The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-06-23
Elevated and Electric Ps,lroad..

Chicago Times, July 2; The telegrphic
columns Of the daily papers announce from
time 10 time the successful intrOd uction OF
electric railways In the smaller cities OF
the country. IL will possibly he a sur.
prise TO most Of our citizens 70 learn tina,
electric appliances for nearly all OF these
roads are manufactured In our own CITY,
In order 20 present 70 the readers OF the
Times some authoritative data concerning
the operating OF electric railroads the Van
Depoele Electric Manufacturing Company
of Chicago was called upon for informa-
ton. This company occupies the five
floors of the large building on Clinton, Fear
Randolph street, as a mandatory, and Is
evidently crowded 10 fill orders. Mr.. w.
A. Stiles, the secretary and treasurer OF the
company in reply 10 a question as 10 the
practicablity Of running surface and elva-
ted cars by electricity, said:
The running of street railways by
electricity mas proven grand success, and
street railways all over the country are
contemplating change from horses 70
electricity. The Van Depoele Electric
Manufacturing Company, OF Chicago, has
already equipped eight roads, some of
which have been running over one year,
VIII you name the cities In which
your company have placed electric motors
for this purpose ~
The Capital City Electric Railway
Company, of Montgomery, Ala, thirteen
miles In length twenty cars, with s per
cent grades The Dix road, Detroit, Mich,
two miles, two trains Of six cars each, 2
per cent grades The Appleton Electric
railway, Appleton, Wis, four miles; five
cars, 5 per cent grades. The Windsor
Electric railway, Windsor, Ont, two miles;
two cars, per cent. grades. Scranton
Suburban railway, Scranton, Pa, four
miles; five cars, per cent. grades. Por,
Huron Electric Railway company, Port
Huron, Mich, four and ne.hslf miles, four
cars, per cent, grades. Binghampton
Electric railway, Binghamp.on, n Y; five
miles, seven cars, per cent. grades. Lima
Street Railway company, Lima, Ohio; four
miles, three cars, : per cent grades
The cars on these roads run from six
10 twenty miles per hour as desired. In
addition 10 these roads, we are equipping
under the Van Depoele system electric
railways at Ansonia. Conn, 81, GATHERINGS,
Ont, and Brooklyn, N. Y"
What is the cost of running street cars
by your system as compared with hOrsesN
There are over one hundred thousand
horses used In hauling street cars in the
United States-ChicagO having nearly nine
thousand. Five years is more than the
average useful lite of horse for street
car purposes. We have thoroughly dem
onstrated the fact that cars can be run by
electricity under the Van Depoele system
for one half the cost of horses, with coal
figured on the basis of SO per ton"
How would the Van Depoele system
work on the proposed elevated railroad on
State street, for instance, say from Van
Buren, street to Hyde Park ?"
I" II would be simply perfect. The wires
carrying the motive power would be
placed on the trestle work over the top of
the cars, and could be used for all purpo-
ses. lighting, heating, and for motive pow
er. There could be no Objectionable fea.
lures whatever, and as the Times said edi.
on Thursday, cities that have but
a fraction of Chicago's wealth and popula-
ton easily secure the investment of ade- |
guate capital in elevated roads, electric mo-
tors, and appliances for street Transports
ton adapted for their needs. How much |
longer must the people of this greatest of |
western cities wait for the advent or awak
aning Of enterprise enough to undertake |
the substitution OF modern facilities for
the methods OF antiquity still employed in
business here"
There is now no question at all as 10 the
part that electricity viii take in connection
with railways. The experiment stage has
been passed, and nothing now remains but
the practical fact of lis application.