnished under certain rules to parties who will lay them at their own expense under ies | intention of the the | other pavements, | are no longer used in our new | 3 which brush the dirt froni-ftte center of op street to the gutters, where fis, piles and shoveled into carts for femo' sweeping is done between 9 p. m. and 6 a. ms and the work of removal is: begun wt daylight and completed by noon. * fee snow.are partially .removed..from the main thoroughfares during the winter, and the gutters and cross-walks are kept. open,; The unpaved streets are cleaned from time ta time by day’s labor under the siipermtendent of re- pairs. The total expenses of street cleaning for the last year were as follows: 5 ? Cleaning paved streets... 25,98 4p Cleaning unpaved streets. 2,465.5 Removing ice and snow. . 468.30 Cost of inspection.... The contract rate for cleaning paved shes last year was 31 cents per thousand yards. e total amount cleaned was about one and a-half millions of yards. The alleys are cleaned once a week in summer and once in-two weeks in winter. Owing to their shape and the rough character of their pavements, it is impossible to use machines in them, and they are all cleaned by hand. The unimproved alleys are cleahed up from time to time by the superintendent of repairs. The cost of alley cleaning during the last year was as follows: Cleaning paved alleys. Cleaning unpaved aileys Cost of inspection STREET LIGHTING. The streets are lighted by gas, under contracts with the Washington and Georgetown Gaslight companies, at the rate of $25 per annum for each lamp, this being the price fixed by Con- gress. The posts are erected by the District, at anaverage cost of about #20 each. After erec- tion all expenses conneeted with their care and maintenance—lighting and extinguishing—are paid by the gas companies. Thg number of lamps on the streets, alleys and roads, on the ist of July, 1881, was 4,202. During the vear 50 new lamps were erected, 15 discontinued and3 relighted, giving a total on June 30, 1882, of 4,240. During the present year the number will be increased by about 30, and during the following year Wy 40 more; so that the average number to be lighted during the year 1883-4 will be about 4,200. The cost of these. at > each, will be #107. ; adding #1,000 for erect- ing new lamps, the total is 108,250, which is the amount of the estimate submitted, T beg leave again to invite your attention to | the unsatisfactory condition of the law regard- | ing the lighting of the streets. This law (act of | June 30, 1874,) limits the number of hours dur- ing which the lamps may be lighted at 2200 per annum, an average of 6 hours each night. The ww was to have the lamps ex- tinguished during moonlight, and it lowed All the practice of small cities in this respect. the larger cities in the country have now al doned this ‘moonlight schedules,” and light their lamps either throughout the whole night | without regard to the moon, or at least light them whenever the moan is obseured by clouds. The number of hours during which the lamps are lighted in other cities is as fuHows: | * New York... Philadelphia. Brooklyn ..... g¢ pS Population. 2 s Sl Eas 3 3 3 = ‘Number of lamps. = 4 soe Proportion of lamps = s = ‘to population. $s 8@a 8 Number of hours Ughted per annum. 008% 168'8 OsF's 88's 149% 000'F Size of burners, “4005 9 +4005 F “7003 9 “oa y “4905 5 “7007 @ SoS S & S f§ | Annual consumption so} 32 8 per lamp in cubie Se S & ® Balen O avn epee Cost of sas per 1,000 = 2 2» 2 x cubie feet. 232 83 38 Cost of lighting, re- pairs, cleaning, ke. go's | oots 00°h Total cost of each lamp per annum. 89°08 9o'00s hedule of 2.200 hours, or lx hours a night, requires the lamps to be extinguished whenever the moon is ahoye the horizon, whether it is obscured by SOU wats Vhen the moon is thus hidden flie ety, must either be left in darkness or the lamps ust. be lighted during a portion of the night, thus inereasing the number of hours; and in order to keep the total within the limit of 2,200, the lamps must be put out long before daylight in the morning. This course is very objectionable, but it seems to be the less of two evils, and it has been gen- erally followed. In order to light the city pro- perly, as its size and importance demand. the number of hours should be increased to 3,000 perannum. No injury would result from re- ducing the burners to the size of 5 feet per hour instead of 6 feet, as the law now requires; and the diminution in the size of burners would largely offset the increase in the quantity of gas required by the increased number of hours, so that no extra expense need be incurred by the chan: The character of the gas, illumin- ating power, purity. pressure, ete., are fully set forth in the aceompanying report of the U.S. inspector of gas and meters, PARKING COMMIBSION. The report of the parking commission shows that during the past year 2,477 new trees have been planted on the streets, and that 868 