The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-04-13
The New Cable Road In Chicago.

Ahoat year ago Superintendent
Holmes conceived the idea of construct
ing in Chicago a system of cable street
railways, and with this plan in his mind
he went out to San Francisco to look
into the workings of the road there.
After carefully examining the system he
returned to Chicago, consulted with
number of practical engineers and me-
chanics, and one day he dropped into
Mayor Harrison's Office and submitted
to him plans for the proposed new road.
The Mayor looked over the plans care
fully, and expressed it as his opinion
that if carried out the enterprise would
be an unqualified success. With this
assurance an ordinance to build the
road was introduced into the Council
about ten months ago. and was passed
without the opposition which was ex-
pected it would meet.
The real work on the road was begun
about August Is last, and the line was
virtually finished by December 15.
There were nine miles of track laid dur
mg the.3 az =: ,.,,t ] ,Yu,it Of
material used in the construction of the
road was as follows: 100000 pounds
of iron; 500 tons of steel rail; 100000
feet OF lumber for stringers; $4,000
wagon-loads of crushed stone, gravel,
sand for the concrete; several thousand
barrels of cement; 31.945 square yards
of paving stone; 100000 bolts; 225, 900
brick; and $50 cords of rubble-stone in
the excavations. About 1900 men and
250 teams were employed in the work.
Everything except the yokes and the
iron which forms the slots was prepared
in the company's shops In this city. The
whole work was carried on under the
immediate supervision of Superintend-
ent Holmes, to whose energy and indus
try the success of the enterprise is due
in great measure.
A brief sketch of the way the road is
operated may be of interest at this
time. The engine-house, where the
power which runs the road is generated,
is situated at the northwest corner of
State and Twenty-first streets, and was
constructed expressly for this purpose.
In it are four 250-horse-power engines
and four boilers, and the cable now in
working order is operated by one OF
these engines and one boiler. The cable
is composed of the best quality OF
:Swede's iron, with ia strands OF wire
in the rope-six large strands of nine
teen wires each. Attached to each en-
gine are two large winders, around
which this cable passes, and two large
cog-wheels. The winders make eight
cen revolutions per minute, the cogs
thirty-six, and the piston seventy-two.
The cable passes from one of the wind
ers out to a large set wheel under the
street, and around that to the small
pulley wheels in the cable chamber on
which it rests. 1t runs down the east
track to the wheel under the track at
Madison street, and back to the engine
house over the second rudder, and out
again the same way. just back OF the
engines in the house are two machines,
| operated on narrow-gauge tracks, and
| these, by means of weights, keep the
| cable taut SO that there is no slack.
| Electric lights are to be put on the
| engine-house, and an arrangement has
been made whereby any imperfection in
| the cable will be brought to the notice
of the engineer by the ringing OF bell
| In case one of the strands breaks out
the bell will be rung, the engines stop.
ped instantly, and the break mended
before the cable leaves the house for the
| street again. The water for the boilers
is drawn from cisterns under the house
and is heated before passing into the
boilers, thus saving an immense guam
| tity of fuel.
| The forty-two grip-cars to be used
have been built in the company's shops
| and are very neat affairs. About the
size of the old bob-t:.l cars, they are
| open all around. LII the center is s
compartment for the engineer, and ir
| the center of this the grip is set. Or
either end of the cars are small head
lights, for use at night, which throw {
| Ii yht on the track about thirty fee
ahead of the car. Just above the en-
gineer's impairment is a gong bell fol-
his use. and in the center of the ca is :
| large ,.la1 NJ. IN; e,,i.>ta t-.o-tii
ger,c.ts OF the company are to be AT
tached to the grip-cars in such numbers
as travel requires.
The grip is connected with the cable
by Shank, which runs down through
tie slot between the tracks. By mean:
of a long lever the engineer throws the
grip on. the cable is clasped with a vise
like grip. and the car l. s,''''n' along
| Starts ,t.!v - .J5 : l.; % 49, <. IL ict
easier and quicker than with horses by
means of brake, which is worked il
the same way as the grip. The cars will
be run slowly at first, until the people
get used to them, in order to preven
accidents.
1t is calculated that this enterprise
has cost the company $3,OOO,OOO, ant
the success of the road is source o
great qualification to the officers and t.
! the public. c.-ChicGgo Tribune.