The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-25
Steam Street Cars.

AS Philadelphia was the first city in
the United States to introduce street
railways, it is now also the first to intro
duce general system of steam street
cars, covering the most densely crowded
streets of the city, as we'll as those most
sparsely settled. It is true, Baltimore,
Philadelphia, and especially New Or
leans, had previously introduced them
on the outskirts of the city and on GER
tain lines, but not on it's greatest thor
oughfares, such as Market street in this
city. 1t is therefore Justly matter of
local pride on which our people are en-
titled to claim credit for superior enter
prise. We are given the following by
President Morton, of the Market street
line, by whose unremitting endeavors
and experiments, backed by his direc-
tors and the inventor, the trial of
Wednesday was made success, and to
whom the public Of this city not only,
but of other crowded towns are indebted.
The amount of coal (anthracite) used by
these steam cars is two and one-haf tons
per week, costing less than $40 for mo-
tive power, while ior the round trip only
one coaling and watering of the machine
occurs. This applies equally to the
Troy car and to the Baldwin. In other
respects, however, there are some radi-
cal, and it may prove essential differ
ences between these two machines. The
former has its attachment w:dh the rear
wheels Of the car only, while the latter
attaches to both fore and rear wheels,
thus givingitgreater power by presenting
double the surface Of wheel for friction
upon the track. The utility of this was
shown on the trial trip, which occurred
on very unfavorable condition of the
streets, the tracks being smeared with
q black mud of almost the lubricating
capacity of grease. Notwithstanding
this, however, the Baldwin car ran
smoothly and steadily, without sliding
of wheels in stopping or starting, while
the wheels of the Troy car revolved rap
idly, with disagreeable accompanying
jar to the passengers when stopping or
starting upon these creased rails. An
other reason also exists for this steadier
motion of the former in the fact that it
is considerably heavier, while the latter
had rather Of a tipping motion when
running rapidly. Their weight is about
5000 pounds, or about double the ordi-
nary horse car. A part of the directors
favor one car and q portion the other,
but the Troy car has so far been given
the preference, rs it is no doubt cheaper
at first cost than the Baldwin, upon
which no price has yet been made. The
inventor, in answer to inquiries of other
railroad companies, if the old horse cars
can be used by remodelins for these
dummies, has said that they can. Since
the trial trip, these cars have been used
continuously, and without the slightest
hindrance or delay, except in one or two
cases of greasy tracks, when the sand
tubes of the car failed to work, and thus
stalled the car. One of the directors of
the road informed lis that they have al
ready taken off ten horse cars for these
seven steamers, and he believed that 50
soon as their track should be cleared of
the horse cars by the substitution Of
steam cars they would make the round
trip from Front street to the Centennial
grounds in half the present time. Real
estate near the Centennial is said to be
worth more in consequence, while the
horse dealers are already alarmed, one
of the officers of the company tell us,
lest their occupation shall prove to be
gone.-Erchangc.