trees have been set out in place of others which had been destroyed by storms. The total number of trees is now 57,666, giving 130 miles of shaded streets. The principal expense of the parking commission is the constant repair of the wooden tree boxes, which are so essential to the proper growth of young trees, 5,475 boxes having been renewed during the past year, and 6,000 pounds ot leather used for securing the trees to the boxes. The pruning of the trees is also a con- stantly growing expense. But the entire cost of all work under the penne commission is less than $20,000, or $154 per mile of shade. Probably no other equal amount of the annuai expenses contributes so much to the comfort, health and beauty of the city as the money ex pended on the trees. As yet no systematic planting of the roads and suburban streets has been attempted, as the appropriation is not suf- ficient; but trees are furnished free of cost to all parties who will plant and box them properly on such roads under the supervision of the parking commission. A large numberof trees nave been planted in the county under ‘these conditions, During the past year all applications of tele- graph companies to prune the trees which inter- ferred with the working of their wires have uni- formly been refused; no trees have been pruned except by the-employes of the parking comm! the supervision of the District employes. In this manner many new streets are laid out and sidewalks repaired. partly at the expense of the perty owners, in I ities where the traffic is not sufficiently great to warrant improvement at the general expense. the last year 10,814 feet of curb, 16,000 feet of flag, and 177 bricks. were thus purchased, at a total expense of $13,691.59, and about two miles of streets were improved by them. STREET AND ALLEY CLEANING. ‘The paved streets and alleys are cleaned by contract, at a fixed price for each thousand yaras of surface cleaned once. ‘The rate during the past year was 23% cents per thousand yards on the streets; the amount leaned during the ge was a Jess than 109 millions of yards. In clear weather about 18't - 20 Streets are cleaned each The prompt at regular depends on the amount of are swept dally, once @ week, and paved streets are weeks, The sweeping swept is sion, and solely with reference Ertke necessities of the tree itself, as determi: by the members. of the parking commission, who are experts in this matter and whose jud; 6 in toall technical details is invariably ace} as final. ames | thee primer a sie Testor lt o wae 2 will gradually be extended to ail the roads: ‘he most important work of this eharacter hag e 7th street road, which ig ughfare fromthe county’ e the city This road has been entirely — luring the Bast Sarco as. far as Bright+ wood, the stdhe ahadie beliig’ picked up, broken and covered with a bed of fresh stone ave he | in :thicknese throughout the entire len; The side roads have also: aded Is 8 expen 1880-81 , If the approprjation for next year this work can be continued from Brightwood towards the District line. The amount expended on the roads during the past * hed is shown in the tables in the ap- pendix, the total being #19,971.52. are “ SURVEY OF THE DISTRICT. The carefui survey of the District, with refer- ence to the extension of streets and avenues, has made as rapid progress as the appropriation would permit, This work is executed by the officers of the Coast Survey, the District paying the running expenses, and it is of the highest.or- der of excellence. The main and secondary trian- gulations are complete, giving 160 fixed points withiathe District whose positions are absolutely known. The topography has been completed over twelve square miles, and four sections of the map have been drawn and reproducedon a scale of 1:4800. The result of this survey has been of great utility m connection with the ex- tension of the system of water supply. But its main object is to aiford the data for intelligently subdividing that part of the District which: Hes outside of the old city limits into streets and squares as the city is extended; in other words, to enable the city to be extended on some defi- nite plan and not at haphazard. The map ne- cessary for such a plan immediately north of the city will be completed during the present year. STEAM RAILROADS. 