Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-21
ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
GRAND SUCCESS OF TIE SYSTEM
IN PHILADELPHIA.
The Same System to BE Introduced
Here-Description OF the Cars
Progress OF the Work.

questions are asked in this city to-day as
that of the electric railway which is in
| course of construction. Nearly four miles
of track has already been laid and it will
| be but a short time before a one track line
is completed from the depot to Oak Park.
Track laying was commenced on street
| little over week ago and the rails are
down from Third street nearly to Tenth
Some people have expressed surprise that
but one turnout has been put in along the
| whole line, but this was explained vester-
day by l.. l.. Lewis. President of the Elec-
trio Railway Company, by saying that it
was the intention to have a double track on
j street, and no switches would be needed
there. lie did not wish to put in the turn
outs on the other streets until the first car
arrives, SO that it can be run over the line
and the exact places determined where the
switches ought to DE placed to operate the
road with precision. All the switches are
mere and can be put in place in short order
when the proper time comes.
Mr.. Lewis says that he is not now rush
| ing the work as much as he could do, be-
cause the weather is so warm that the men
cannot do full work and there is no neces-
slty for it, since it is impossible to get the
cars made fast enough. That the road is
to be speedily completed, however, and
| that it will be a perfect success, he saws no
one need have any doubt. He showed the
RECORD UNION reporter q letter lust re-
ceiyed from VIM. Wharton, Jr., President
of the Electric Car Company of America,
which makes more street cars than any
company in the world, in which the fol-
lowing occurred
The eight-wheel car has been running
Tor about week with great success, and
| carrying often very heavy loads-up to 100
people on the car at time"
The car referred 10 is exactly like the
cars being constructed for the road in this
city. Mr. Lewis also had a letter from
VIM. IL. Armstrong, President of the COM
pany that has the right to construct the
| cars on the Pacific coast. That gentleman
wrote that since he had seen the operation
of the cars in Philadelphia he had made up
his mind to start at once for San Francisco
and commence the erection of q large
building for the manufacture of these cars.
He left Philadelphia on Monday last tor
that purpose.
SUCCESS IN PHILADELPHIA.
The following clippings from the Phila-
delphla papers of the 18th instant give
some description of the cars (which are the
same as those to be used here), and their
successful operation there. The Enquirer
of that date says
A trial trip of car No. s. of the Electric Car
Company of America was made Yesterday over
the Lombard and South Street Railway leaving
the depot at l:l5 p NJ, and consuming thirty
seven minutes in making the trip from the depot
at Twenty-tifth and South streets back to the
point of starting.
The car is % feet long, elegantly upholstered
and lighted with incandescent lamps II is pro.
PEELED by two Reckenzaun electric motors of
elght-horse power each, capable if need be to
distance of siXty-three miles with but one
| change OF the storage cells, one hundred of
which are placed under the seats of the cars
but in daily service it is better not to exact more
| than forty miles. while the best way is to make
a change of cells. which can be Accomplished
in two minutes three times day.
The motor is what is known as screw motion
| WORKING INTO cog-wheels, which turns the wheels
| and moves the car. The weight of all the cleo
| trical apparatus and machinery is $500 pounds
and that of the car 300 pounds, a total of
1900 pounds A speed of twenty miles an hour
is possible but the will give the most efficient
| service at about eight miles an hour A fiftv-
| candle-power incandescent light, the rays of
which are intensified by reflector is in posi-
ton as a headlight. The brake, which is power
ful and efficient one, operates on ali eight wheels
| OF the car, at once speedily checking its motion
| In the event of an accident to the brake there
| Is an electrical arrangement by which the car
can be brought to an almost instant standstill
| The electrical gong, which sounds a warning
the throwing OFF OF the brake and the manipu-
| latlon OF the sand-bOX. are all worked by the
pressure of the foot of the driver upon different
levers, which are within easy reach on the plat
form, thus doing away with the necessity of his
taking his eyes from off the road in front of him
The cells in which the electric current is stored
are of the type known as 50 c. of the Electro
| cal Accumulation Company's make.
