Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-09-28
THEY WILL ANSWER.
The SPRAGUE COMPANY so ASSURE
THE DISPATCH" BY
TELEGRAPH.
what Flcctrioians Think of the Alleged
Failure Of Our Systsm-Ihe Horse
Car service.


The declaration ~ the Union Passenger
Railway Company that She use bv them Of
electricity as q aouve-powcr has proved
failure is causing the people both to think
and talk
IN has bccn.thc chief topic Of discus
sion ON the streets and IN business circles
fo7 thcpast two DAYS, aud great surprise
lass bc6n expressed tha; the matter should
baso been given such publicity.
The oMc,re OF the railway company de-
s'rod o. observe secrecy and seemingly
madrcycry cuicayor so TO DO. but when the
Mayor entered formal complaint of the
imperfect service given and there we're
only four or five cnr~ out Of forty IN con-
diuou to b. pat on tAc line an explanation
had O. ho made.
That our clr service for several months
has been % Disgrace our people have well
known. and they nave exercised patience
unli ~ ceased 10 bc virtue. but thev
little thought that the company would
boldly assert that the whole thins was
failure.
The ewes of the public were first opened
q receive such au announcement a. this
when this pnpcr OH Thursday morning pub
Hehcd interviews with Captain Andrew
PIlNni. president and manager OF the
road. and Mr. stephen Baldwin. New
York attorney. who came down with sum
ciont proxies to elect a new Board OF d.
roctors. and who after going over the en-
tire line and having certain matters cX-
uaincd 90 him. expressed u as his opinion
that the road could not be successfully
optrafcd until armiturce could be obtained
that would stand the very heavy pressure
which they have 90 undergo IN propelling
cnrs up the steep grades ou the route.
In the stockholders meeting on thurs
doy. and IN the conference held at the
Mayor's office the same day, ~ was unhcsl-
fsfiurlv stated and among the stOckhold-
ers generally agreed that the operation ot
the railway was far from being success.
Those who spoke Of the matter very care-
fully avoided saving that the Sprague
ovcrhcad-Wlre system was a failure, and IN
the contrary 81 was stated ~ the belief OF
many that the system could be made sue
ccss. lus that toe equipment here was de-
foctiys.
TIE srnAGUE COMPANY.
Bcine desrous Of giving the public both
rides of this question the Dispatch ycster
dav tcicgraphed the Sprague Company for
81. version of the alleged failure Of the
motive-powcr and received the reply fol-
lowing:
NEw YoRE, September 27, 1889.
So me Editor Qfh Dspatct:
The Spraeuo Company will answer the
attack upon 1t IN way that Will settle
disputed questions.
+. H. JOHNSON, President.
II Is not clear how the answer" will
De made. but as the questions at issue can
only boz " settled 90 In the courts It Is fairly
infcrrable that they mean 10 bring sult
against the Union Passenger Company,
which they may do. rs they claim that the
latter Is IN their debt.
oTBER ELECTRIC LINES.
Street-cars operated by the overhead
wire system are being run III numerous
cities. and with success. too 50 far at
least rs serving the public is concerned.
In Boston the electric cars start out from
the old Colony railroad depot. thread
crowded streets, and run TO Chcstuut-lilll
reservoir on the suburbs. They move
safely. rapidly, and almost noiselessly, and
receive an immense patronage. The SVs-
TEN seems 10 be very like that in use here,
but 1t is the Ihompson-Houston patent.
In Lynn electric cars are also operated
hy the Oycrhrad-wiro system, and they
have as many difficulties of grade and
curve 10 overcome as exist in Richmond.
All over the land electric cars are coming
into use. and II Is therefore with great sur
prise that the public have heard the decla-
ration of the Union Passenger Company
that their equipmcnt has proved "a failure.
II Is "A fact, however. that the cOnstruc-
tion Of this line for use 10y clectrcally-
propelled cars was in the nature OF an eX-
pertinent, and Mr.. SpTague himself IN de-
bate with Mr. Nj. B. Leonard, OF tins city, at
one of the meetings of the American lnstl-
tute of Electrical Engineers, admitted the
fact. and stated that such improvements
have since been made by his company as
give vastly better and cheaper service.
PUBLISHED TO THE WORLD.
Iftho Sprague Company intend TO con-
tinue the manufacture OF street-car equip
ments they viii be compelled to answer IN
q decisive way the ANNOUNCEMENT Of the
Union Company that their line IS failure,
for That announcement has been telegraph
ca far and wide. The New York Worids
Richmond correspondent sent II column
on the subject, and II was printed con-
smcuously under big headlines and with
the following introduction:
RICHMOND. Va, September ga confer
rnce held at Mayor Ellyson's office to-day
has "a particular interest TO New Workers
because of It's bearing upon the estate OF
the late Maurice b. Flynn. who had very
heavy investment IN the Electro rallWay
of Richmond. This investment was made
shortly after his indictment IN New York
for completely in the alleged conspiracy
between Hubert O. Thompson and Com
missioner Of Public Works Rolhn Nj.
Squire. The points brought out Mt tins
conference may also perhaps eN-
ulain the recent action of Mr.. Field, of
The old firm of Hotchkiss. Field a Co.,
New York. Of which Mr.. Flynn was under
stood 10 be the largest partner. Ii VIII be
remembered that Mr.. Field recently Sc
cured the appointment OF receiver Tor
the affairs of the firm, on the ground that
Mr. Flynn before his death had signed the
firms name TO heavy obligations incurred
I'm building and operating the electro ran
way IN this citv Mrs. Flynn, who Is a
dauchtef of Theodore Moss of New YORK
city has been here recently looking after
her husbands affairs. When Mr.. Flynn
died II was rcputed that his estate would
amount to Sl,OOO,OOO.
HE SAYS TIE LINE Is NOT FAILURE
The following was sent 20 this office yes
terdav afternoon for publication:
TO he Ednor Of he DsDoict:
I'm vour paper of the 9th instant notice
that there is q statement concerning the
Electrician Line that II IS failure.
/ do hereby state that II properly worked
il II not failure by any means, out the
had been before this statement in the
comImny's employment, aud there was at
that time plenty Of cars on the line 10 ac-
commodate the public
On Mr.. Spraeues Electric road IN Atiah-
tic City there are ears that have made o'uyu
trips without q An9le delaN, II pIoptlf
attended 70 the cars here VIII do their Work
lust as well. / will, az the present uIhe'
close my statement with the declaration
that the line is not failure.
JoHN J. McEyOY,
los south Seventh street,
formerly an employe Of the Richmond
Union Passenger Railway.
WHY not SUCCESS.
representative Of the Dispatch Yesterday
- alapfrlglauS of