The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-18

our omnibus lines running out 60 the va
rio0s suburbs, 70 Avondale, 20 Clifton,
10 Walnut Hills, 10 Mt. Auburn, to Col
llegs Hill, TO Cheyi6t, to Sedamsville and |
Riverside. But the accommodationsb by |
these have long been insufficient, ana |
their transit was always slow |
and uncomfortable. The expert
ment Of extending the street
railroads TO suburban districts
has recently been put in motion. This,
in some directions where level tracts
can be bad, has been found an improve
ment perhaps on the omnibus lines;
more however by reason OF their greater
frequency OF trips than by their greater
speed or comfort OF transit. But who
soever has witnessed the slow and toll
some movement of street cars UP Gilbert
avenue drawn by four painting and jaded
horses on slow walk, and sometimes
halting for rest to the wearied animals,
will readily comprehend that the exper-
iment of running street cars by horse
power up any considerable grades must
prove an utter failure, SO far as supply
| ing the needed mode of transit is con-
cerned. So far as speed is concerned,
the omnibus Accommodations will beat
them ali the time.
1t is manifest, therefore, that &c. sup
ply the requisite transit accommodations
between the city and its suburbs, re-
course must be had to steam power, that
universal motor Of the age. To those
suburbs lying upon the great railway
thoroughfares centering in the city, such
as Columbia, Lockland, Linwood, Nor
wood, Wyoming, Glendale, Delhi and
Valley junction, the needed accommo-
dation is perhaps fully supplied; al
though objections are sometimes heard
on account OF lack of sufficient fre-
quency of trains to meet public convent
ence as to those suburbs. Moreover
their distance from the city is SO consid-
cradle as necessarily to consume no lit
tie time in the transit even by steam.
There remains, then, the other expe-
dient, now coming much into vogue, OF
the 1edrro,o gauge railaoays, which seem
calculated to entirely meet the public
demand in this regard. Though working
with steam-power, as on other railways,
they nevertheless bear about the same
relation to other railroads that the light
carriage does to the ponderous omnibus
or the still more ponderous street car
With their we'll constructed locomotives
and their lighter passenger coaches, they
! ascend moderate grades without diff
Guilty and with all requisite speed. They
are scarcely more expensive in theil
track construction than are the common
street railroad tracks, with the impor
tant advantage Of not running public
highways for ordinary use by other We
hicles. And their motive power is even
cheaper than on street railways. These
then supply all the essential requisites
OF cheapness, Of quickness, and Of com.
fort, in the transit between the city and
it's suburbs.
We have examples now at hand In tht
success Of the narrow-gauge roads Il
Westwood and to College Hill; and one
is in progress to accommodate West
Walnut Hills, Avondale and Reading, tc
extend, we believe, by Lebanon, to con-
meet with the narrow-gauga road tc
Xenia, and thence to the coal fields In
the southeastern counties of the State
These commendable enterprises will moi
only prove valuable as property to the
owners, but will open up wide and beau
tiful regions around the city as suitable
homes for those who are now uncomtort
ably crowded within it's already over
crowded limits, and thus afford new
element for the growth and prosperity
of Cincinnati. We therefore wish then
all possible success.