4 In compliance with the instructions, which you have given me, I submit the following memoranda and remarks concerning the present location of steam railroads and depots within the city limits. There are two companies, the Baltimore and Ohio and Baltimore and Potomac, which have roads coming into the city, and the Baltimore and Ohio has two branches, so that there arein all three lines of tracks. The east- ward, or Baltimore line of the Baltimore and Ohio enters the city near 10th and L streets northeast, andruns in a southwesterly direction | without any reference to the lines or grades of the streets which It crosses or follows, until 1t reaches Delaware avenue at H street. It follows this avenue from H to E streets, occupying it with four and, in places, five tracks and deatoy. ing its use as an avenue, At E street the tracks leave Delaware avenue and pass across to North Capitol and D streets and thence to the depot, crossing the streets last named about twelve et below the established grade and rendering all travel on them im- possible. This road was constructed more than 40 years ago, when all that section | n open field without streets or of the city w: and the cbmpany has succeeded in main- its line and its own grades against all of the municipal and legislative ments of past years, which at one time were very actively exerted to compel them to con- forin to the grades established by the city. The only concession ever made by the company wi the removal of its depot from Pennsylvania ave- nue, at the corner of Ad street, to its present lo- cation In 1849 and 1850. This was accomplished only after a iong struggle, full accounts of whi are to be mae in the newspapers of that day, and in return the company secured the right to use steam within the city limits for 30 years. ‘The western line yf the Baltimore ang Ohio road, usually Called ‘the Metropolitan byapeh, enters the city near New York avenue and Ist street east, and follows the line of Ist. stree! with one or two tracks to its intersectién wif! the other line at G strect and Delaware avenu This road was built ia 1867, and the act of Con ranting! a charter for it contained a para- ph which confirmed the right to use steam on the main line unt 1910. The Baltimore and Potomac road was built in 1871 and 1872. It enters the city near the Con- gressional Cemetery, in the extreme south- eastern section, passes through an open cut and thence through a tunnel under Virginia avenue, emerging at K street; thence following K street, Canal street, Virginia avenue and 6th street to its depot near Pennsylvania avenue. The southern line ‘of tHe same company follows Maryland avenue, from 6th street to Long Bridge. The various-acts of Congress, granting or amending the charter for this road, preacribe that on 6th street no more than two sets of tracks shall be laid. For other streets no dis- tinet reference is made to the number of tracks, but the charter gives the road in general terms the same rights here as in Maryland, and under the Maryland charter it has the right to use 66 feet. In fact it uses 60 feet on Maryland avenue, a:space of that width being reserved for the company in the centre of the ayenue, protected on each side by a substantial curbing, beyond which is a paved roadway. Virginiasavenug'i¢: not improved; the company has four pracy ppt OF it, which conform to the established grade, are not separated from the roadway by eur: fencing of any kind. On Canal and K streets the tracks are also on the grade, but not sepa- rated from the roadway. The act granting this company the right to come in on 6th street nearly to Pennsylvania avenue, and to construet its depot on a portion of the ‘principal public park of the city, was passed in May, 1872, after along debate and in the face of bitter opposition; although on its final passage the'vote was two to one in its favor. The concession was recognized at the time as an extraordinary one, and would, per; haps, not have been grapted but for the diisake isfaction then existing against the Baltimore: and Ohio road, which had so long had the monopoly of all railroad connection with this city. It has never been considered as a final set- tlement of the railroad question; the act itself contained an express provision reserving the right to modify or repeal it at any time, and hardly a session of Congress has since passed without some effort being made to have the concession on 6th street repealed. The condition of affairs has been very unsatisfactory for all Interests, excepting only the convenience to the traveling public of having a depot so near the heart of the city; the park has been virtually destroyed east of 6th street; all travel on a portion of 6th streét (one of the main thorough- fares to the water front) has been suspended; and the railroad company, owing, probably, to the uncertainty of’ its status, has postponed the erection of any adequate freight depot, and has unloaded its cars on Maryland and Virginia avenues, making a continuous freight depot more than a mile in length on the two principal avenues of the southern section ot the city, to the great annoyance and discomfort of the residents of that section. The dissatis- faction with the existing routes of the raflroads has been gradually increasing for several years, and in February, 1881, the Senate passed a reso- lution directing the Commissioners to report a plan for a union depot, or for two depots if they considered them necessary, and to submit a bill for the permanent settlement of the railroad routes. In obedienge to that resolution Major Twining prepared &n elaborate