The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-20

Citizens.
The general interest fclt in the pro
posed introduction Of electricity as the
motive power of the cars on Main street.
impelled The TINES yesterday 10 inter
view number of our well-known citi-
1ens II the subject, The following is the
result
COLONEL CU~sHAw.
While in the City Hall yesterday it oc-
CARED 10 the reporter TO ask Colonel Cut
shaw, the CITY Engineer, about the cleo
tic system of street railways.
The inst question asked, was
Colonel, hat is your opinion as to the
use Of electricity IN propelliDg cars as
compared with horse cars ~
His reply was you should get that
information from the electricians"
~ on believe il electricity -
II do"
~ hat about Main and Broad street
lines apdelectrlcity
desire TO say that don't care to ans
wer any Ques ions al official of the city
should not. Electricity as motive
poWer !Or electric street railways is al
present only experimental. | have my
notions. but don't care 10 express them
From the DRIFT of Colonel Cutshaw's con
ycrsslIOn that he was decidedly In favor
OF electricity a. q motor for our street
railway lines In fact, he has, on former
occasions, said as much al sessions OF the
committee on streets. He would prefer
some system with underground wires,
lu; until such a system is perfected, he
IL favorable 10 the city's doing the best
she can with the means al her disposal
MR. ASHTON sTARSE.
was seen late in the afternoon at his res
G,ncc. lie came out 10 see the reporter,
ana when the questions were asked,
thought somew hile before his answer.
llc said he had never given the electric
service over the horse car service any
thought lie had been SO busily en-
gagged giving attention to the many mat
t,rs connected With The Exposition,
which Is to be such grand success THIS
taii, and advantageous TO The street rail-
ways and exhibitors alike.
Keporler-You are Athen in favor of
electric lines
AnsWcr-Ot course ] am
You prefer electric railway on Main
and Broad 10 horse car lines
AnsweT-FranAiy, / tell you have cot
given lha, matter such thought as would
enable me 10 give an intelligent ANA
proper answer.
Why not?
"Weil, aile, thinking a while am
glad yOs called. Nou have brought my
attention % this subject viii give it
thought, and if you will call to see me
tomorrow or next day will give YOU
some,h.ag like an opinion.
MAJOR y. y. RANDOLPH.
Subsequently Major Norman Randolph
was seen a, the Randolph Paper-BoN
Works tie had been engaged all day
acting as foreman in the absence of his
regular foreman, who had gone to Gin
cinnati
tie received the reporter cordially.
"l am not ready to be interviewed ,'
said he. '5u. am in favor of electric
line al over the city"
Il suppose you want 10 learn my views
about Main stree, and Broad street, and
the use of electric cars there instead OF
horse cars
"Yes, an you have to say would be
glad 90 hear
Well said the Major, IL am in
favor of electric cars. believe electricity
10 be the power OF the future. | believe
that all the street railways will be run by
electricity and ough, to be, not only Main
and Broad streets, but on all other streets
where street car lines sre 10 be extended
MR.. JOHN L. WILLIAMS,
OF the firm of John L. Williams & Son,
was me, on the stree, and asked what he
thought of an electric road on Main
street. He was In favor of the electric
motor in street cars, but was rather
doubtful about overhead wires, as h
thought the poles might interfere with
the traffic of the street, and tha. there
might De some danger from the wires
breaking So wonderful are the strides
Of e.ecuicity. however, said he, that there
is DO telling 10 what perfection it may
be brought, or how soon ali the present
objections 10 It's US may be obyiated.
no DANGER At ALL.
Mr. George A. Burt, superintendent of
the Union Passenger Railway line, was
next seen, and asked if there was any
danger 10 running electric cars on Main
street He replied none whatever. The
wires for the present electric line have
been up and in working order for some
months, and they have not killed any
body yet, nor are they likely TO do so.
Even If wire should snap and strike a
man Il would not be fatal, because the
voltage is not heavy enough. |; would
probably give him pretty severe shock,
such as quite often occurs TO our opera
,iyes when repairing and fixing the line,
but ii would not kill. Besides this, he
said. The wires will be thoroughly insu-
ialcd, and all danger would be reduced
to a minimum.
"Wha. about the use of storage batter
les aud removal of the overhead wiresy
was asked.
What he replied is entirely impracti-
cable at present. What may be done in
he future no one knows, but at this time
storage batteries are very cumbersome
and unwieidly, and entirely too heavy
Tor use in street cars They weigh so
much that by the time two Of them are
placed in a car il would have all the load
q could carry without any passengers.
50 the pcODlc of Richmond should act