National Republican., 1881-11-19
CABLE STREET RAILWAYS.
wire-Bopc Railroads for Washington
How They work In san Francisro.
10 t,,a q u'u.


A recent personal examination of the
wre-rope street railroad system of San Francisco
has demonstrated conclusiyely TO me the very
great Importance of its adoption in the District of
Columbia. This system has been in operation in
that city since 1873 and has commended itself so
completely to all classes that already more than
half Of Its very extensive lines of street rail
roads are now running on this principle, and the
remainder of the horse car lines are being rapidly
converted into cable roads. 1t has been found
that this system is adapted to all kinds of metro
politan rairoading where the surface OF the streets
has to be kept free from distractions where ocomo-
tive steam engines are not permitted, where the
streets are so steep as to make the use Of horses
difficult or impossible.
THE SYSTEM CONSISTS
ofan endless wire rope, placed In a tube below the
surface Of the ground, between the two rails of q
track. The only thing that appears on the surface
is q slat about half an Inch wide, down through
which a steel bar attached 10 the car passes and
by u simple mechanical contrvance is made to
grip the wire rope. A stationary engine keeps the
endless wire rope In motion, There is no impedi-
ment to ordinary travel; the rope Is grasped ana
released at pleasure by the grip which is attached
to the passenger. and controlled by the man In
charge. The car is more smoothly started than by
horses and can be instantly stopped on any part Of
tile road, while 1t does not frighten horses or en-
danger lives 1t is customary to have two cars to-
gethcr, to one Of which-the traction. car-the
gripping apparatus is firmly attached. so that there
can be no danger OF accident. Both ears are pro-
vided with powerful brakes, so that In ascending
the exceedingly steep hills in San Francisco the
cars
ARE UNDER PERFECT CONTROL.
Strong iron drags are provided. so that If accl
dent should occur in going up hill they will i'm
mediatcly catch in the street and prevent the car
from going backward. When 1t Is necessary to go
down hill these drags are raised up out of the way
by the conductor. The brakes aro not usually en-
plOyed when going down, except when 1t is neces.
sury to stop, as the cars run down with the same
speed as the rope ms long as the gripping attach
ment holds the rope In San Francisco the rope
runs seventeen and half hours rcr day at a speed
| OF six miles per hour. The cars start every five
minutes, except in the afternoon, when they start
| every three minutes, The road has a gauge of 8
| feet inches An ordinary thirty pound steel Il
mil is used, which Is set flush with the street. and
| presents q neat, smooth appearance, The ma
cnney is so arranged that the wire rope passes In
open view OF the engineer, so that 1t can readily
| be examined by him at any minute.
| ALL THE WHEREFORE ROADS
| now In operation in San Francisco arc working
successfully, and carry in the aggregate from
10000 to 10000 passengers daily. nt u uniform rate
of five cents Those roads which have been con-
vered from horse car roads pay much larger
| dividend under the wire-rope system than they
did formerly. Although the wire rope cables
were first used on the steep hills Of San Francisco
practically inaccessible, at least 50 far as horses
are concerned, the economy fthelr working has
been so demonstrated that all the level roads In
that city have obtained amended charters, giving
them the privilege of converting their horse roads
into cable roads, The wear aud tear on the streets
as well us the accumulation of filth due to horses
are entirely avoided l. umanity is not shocked
by the overlooking Of street cars nor by the
oYERwoRKING or HORSES.
In cities where the severity Of winter closes
traffic for days at time this system keep It:
own tracks clear by acheap method ofwamingiu
the tube and by the great traction power Of the
rope OIL snow.plows and scrapers, power which
II is impossible for horses TO produce struggling
through the frozen and snow covered tracks. The
saving effected by the employment Of this system
Is from so to so per cent, on that Of horse roads
while its capacity for traffic is almost unlimited
No city in America Is SO lnvorably situated for the
adoption Of wire rope cables as Washington, ant
the cars of such roads would certainly adon oul
streets, and be the means Of removing the un,
slightly filth which now encumbers the tracks.
| b. q. DANIELS.