report on the matter, with plans and estimates, and the draft ofa bili to cargy it into effect, which was sub- mitted to the Senate by the Commissioners at the last session, of Cor A bill was intro- duced off the basis of this report, but no action was taken upor it. »-Bhere the matter rests, and the interests of-the city continue to suffer from the impediments plaeed upon the travel on its streets by the present lines, as well as by the virtual destruction of,a large part of it park. ‘The essential features of Major Twining’s re- Port were to remove the B. & P. tracks from 6th street, and to deflectitheir line in the middle of their present tunnelZat 8th street east, tnence up that street to E dnd along § to 1st east, in tunnel; to unite the two branches of the B. & 0. road outside of the éity limits and bring them govern- | 5 Se . = — that the southern section of the city is the location for the ratlroad lines; it has.no gs, and it is adjacent to the river ‘and must therefore of necessity be largely devoted to business; it contains the only tieable route to the crossing of the river the southern line; it is in every way adapted to :whaterer-manufacturing or ‘usiness- interests May, be developed here. be ‘doubt eat if the railroad routes were perm: 'tentty, éstablished there and freight depots we: eonstracted great benetits woul it to the spooperty ia that section as well as to the whole city. «There are two main avenues, Virginia and Maryland, ‘ing through that section and leading to the Long bridge, each of them 160 ‘tect wide. This ‘affords ample room for the Tatlroad lines under proper restrictions, which swild be-hereafter mentioned. The B. and P. road now occupies that line, and no change could be made in so much of its route as lies south of the park which would not be an injury rather than a benefit. The B. and 0. route,on the other hand, is inconvenient, both to the road and to the city, and it should be moved over to the southern section. There are only two methods by which this can be accomplished—either by passing around Capitol Kil, or tunneling under ft. On the first route the two branches would be united outside the city limits near the fair grounds, and would then run to the Eastern Branch, crossing Boundary at 15th street, and passing around the base of the biufT east of the jail, meeting the B. and P. line near the Congressional Cemetery. It is claimed that the present tunnel of the B. and P. road is not large enough for the business of the two roads. If that is the case the B. and 0. should be | granted the right to build a lel tunnel a jacent to that of the other road. The width of Virginia avenue {s ample for this purpose. On emerging from the tunnel the B. and 0. could follow the line of [ street until it joined the other road on Canal and thence run with it through Vir- ginia and Maryland avenues. The topography of this proposed route ts such that there woul be no unusual expense or difficulties attending it except at the tunnel under Virginia avenue, near the navy yard, which would be 2,000 feet in length. Ifthe B, and 0. company prefers-to | tunnel under Capitol Hill the two branches | should be united gt the fair grounds. as before | stated, and should enter the city at 12th street following thence either the route selected | by, Major Twining, under 12th street and North | Carolina avenue, or another route under Mary | land avenue, 2d street, and North Carolina ave- | nue. The length of tunnel would be the same— 4, feet—in either case, and the cost would |mot be greatly different. In the latter case a | small intercepting sewer would have to be built parallel with the tunnel, to provide for the sewerage which it would cut off; but the com- pany might possibly consider the advantages of an under ground passenger station at 2d and East Capitol street as more than an equivalent for this additional expense. In either case the ; tunnel would end at the intersection of North Carolina and New Jersey avenues, and thence the road would pass along E street to Virginia avenue. So far asthe interests of the city are con- cerned there is little or no choice between these two routes, one going around and the other ; Soing under Capitol Hill. The difference in cost would be very great, one involving a tunnel. of 2,000 feet, which on the basis of the estimates’ submitted by Major Twining would cost alent. $200,000, and the other requiring a tunnel .of 8,000 ‘feet. costing $800,000. It is | believed, however, that the interests of the | Baitimore and Ohio road, as well as those of the city, require that its route should be changed to the seuthern side of the city, whence it can obtain an outietinto Virginia; and that it would | not hesitate to expend even the larger sum to | accomplish this purposel RAILROAD RESTRICTIONS RECOMMENDED. If these routes should be adopted the totai length ot tracks within the clty limits would be 434 mites; of which 2 miles would be under- gerotind'dinf 217 miles on the street grades. On treyenayy"milles the tracks can be sunk en in sothe pihtes and elevated at others, so as to re- ivOVve their fron the street grades, should that systém become indespensable at some tuture time. While they remain on grade certain re- strictions are absolutely necessary for the safety of the public, and laws for their enforce- ment should be enacted without delay. They are as follow 1st. The space reserved for the tracks, not exceeding 60 feet on avenues and 30 feet on streets, should be enclosed on each side by a solid granite curbing at least one foot above the roadway, on which there should be an iron fence to a height of not less than eight feet above the ground. 