Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-21
The Suburban Electric Railway Will
Extend to the City.
SEVERAL ROUTES ARE AVAILABLE.
Possibility of an Arrangement With the
New Incline Company.
ACTIVE NEGOTIATIONS NOW PENDING


incline or by two other routes. When the
Pittsburg, Knoxville and st. Clair Electric
Railway, which starts at South Thirteenth
street. ceased operations some months ago
the Suburban line also had to lay off its
cars, as both used the same power house.
The latter line started az the edge
OF Knoxville, and was really
continuation of the Pittsbnfg,
Knoxville and st. Clair Railway out to
Carey P. o., two and three-fourths miles
from the city line. They are distinct
corporations, but as long as the Thirteenth
street line was running they amalgamated
their interests. The Suburban line has now
grown tired of waiting for the other line to
start up and proposes to come to the lower
Southside itself, and hot only that but to
the city across the river.
BOUND TO COME IN, SOME WAY.
The above information and that to follow
was given to The DISPATCH by Mr.. 7. A.
Noble, secretary of the Suburban Rapid
Transit Company, and may be considered
authoritative. Mr.. Noble said that his COM
pany. was bound to enter the city by some
route, and negotiations were now pending
on several directions. These negotiations
Will not be finished doubtless for some little
time yet so that it is impossible to positive
ly state which route they will take, but it is
sure thing that they will come to the city
by one of them.
Their first and pet plan is to enter into
an agreement with the Pittsburg Incline
Company by which the Suburban line will
furnish the facilities planned, for the street
car company now hold franchises on
all of the available streets in
10 Uo IN huu hni n
run in conjunction with the incline plane.
The Suburban line have purchased two lots
at the foot of Amanda street, Knoxville, and
In the spring intend putting up large
power house. If arrangements are COM
pleted with the incline people. they will
then extend their track over the mosS ac-
cessible way to the head of the incline The
cars will then be taken down the incline and
again restarted.
THE ROUTE OUTLINED.
The route from the foot of the incline will
be via Bradford street to Eleventh street,
thence to Muriel street and the Tenth steeet
bridge. After crossing the bridge the cars
will take the Second avenue line to the city.
The cars will be propelled by the Daft
motor, now being used by the company, and
it is expected that very fast time can be
made between the city and the foot of the
incline. Passengers will be carried from
Carey postofice, the present terminus of the
line, direct to the city for one fare of five
cents.
The above is the plan mapped out, but as
yet the negotiations either with the incline
company or the Second avenue line have
not been fully consummated. The man.
ayers of the incline company at this end are
ready to enter into such an agreement,
but the Philadelphia men, Messrs. E. II.
Matthews and Rawle have yet to be seen
in order to complete the negotiations
The machine company's sole idea in build
ing the plane was to get an entrance into
Knoxville and an outlet for its citizens to
the city. They have no franchise to extend
their tracks beyond Knoxville, and the Su-
burban line has. The latter line would fur
nish the accommodations sought for to the
Knoxville citizens, and thus by an amalga-
nation of the two companies interests both
would gain their ends.
Mr. Noble said that the bridge company
would take them over easily enough If they
arranged to pay the toll, as this is what the
bridge was built for. No difficulty is anti
cipated in making satisfactory arrange
ments with the Second avenue line, as the
two would in no way be competitive.
Mr.. Grimes, of the incline company, when
seen by a DISPATCH reporter some time
ago, said that the company did not care
whether they built a street car line them
selves, or entered into an agreement with a
company to do so. He said that an arrange
ment would probably be made with com
pany to operate the street car line. At that
time many thought that the Birmingham
line would be the one, but it seems not.
ANOTHER ROUTE AVAILABLE.
Should any of the negotiations fail over
the route named, the Suburban lines have
still another way to reach the CITY In 1886
they received a charter to build a track
from the hilltop down the Birmingham
AID Brownsville turnpike, thence to
Eighteenth street, to Mary street, to
Seventeenth street, to Muriel street and
the Tenth street bridge. The grade on the |
route is only about degrees, and the line |
down the hill would be about one mile long. |
The worst grade is only feet in 100 rise. |
Mr.. Noble said that car No. 1, now owned |
By the company, had gone up a grade of over |
feet to 100 rise with 107 passengers at 12 |
miles an hour, SO he thought it not difficult
% climb the turnpike.
There is still another resource left the
company, and that is the Twenty-second
street incline. Judge Mellon, the heaviest
Itockholder, said that the incline company
would be pleased to enter into an agreement
with the electric road, if they would come
hat way. The inclins would not have to be
-emodeled to take the cars down, and it
would in no way interfere with the other
rafic. The electric line has a capital of
S120, 900. Mr.. John Phillips, of Oliver &
Phillips, is President; Mr.. T. A. Noble, the
attorney, Secretary. The other members of
he company are Messrs. Robert P. Gun
bingham, William 7. Cowen, William c.
Noble.
THE MONETARY OUTLOOK.
The new line would have big field to
lraw from and could hardly fail to be a
uccess financially. Lower st. Clair town
hip is building up fast and contains some
'aluable building sites that would become
when the line was completed.
rhe stockholders in the company own a
,ood deal of the land and hope to thus
ring it into the market. Eventually the
inc will be extended to Whitehall. The
rafic from Knoxville and the surrounding
erritory would augment the receipts to
,ood basis.
The negotiations now pending in regard
o the Pittsburg Incline route are expected
o assume definite form inside of two weeks
II so. The facts thus far are given without
oloring
In regard to the revenues of the Pitts
'urg Incline, Mr.. Noble said that one day
asst summer he had the tollkeeper on the
turnpike count the number of
ehicles that passed the dollhouse. There.
7ere just 800 of them, and it was not an
xceptional day for teaming.
ENGRAvINGS for all illustrative pur-