The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-02


pany had changed hands or was about
TO do SO. One version was that loca
parties hal bought out the road, while
another made the Thomson-H custom
Electric Company the purchasers. The
presence in the city of Mr.. W. j. Clark
of that company, was doubtless the
occasion for the starting Of the latter
story, and it 30 operated upon the
nerves of some of our citizens as to
cause somewhat of a sensation in GER
tain quarters.
THE FIRST RUMoR.
The first rumor-the one to the
effect that the road had been
bought out by local parties was
seen to have some foundation in fact,
though not true. It seems to have
arisen from the recent sale of large
block of the stock to Mr.. A. F. Nc June,
of this city, by Mayor Armstrong. The
statement was freely made on the
streets that Mr.. McCuDe aad a control
of the stock, but Investigation shows
that this is not true. Mr.. McCune's
stock will give him heavy interest in
the company, and the fact that a man
with such good financial judgment has
invested so freely in toe STOCK would
seem to indicate that something will be
done TO push the road to the perfection
demanded By the rapid growth Of the
city.
WILL IT BE ELECTR-CITYP
Mr.. Clark's visit here and his being
seen so much with Mr.. Arnold, of the.
Street Car Company. have also given
rise 20 the belief that whether the road
was 10 remain in it's present bands or
not, the adoption of electricity as a
motive power is under contemplation.
Mr.. Arnold was seen yesterday Dy
HERALD reporter and asked as to
whether there was any foundation in
fact for this conclusion. He was not
inclined to talk very freely about the
matter and finally the reporter put the
question:
May 1 say that your road is likely
to adopt some system of rapid locomo-
TOM"
well" was the reply, "it's q sure
thing that we are not going to depend
upon our little mules forever"
Mr.. Arnold denied that anyone, To-
cal or outside, had purchased control
of the road and secuted the idea tina
the Thomson Houston company had
any further interest IN his road than a
desire to equip it with their electric
apparatus, and did not think..they were
over-anx:ous about that.
WHAT MR. CLARK SAYS.
When Mr.. Clark was seen at his room
at the Continental last evening, he re-
ceived the reporter very cordially and
with all the courtesy desirable gave the
reporter all the information asked.
As to the rumor that his company
was to take an interest in Mr. Arnold's
road, Mr.. Clark assured the reporter
that there was nothing in it. The bust
ness of the company is to equip roads
with electric apparatus, and not to es-
tablish them. He said that his object
here was partly to induce Mr.. Arnold
to equi with his system, and partly to
see this country. When asked as to
what success he had met with in deal
ing with the Street Car Company, he
referred the reporter back to the super
inter dent.
THE THoMPSoN-HoUsTON SYSTEM.
Thinking that some little description
of this system would be of interest while
the subject is being discussed in this
city, the reporter asked Mr.. Clark many
questions, and was given thorough
explanation of all the working details.
The principal points of what was
learned are given below:
A single wire overhead conductor lis
the standard system; the rails being
used for the return current. This
makes light, unobstructive structure,
hardly noticeable by the casual OBJ
when required by special conditions;
and, whenever necessary, the circuit is
reinforced by continuous copper wire
laid underground and connected with
the rails. The method Of obtaining con-
tact is by the undermining trolley,
consisting of a spring bar and wheel
mounted on the top of the car pressing
against the conductor from below. The
latest form avoids the projecting bar for
spring attachment and provides for
constant pressure of the wheel against
the conductor, whatever the height of
the latter.
The main conductor is supported
from bracket poles on narrow
streets, where the tracks are on the side
of the street; or on wide avenues where
poles can be placed between the tracks.
Any style of pole can be used, from
the ordinary telephone pole to the
most ornamental form of iron pole.
placed from fifty to 125 feet apart. The
arrangement of the overhead liue at
curves and turnouts is one of the best
features of this system. Light but
strong metal supports are provided for
the conductor, insulated from the poles
and so arranged as to permit OF easy
adjustment to bring the conductor di
rectIv over the track. These supports
ara of such shape as to bring the con-
ductor in the plane of the cross wires,
so that the transverse strain of the
latter has no tendency to trip the con-
ductor supports out OF the horizontal:
Tae whole arrangement Is light and
simple requiring but few extra cross
wires. On long lines, or WI ere the track
"a conveniently located, feeder wires
are rsed to maintain constant poten-
tial at all points of the line, and to pre-
vent break at one point from inter
| ferin0 with the operation OF any OF the