7 2d. Aut lowering or folding gates hould Ragan at each intersecting street, on the line of the fence previously mentioned; so as to effectually close the crossing on the approach ot a train. 3d. The compantes should be required to build adequate freight depots and car yards on private property; which could be accomplished by im- posing heavy penalties for unloading freight or leaving cars standing on the street tracks. It is believed that these restrictions would re- move at once the principal source of annoyance and danger which is now so constantly and justly complained of by the citizens of Washing- ton. Atle same time Virginia avenue should be t ‘ agranite block pavement on bach sae or tiehincke trem 718 to Sot Capitol street. Tho»:cost of this improvement is esti- mated at $76,000. Whether any portion of tt should be paid by the railroad companies as an equivalent for the right of way is a matter for the consideration of Congress, Ir the B. and O. tracks were brought to the southern section of the city, and the above re- quirements strictly enforced along the surface route there would remain only one point to be settled. This, however, is likely to give rise to more opposition than all the others combined. It is the question of the passenger depot on 6th street. There ts much to be sald on both sides ot this quést which may be summarized by saying. that the interests of the traveling’ public and of the road, which is the servant ot those interests, require the depot to be as near the center of the city as possible, and it is the policy of railroads | everywhere to push their way into the he: cities ; on the other hand the interestsof Wash- ington demand that a portion of its princi; park shall not be cut off by a railroad. The de- cision between these conflicting interests lies with Congress. In 1872 both sides of the ques- tion were fully presented and the decision was in favor of the railroad. But at that time the old canal was not yet filled up, the park was only partially improved, and its value was only appreciated as a thing of the future. Now it is a reality, and it is not too much to ask that the subject may now be reconsidered, as was distinctly implied in the wording of the bill, and so stated in the debate, and a final decision be made. If it is again decided in favor of the road then there is nothing more to be said. The Late will practically terminate at ‘7th street. Its size will be reduced from 230 to 180 acres, and the continuous drive from the Capitol to the White House will be cut off. If it is,decided in favor of the city then the park will be preserved and the depot will have to be moved one-third of a mile to the south, still re- maining, however, within but little more than half a mile from the center of property valua- tions, which Is at 8th and D streets. On every ground it is advisable that urgent efforts be made to bring this subject before Congress and secure a vote which will decide the matter one way or the other. “ If, however, it 1s decided that the depot re- main as at present, ordf efforts are made to de- feat any decision or reconsideration of the mat- ter,*then common justice requires that the same facilities should be granted to the B. and 0. road as to the B. and P.; and that it should also be allowed to come up 6th street and build a de- ot at the corner of Missouri avenue, opposite 0 that of the B. and P. road, which Is a most eligible site for the purpose. "All travel on 6th street, between Missouri and Virginia avenues, is now virtually abandoned in co! uence of the incessant running of trains and depot en- gines, and no further inconvenience would re- sult from the use of that street by a second road, while the traveling public would be greatl benefited by the locatio: mn of the B. and 0. He HH ? i z 8 I 4 | SF Ekg nd 5, Boar ‘The Case of Sergeant Mason. ‘To the Editor of the Evexiso Stas: It seems that the case ot Sergeant Mason Is about forgotten, and that he is destined to remain tn prison until the harsh sentence im- posed.on him has expired. Perhaps there never was @ man consigned te prison in this land for whom there was such general sympathy, or for whom more people have sent in petitions for @ Pardon, and yet in the face of these tacts that man still lingers in a state’s prison and the wishes of a majority of the American people are disregarded. This seems passing strange. Is the voice of this people tmpotent when brought in contact with West Point influence? That is the opinion of many to-day. Eight years, I believe, is the maximum sentence ia this District tor the crime of manslaughter—for the taking of a human life—and yet this is only part of the outrageous sentence passed upon Sergeant Mason for the shooting at a man who had Committed one of the most infamous crimes of the age. were hundreds in the country at the thme who would have Killed the man that Mason shot at, and the public voice would hare approved theact. 