New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-28
RUNNING CARS WITH CABLES.
ADVANTAGES OF THE MECHANICAL sYS-
TEN
THE SAN FRANCISCO RoADs-COsT OF CoNsTRUC-
lion AND OPERATION DEFECTS on THE
BRIDGE.

TO the enterprise and mechanical ingenuity
~ San Francisco are due tire origin practical success
OF the system Of running seotcaTs by means OF the cn-
less wire rope cable placed beneath the surface OF INC
ground The first concession for wire cable ROAD IN san
Francisco was granted General Abuer Doubleday ana
CAPTAIN r. L. Ogden of the Amy, the Orgnatol5 OF Tue
enterprise General DOubleday's duties taking hin om
California, all the rights ard privileges granted MN
were sold and transferred TO A. s. Ealde' represent
ing the present Clay Street Railroad company
10 whom the credit is due Of pciectaS ana carrying "
complete success tho present system OF cable ROADS
Possessed of indomitabe energy and great mechanical
ability Mr. IIaGie under dscOuIagng and dSnealteL-
ing difficulties peiscyelvd un he has brought the syS
ten TO that point where "a clearly able 20 establish by
actual practice end demonstration its superiority over
the general system OF horsepower surface roads
In August, 1873 the Clay Street Hi Railroad com
psny IN san Francisco began business and since IL Las
been constantly unarg, and has been oGAd 10 "hs"'
all requirements AID TO exceed the expectations VI 'Ah'
nccrs end others WHO had examined the pans
tba construction of the tJad. This system j.
adapted to all metropolitan rdiltcd'hng where 'ne
surface Of the sncets has 70 he kep'
free from Instructions open 90 Ordinary ta.dc Wher'
locomotive steam engines OF tolerated. or "n''e w
sheets are steep IL to u III, he use % 'iS' "''
Oh Impossible
THE CABLE SYSTEM N san FRANCISCO
The system consists Of an endless WIRE rope I''' -
,h ,ol,,, tho surface Of The cr3d between the Ha'AS
80 r.,i~oa1 and kent in position ny pcais Oh SheN'S
0boye ard beneath The rope is kept III morton DS %
tonarv engine, tie power being tltNAI'l'" i'on INC
n,otor 10 the lope ly Of grips or o'her Su'pl'
p,oys and from the 10 the cars on the street by
means of gripping attachment fixed TO Erpedr OF
lurmy and connected with the cable by INN '"i "i
iron which masses through nlrow slot in the upper Side
of the tube. ,r,
zone is erasped and released at pleasure 10y Graphing
device attached 10 the running car aud controlled ny Tue
man in charge The is more smoothly started 'hah
ly horses and instantly stopped on any pant OF the o"
It's mechanical construction Il simple ana c"siy ooh
tr1cd and does not fIshcn horses or cndalSNf EN'S
description Of the Clay street Road VIII perhaps give
n clearer idea of the system. This street near Tue H"'l
terminus of the road is d'nscy popuat'd Tie lower
terminus Of the road is the intersection ot hc"hey ana
Clay sts The summit of the hill Is 3O7 ic't anoYe Near
ney-st The incline in Cay-st. has double track
and is 5l97 feet long. The rope runs mo the cniie
honso At cavenwotlst. The Stccpcs, ascending grade
is1in 6l5lOO An endless steel wire rope, three hches
I'm circumference and IL 900 feet LONG, is stretched the
whole distance lying in hon tubes, supported every
80 feet ON l1-inch shcavcs. THIS rope Is sup
porcd ut every change of angle at the lower crossing q"
sheaves four feet in diameter passing around horizontal
sheaf eight feet diameter Il; the lower end "I Inc me
and AT the zine house around two angle Sh6aTes cach
eight feet in diameter, which are driven by one llN-1
engine the steam being furnished by b"i"f lON't
inches IN ze ung ZOO pounds OF coal per day Ihcy
have duplicate engine ad boiler ALSO Wnch axe h'i" III
reserve.
