SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT -- VISUAL SEPARATION. AN ACR IS GIVEN A VISUAL SEPARATION CLB; AT NIGHT; TO CLB THROUGH AN ALT OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACR. BOTH ACFT RECEIVE 'RA'S' AND TAKE EVASIVE ACTION.

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JET TFC WAS POINTED OUT TO US AND WE STATED WE HAD VISUAL CONTACT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT AND CLB THROUGH THEIR ALT (14000 FT) FROM 13000 FT TO 16000 FT. WE INITIATED A SMOOTH CLB; AND WHEN 500 FT BELOW THEIR ALT WE GOT A TA. WE INCREASED THE RATE OF CLB SO AS TO AVOID AN RA; BUT THE JET STARTED TO CLB (DUE TO AN RA). WE GOT AN RA TO DSND (WHICH WE DID NOT FOLLOW SO AS TO AVOID NEGATIVE G'S) AND LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 14700 FT. WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME AND LEVELED OFF BECAUSE WE WERE CLBING. IN RETROSPECT; WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC WITHOUT THE JET ALSO HAVING US IN SIGHT. I DON'T THINK THE CTLR REALIZED HOW FAST THE JET WAS GOING; AND HOW QUICKLY WE WERE CONVERGING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A DE HAVILAND DASH 8-100 ACFT WHEN HE WAS OFFERED A VISUAL CLB BY THE ARTCC CTLR. THE RPTR SAW THE ACR JET WHOSE COURSE WAS ABOUT 90 DEGS TO HIS AND HE THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PROB. HOWEVER; AS HE CLBED HE REALIZED THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS MUCH FASTER THAN HE THOUGHT. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE DOES NOT THINK THAT HE WILL ACCEPT VISUAL CLBS AND DSCNTS AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE AND PARTICULARLY NOT AT NIGHT. THE ACR CAPT WAS ADAMANT THAT A NEAR MISS HAD OCCURRED. THE RPTR DOES NOT THINK THAT THE ACFT CAME THAT CLOSE; BUT IS NOT VERY SURE. HE IS ALSO NOT SURE WHAT TYPE OF ACR JET WAS INVOLVED.