1n this connection, Mr. Editor, we haye but to recall the efforts of the authorities to save Guiteau from the vengeance of the people, and the other attempts that were made on his life. Take the case of Bill Jones, for instance. His attempt was a more deter- mined one than Mason's, and yet that man has never been brought to trial. Is this justice? Ts this fair treatment to Sergeant Mason that he should remain in a penitentiary at hard labor for elght years, while another man, equally as guilty as he, should enjoy all the blessings of freedom? If Bill Jones is pot to be punished at all, certainly Sergeant Masdn has been punished sufficiently. What says the President? One week from now thousands will be in our city attending the Garfield memorial fair. Would it not be a good time to set the captive free? J. —____.,,. THE COMING GENERATION. What Shall We Do With the Chil- dren—Two Different Pictures—Rose ‘Terry on Boys, From Harper's Bazar. How many homes does the stranger enter that are made wretched to her by the littlehope- fuls there, that have about as full sway as if the father and mother were ciphers, and they were the masters and mistresses of the house, as in fact they are! They are at the door as she en- ters, they are on the back of her chair as she sits down, on her knees, in her pockets, her muff, every sort of question; she stumbles over a Iib- house to the other; doors slam, furniture up- ones make her fingers itch; she cannot hear her hardly dare call her soul her own till door closes behind her, and she feels as if she her reticule; the sticky little fingers aredaubing | her clothes, the noisy little tongues are asking | Modieska, last week, eral scattering of their toys from one end of the | sets, voices shout in glee or bellow in wrath, | rude remarks make her ears tingle, impertinent | own voice for their clamor; she cannot think | her own thoughts for their interruptions; she | the front | “STARS” IN CARS, ‘The Private Conches Used by Actresses. EXPENSIVE LUXURIES WHICH MODIESKA, NILSSON AND CANGTRY DEMAND OF THEIR MANAGERS. From tl J hiletelphin Record. Three of the principal female. theatrical stars of the eountry will travel thipseason in private cars engaged especially for them. These tn clude Madame Modjeska, Miss Nilsson and Mrs. Langtry. The ster of to-day goes about in great style, aud it takes a good big bank ao- count to baok up her whims and make her feel comfortable. Modjeska is the first to take the road. She came here in a magntficently ar- car, the City of Worcester, which ts leased every sammer toa party of gentlemen residing in the city of that name in the Bay State, and in which they make an annual trip to the plains an@ Rocky Mountains, This oar has been refitted by Mr. Stetson, with whom Madame Modjeska has the contract “to do” the country. The interior has been refurnished at an expense of not less than @5,000. The madame insisted upon her private car, and she holds her manager strictly to the letter of bis contract. Cars are rathér costly affairs, and eat into the — of the engagement. In the first place, they cost €50 per day for thelr use, which sum goes to the parlor car company's treasury, and does not include the haulli ot the car about the country, which ts equivalent tothe fare of eighteen passengers. Sunds count the same as other days. Then there ia porter, a nmch cook and servants tor the madame, all of whom are under pay during the entire engagement, as well as a manager, who accompanies the star and looks after the finan- ion of the present engagement at the Chestnut street Opera House Madame Modjeska will have spent two entire weeks In this city. Her car has been placed on a siding up at Belmont, while she has been enjoying sumptuous apart- ments at the Continental hotel. The car costs Just the same whether in use or not, and for the fifteen days the actress spends here Mr. Stetson will pay €750 rental to the Pullman company. ; At the conclusion of her engagement the lady starts on a week's tour through the state. This is where the car and {te attendant comforts come handy. During that time the country hotels will be shunned, and the madame will eat and sleep on the rail. When the next large | city te renched, and a week's stay is made, the car will be thrown upon a siding to wait for its fair occupant to return. The City of Worcester is the same coach in which Patti made her tour | last spring. Of course, for all this heavy outl | there must bean adeqnate returu. Proprietor Fred Zimmerman, ot the Opera House, says that ht $9,960 to his nobby amusement hall.’ What proportion thestar gets he Is not aware, bet he presumes it 18 not legs than 35 per cent. of the gross receipts. Mr. Stetson, of course, receives a handsome per- centage, out of which he pays the company, and Zimmerman & Nixon pocket what is left The managers all like Modjeska; she 18 not fret- ful, and does not demand outrageous things. The lady 1s a hard worker, and never shirk« six nights and a matinee If she is well enough to stand upon the stage. were escaping from pandemonium. The people who are responsible for these chil- dren seem to have some such idea about them entertainment; the guest is regaled with Char- ley’s last bright saying and Julie's last bright action, by Neddy’s tralts and Kitty’s ailments, bright in children born of such simpletons, and hails the house she enters where there are none of these well-springs of joy, or where, if there are, they are brought up according to Rose Terry Cooke's advice for boys, in a barrel, to be fed and educated through the bung-hole. How different is the atmosphere of that home where the father and mother maintain their own individuality, amd the children, instead of being thrust forward that the whole world may take example from them, are kept sufficiently in the background for the world to show them, on the other hand, by what to take example them- selves; where, to speak figurativeiy, it being re- cognized that they are not the plant itself, but only the blossoms on the stems, the plant is allowed opportunity to grow and develop, and enjoy its own sunshine, and lift its blosso: with it, not above it! NOTHING MORE. BEAUTIFUL. There's nothing M thé world so beautiful as a group of children round any hearth, poor or rich. It is a beauty that appeals to the same sentiments as beautiful landscapes and peauti- ful flowers do, in all the loveliness of lines and colors, and to the higher and holier ones be- sides, in the affectional nature, and in the con- sciousness of that immortal spark animating each of the little creatures. But let those little creatures leave the place of children, and thrust themselves forward into that of grown people, indicate by their behavior rather an impish de- velopment than a childish one any way, taking hold ot that share of life and the world which belongs to their elders before their elders are done with it, like too eager heirs laying prema- ture hold or an inheritance, and then much of the beauty and charm of childhood vanishes, and one feels that those blossoms will bear a gnarled fruit, and that the bloom will be rabbed aoe fruit while it is yet green and sour and itter. Every mother feels that she can manage her parcel of children, as every hen can scratch for her brood of chickens. And perhaps she could if she took as much pains as the hen, and gave herself no other thought or occupation, as Mrs. Partlett does. But people live in the world, and are obliged, whether they will or not, to give a limited portion of themselves to that world, to the demands of friends and enemies, creditors and debtors,that is; and how to accom- modaté this oy to the proper care and attention réquired by children is no trifling matter, but might be called really an art in it- self. How to restrain these little ple _with- out repressing them, how to deny them without oppressing them, how to develop them without tearing open the flower and laying the heart bare too soon to the sun, how to give them full play, and yet rob no one else of liberty—all that requires thought and exertion and expression, and if one has not the first and the last of these things, then one myst be willing to profit by the advice and example of those that have, and humility and patience must also be called into requisition. PURE AND PERFECT FAMILY LIFE t is the best thing that the disposer of all affairs has given to His people; but it is not perfect family life where half the family are allowed to override the other half, and that the half of least discretion, where the whims of the chil- dren are consulted, to the injury of the needs of the elders, and the sphere of their pleasure comforts. But where the opposite course is maintained, and the children, secure in every comfort and requirement, are given just that Uberty which is given to the full-grown cltizen—Iiberty exactly so far as it does not impinge upon the liberty of an- other citizen, as it will not impinge on the liberty of the citizen that they are to become—then the result is likely to bea blessing tothe world itself, as well as to the particular home circle where such treatment is maintained. And the beauty of those soft cheeks and lips, thgse dimples, those flying locks and starry eyes, those