St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-28
ASKING AN IMPOSSIBILITY.
A Gable Line for the Motor is Impos-
sible Until Sewers Are Built.
President Small Pronounces the Pro-
posed Plan an Utter Absurdity.

The Minneapolis council committees on or
dinances and railroads, together with the al
dermen from the Eighth ward. held an exec u
tive session yesterday afternoon, at which the
petition of the motor line for an extension of
the privilege of using steam below Nineteenth
street was considered. From what particu-
lars could be learned afterwards, it
is apparent that the members of
the joint committee had practically
the feeling that the ten years extension
meant that steam would be used as motive
power for all time to come, which they con-
slider highly Objectionable to both property
owners and the interests of the city; further,
that the only solution of the difficulty is the
Introduction of a cable line. To this end it
was decided to submit to a special meeting
of the council an ordinance extending to the
motor line the right to use steam below Nine
teenth street to Washington avenue for Pc
Rod OF three years, with the proviso that
cable line shall be furnished within that time
at the rate of a mile a year, |. e., if mile of
cable line is not constructed within one year
the company forfeits it's right to use steam
after that period. 1t is probable that special
meeting of the council will be held this even
ing or tomorrow eve ming to consider the Or
dinance.
PRESIDENT SMALL'S VIEWS.
When Informed of the decision OF the joint
committee last evening, President Small said
to GLOBE reporter; You can state en-
phatically that we can't put in a cable line
upon any such terms, and that we wont do
1T either Why. if should take such prop
ostfon before our directors 1 should expect
them to kick me out of the building. They
must learn of it through the newspapers, for
] will never bring it before them. Now look
here. 1t is absolutely necessary that there
should be sewer in the street before we can
lay cable, as all the water would run into
the conduit for the cable and freeze up.
City Engineer Rinker informs US that it is
impossible to put sewer in First avenue
south for three years to come, as the North
Minneapolis tunnel into which it must drain.
will not be completed before that time. The
only place into which the sewer could drain
in the meantime is Central park lake, and 1
don't think the council would allow that.
Again, supposing that they should con-
struct mile of cable line, we would be
obliged to purchase site and put up engine
and coal houses. The next year we would
build another mile of cable, and would be
obliged to move our Plant to the end of that
line; the third year we would be Obliged to
move again. So you can see that plan is al
together inpracticabe, Do you suppose that
we are going to put in cable line after we
have expended 500, 900 in getting soda motors?
We are as well satisfied as ever that the soda
motors will give better service than a cable.
The fault with these motors lies simply in
their defective construction. They were not
properly DullC, anu WneH we pump lnlO one Oh
them thousand gallons of water 1t will run
out within an hour. In fact, they simply
leak. Give US time merely to remedy these
defects-it won't take more than three weeks
at the farthest, l apprehend-and then we
can pull our cars without steam to Washing
ton avenue. AT any rate, You can say that
we neither can nor will put in a cable. We
will tear up our tracks first.
''What will happen if we do not get an ex-
tension until we are able to repair the soda
motors? am sure don't know, except that
the people from the Eighth ward will be
obliged to suffer great Inconvenience through
no fault of ours. 1t will be horses or walk
from Nineteenth street down after Nov. l, if
the council doesn't give us few weeks
longer"