The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-06-02


on East Main. over the Fox. over the ILL
uois bridge and up the south hill, on La
Sale st. TO the bluff and perhaps up the
bluff, and west to Ottawa Av. Cemetery.
THE ROAD.
The cars would hold twenty-five persons,
with length Of fourteen feet inside meas.
urement Some Of them cost $3.50 to $500,
the first class varieties come as high q 81,
400. They would make cable time, seven
and half to eight miles an hour. One car
could thus do the service Of two horse cars.
In Chicago the cable cars run eight; in Kan.
sas City, seven and half; and in Omaha,
eight miles an hour. That speed is perfectly
safe, more 80 with electrics than with cable
cars. as the cable is liable either to catch or
slip. We would use rail on unpaved
streets and fat side bearing rail in the
business part Of the city. The tracks would
be four feet eight and one half inches-stan.
dard guage, with plank on the outside to
make q flush level bearing on the business
streets. 1t is our interest to make travel
safe. and we would use nothing lighter than
rail weighing twenty five pounds to the
yard. We can make grades that are ten feet
to the hundred and could easily climb tho
South Side hill. The wire to be used would
be either the three. sixteenths inch Thompson
e. Houston or the two o o Sprague, running
through the center Of the street, suspended
from wires hung on poles, the poles standing
on each side Of the street, one hundred feet
apart. The wire would not be insulated. 1t
would not be necessary, as the power ne.
cessary to run the cars does not exceed four
hundred and fifty degrees, which is not a
strong enough current to injure man or
beast. The electric light wires are charged
up to 200 degrees, and are very dangerous.
We would, if We we used steam to generate,
place in two l25 horse power boilers, so that
should one become out of order, the other
could be used If the citizens want Mr..
Clark and myself to build the road, we will
do so, taking our own chances. If you so
express yourselves here, shall perfect an
an organization with your Secretary of State,
get petition from the owners Of property
on the streets. where we wish to place the
line, and present it to your city council.
The road would be a single track, with
system of automatic switches, as the streets
are not wide enough for double track
Mr.. H. NJ. Hamilton said that he was
acquainted with MIR. Evans. He is fnan-
cially and in other regards solid. He did
not come here to humbug us, but was here
to give US a good system. Some objection
had been mode to the speed of the cars. 1t
was about time that little speed was in
stilled into the wheels and energy Of the
city. [applausel He had seen the bob
tailed system in operation, and always had
to walk when he wanted to keep an appoint
ment or make train.
Mr.. Nicholson moved that the meeting
heartily indorse the proposition to build an
electrical street railway and upon a rising
vote every man in the room voted for the
N otion.
After some discussion between judges
Eldredge, Blanchard and Evans, and MIR.
Armstrong. upon the right course Of pro-
cedure to bring the matter before the coun-
Gil, the meeting adjourned