kisses, those smiles, those tears, those dear voices, is supplemented by something precious as-ailthe rest in the knowledge of what the result of all this will be when the darlings take their place as the next generation. a THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. sion to spend several more vacations in the same way. His paper before the academy of sciences yesterday described his discoveries while ex- ploring the bottom of the sea from Labrador to Chesapeake Bay. The information he bas ob- tained is highly interesting to the public gen- erally, and it must be of much value to persons engaged in the fisheries. By is allowed to eclipse the sphere of the others’ | as peasantry have often held about natural fools | The —that they are something sacred, and must not pe be hindered or restrained. And even when this not sentiment is not felt and acted upon to its full- th est extent, the children are made the topics for | turnou till she wonders what there can be good and | Next Wednesday Mme. Nilss in a private car, with Freach cook attachment, ete. She will give but two performan re. songster will be quartered at the Hotel jevue in apartments which cost $24 per da: including meals and attendance. on there is provided for her use a ha t—team, footmen and driver— that the fashionable West End can supy | will cost about 25 per day, whether it leaves | the stable or not. Following Nilsson comes Mrs. Langtry, who | will ocenpy the same sumptuous apartments as | her predecessor, and have the same gaudy team and equipage as the queen of song. It is avery costly business, this moving of female stars about the country; buf if they are a success the couple of hundred dollars per day expense en- tailed Is but a bagatelle when the profits are taken into consideration. xs The O14 Lady who Desired Permission to Coerce a Backward Swain, From the Detroit Free Press, A motherly old woman, codsiderably troubled With the asthma, and also lame, called at the 20th street station the other afternoon to state her case. She made the sergeant place hishand on a copy of Brown’s grammar, which happened to be there, and swear that he would never tell anybody, and then-she began: “I have a daughter.” “Yes.” “And my daughter has a beau.” “Perfectly natural.” “They are engaged, and the wedding day has been set three times, but he flanks out of it every time. The first time he claimed that his father was dead; the secondtime he was afraid he had smalipox, and the third time, which was yesterday, he sald it would bring ‘bad luck to marry when a comet was visible. Now, then, I don’t like this fooling around. When me and the old man were ready to marry we walked over to the minister's, without any backing or beating around.” n will come here “Well, I want to bring this young man to time. He's either got to come up to the rack or jump the fence.” “Yes, he must.” “I wanted to ask you how far Icouldgo. Sup- pose, after he arrives to-morrow evening, I walk into the room with a pistolin one hand and a minister of the gospel tn the other? Wouldn’t that precipitate a climax?” “I think so.” “If he really loves Susie I think he would stand up and be married. It he is only fooling around he'd jump through the window, woulda't he?” “Looks that way to me.” “Well, Tl try it. I sha’n't indulge inno threats, you know. I'll hold the pistol care- lessly in my left hand, and hang to the minister carelessly with the other, and I'll simply remark that there's either going to be a marriage or @ skip. I think that William will marry. It’s my opinion that he is waiting fora little coerclot and I'm pretty good on the coerce when I ot tarted. “Well, don’t break the law.” “Oh, no, no! If he skips I sha'n't do any shooting. I'll let the dog give him a run across .the commons and send the minister home. I shall be as cool as ice, and it will be all over in five minutes.” Yesterday William and Susie were taking their bridal tour on the elegant new Michigan avenue two-horse street cars. The young man had been coerced. —_——_+e-—______ Interesting Facts About Hair. Whether the hair should be cut I never could quite satisfy myself. Asa physiological prac- tise, I seriously doubt the propriety. Every out- ting is a wounding, and there is some sort of bleeding in consequence, and waste of vital force. I think it will ~ ee a kacwee persons most frequently wear the long. The cutting of the ir stimulates to a new growth, to supply the waste. ‘Thus the energy required to maintain the vigor of the body is drawn off to make good the wanton destruction. It is said, I know, that after the hair has grown to acertain length it looses its vitality at the onan and splits or “brooms up.” Whether this would be the case if the hai ould never be cut I would like to know. When itis cuta fluid exudes, and forms a seab or cicatrix al each wounded extremity, indicating that there has been Women and hair. I Priests have genefally worn long never could imagine why this distinc-