The Philadelphia Press of the same date
says:
What is in prospect for the northern part of
the town IN an electrical way is almost assured
Tor the southern part. The Lombard and South
| Streets branch of the Peoples line has been
running for some time in regular trips upon Its
line large sized eight-wheeleG Storas G battery
car OF the Electric Car Company Of America
| The President of the street railway, Thomas C.
Barr considers the experiment worth prolong-
| ing TWO or three months. Our experience so
| far, said Nj. Barr, has demonstrated conclu-
slYely mat the car Is a mechanical and eec-
| trieal success, but what we are after, and. in
fact, what all street car companies are after is
| that the electrical car should prove financial
| success"
The car has been running since last Saturday.
but Il special trip was made yesterday after
noon, number of invited guests being on
BOARD Among them were W. Warrior Jr
Abraham Barker and q. H. Condict OF the
Electrical Company: Thomas C. Barr, Z. H.
Moore, W. H. Shelmerdine, Joseph Samuels F.
| ID. Murphy, and j. H. Fresh, of the Street Car
| Company.
The car started out of the depot at Twenty
fifth and South streets little after o'clock 1t
| IS very large car, weighing seven tons. while
| the ordinary car OF the road only weighs two
| tons. The electrical apparatus. bearings and
other mechanism weigh about 5 800 pounds
The car Is elegantly furnished, and is lighted
win lncandescent lights of exceeding white
ne S. The headlight of the car is a fortvcandle
| incandescent light. All the dynamo motor is
| hidden under the floor of the car. The power
| is supplied to the motors from 100 Electric Ac-
cumulator Company's storage batteries. which
are concealed beneath the car seats. The speed
can be regulated at will, but twenty miles an
| hour can be attained if necessary The car
will run sixty-nine miles or almost whole
| day, On the Lombard and South-street line with
out change of batteries but in practice it is the
| intention to change the batteries three times
day.
1t Is said it costs slate rum street car eighteen
hours, the motive power the horse. costing
nearly So. The electric car will only cost little
over 81 st is claimed by Its advocates, and will
thus be cheaper. The car is of the same type
run some time ago on the Spruce and Pine
| streets Railway, but much larger.
On the first trip yesterday the car made the
trip in thirty seven minutes to Front street and
back. Ii runs very smoothly and easily and
| starts without the slightest jerk. AS it bowled
along, sounding its musical gong, it was a
source of much wonderment TO the natives of
| Lombard street. As 1t passed Ninth street the
engineer sounded a oerisive rat-a-tat at the ca.
BILE car.
Yes remarked an enthusiastic passenger.
| this begins where the cable leaves off. You
can run either forwa or backward, and col
| lisions are easily avoided" The car obeys the
| slightest wish of its engineer and there is no
Jolting or Earring. The gong is rung by an
| electrical knob managed by the foot, leaving
| the hands of the engineer free I'VE will in
| troduce the cars on our road" said Mr.. Barr on
| the return to the depot Just as soon as we
| ascertain the cost of the motor" second
| trip was made later in the afternoon aud eighty
passengers were carried with comfort in the car.
| The above quotations are sufficient to
show that the electric railway system which
is about to be introduced here is success
upon actual trial and ought to end all
doubt on the subject. The gentlemen who
have had the courage to invest their money
in the enterprise, and push the work with
the vigor they have. ara entitled 10 and
will receive unlimited commentator from
the people OF this city. That they are our
own citizens and are doing their utmost 20
develop the city and add 10 its attractive
ness, should entite them to even more
consideration than would be accorded to
strangers who may invest their money in
a city with view solely to the profits to
accrue therefrom. MeSsrs. Lewis, Alsip
and the other gentlemen connected with
the Electric Railway Company are doing a
good work, and should receive the en-
enlargement of every public-spirited per-
son in the city.