The grip pueys being furnished at their circumference
with laws that p and release the rope automatically by
the pressure Of the rope in the jaws prevent IL rom
slipping and being in motion by Ire engine acuatcs
the endless rope, while travelling u ono t|'e ana
down the other.
In addition TO the shcaycs that support The rope in the
tnbes nj the upper side of each crossing where the u
cline makes an angle upward there are sI2aye3 III the
tubes that keep Tie rope from striking the uprei pant 81
the tube.
There Is an opening the upper side Of the Tube This
orcuinr runs the entire IeIch Of each tube, forming
long slot threc-fOnrths OF inch wide. THIS slot Is
not Immediately the centre OF the tube but one sl
to keep sand and dirt frOm failing on the rope ana cradle
the foot OF the gripping attachment to pass hy ana Wer
the upper sheavcs and the lower sheGveS III the tube
The cars scat fourteen passengers and the dummy SIX
teen but frequently many oIyfonr have ridden in
the car and twentysX the dummy On the roads win
The broader gauge and larger many rs 100 pa'e
gers have been carried Tho passenger car l. amply pro
yiGed with brakes sufficiently powerful to stop The car on
tLe seepest grade. Strong drdgs also trail behind when
take the ground on any backward motion OF the The
dummy Is also provided with powerful brakes On Gc-
scending the weight of both the rope which
ofcourse assists in dragging the upward ears up the hill
thus descending and ascending cars travel 1t the same
rate Of speed. the gripping attachment used Is sim
pie; vertical slide works in standard and
IL moved up and down by and hand wheel, tie
small upper going down through the lrSe screw
aud operating IT, At The lower end of this Slide is wedge
shaped block The wedge moves two jaws horizontally
which 0ren and close according tic direction in which
the slide is moved closing wien the slide ycdupward
The laws have pieces OF soft casOn Of proper shape
and size inside TO grip Tie rope when they closed over
it. On both sides OF these jawa and attached 20 them
two small sheayCs. These shcdos held by means OF
rubber cushions sufficiently in advance Of the jaws to
keep the rope off the jaws and at the time 10 lead The
rome fairly between them allowing ii travel freely be-
tween the laws when they separated without touching
them When it is required 20 grip the
ropo this slide is drawn up by meaIs o. ;Ec
email screw described. and the wedge at the lower
end closes the Jaws the rope simultaneously forcing
hack the small guide sbCavcs into the rubber springs
The standard containing the slide ucosed and retained
in an iron bracket and raised and lowered through an
OPENING in tube from above the surface or the street
TO the rope by OF and nut with handWecl
attached The iron bracket is secured to the dummy
fc dummy Is coupled to the at the bottom Of the
incline and uncouped the top In order 10 stop the ear
me laws Of the gripping attachment opened slightly
When they release the rOre guide sheaycs take il and
the ear stops All the essential pats of the gripping
The rope runs I7Ia each day at speed of miles
per hour The cars every FIVE minutes except III
The afternoon when they start at intervals OF tte nm
ues. The stretching arrangement at the lower chd keeps
constant strain ON the rOpc under an leunslahees'
The road brings within five minutes Of the business pGr-
yOusy comparatively worthless Oh account OF the dl
Guilty Of access, and given great value thereto.
ADOPTION OF TIE SYSTEM By OTHER ROADS.
After Cayst road had been running three years,
and It's prncticabty had been fully tested the Suffer
Street Railroad Company whose les lad been for many
years worked unproaby by horses, changed its system
from horse road TO cable road This company has now
over three miles double tracks operated on this system
The greatest elevation is lG7 feet above its starting point
The business OF the road interrupted for single
hour during the transformation. The saving
in expenses. as stated urler oath IA tee
timony given In a suit affecting the company
amounted 80 per cent and the traffic was In
creased $962375 the first year after adopting the cable
glallE az we're
the transfer at $24. They are now worth $50.
The next road built on the cable principle the Call
f0rnast. road which traVerscs the sccpCSt street IN
san Francisco the grade being 500 feet In 1900. This
has given easy to property which previously Of
Nttle Naue but is also the site Of the paa residences Of