New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-08
BOSTON sTREET-CA
rHr NEw ELECTRIo Road.

p...on March s-BostonaDs rejoice not only be-
cause their city Is great literary cens'e NOT onE ~
her grand historic associations not ohy - tne unsuf
nassed beauty of her suburbs; not ony - s esnetay
good and wise government whsch ,a =, - ncr
,,cInaI affairs not only IN her schools ciean, wen
~, strsots ber superb police force, her excellent
-. ,,nnIv her sewerage system, her nre depart
r,sn, and. IN fact in everything mat .enos 70 pro
80 ,ho sanitary educational and moral weiaso OF
,sroa and prosperous city. Bostonisne tosec 80 ~
.h nossession OF the best streetcA ssessi "a wy
vo,,d This statement IS made aoVlssany "n1 n.'uous
oa0oaration. In no city in the woru Als Cat
r,ea 30 far for Ave cents IN snen eioeu Z. a.. 49,,
,ort.be sroetcars and brought 50 near
Ia CO. places OF business as In Boston. wtnoas
ana lnoI s.ngnr, 70 outstrip other cities In this
aHy poston has during the last tnirtysi years
l.aaS1v aovanssd IN providing means Oh
80 thorouphfares and the ieeders te~olhs W 70
~ ~ Toohtng al a map Of tho streets "a Doseon
o,e, and her immediate SUBURBS oue = -
a. rotwork of rails which extena i"n wy
the compass. - rr-at trust or mo.
rortunatey for Bostonians no graz eas =. ~
popoiy secured possession Oh .uo 49,. rh,ra ,re,e
ths eitv In tho early history OF horSe h.,.rsa,,
1'e 0'S s,rorant lines and 50 much nVaify Dct"ecn
- s,s.-ont oompauies that selfish Managers Deceme
naa NV Tho force Of public opinion % poviue 'ns
recommendations for the people, tne '@s1h
-. r.auced from time to time, unHi hnA"'
a. IN, carry one for at east so miies'
aan,v upholstered artisticsIly decora'ca ests ~.
S-,vsrs and conductors quick urne'Ao~' an
rnsr the dlffereus corporations were nhAnI
.hsorhed by one gigantic MONOPOLY e"e
-. srnm,t TO inferior aceommodsnens' .,uA...
"os - h.ya ham since 1862 81 leaSo eeu''.n
.ne horse-car HINES chartered TO run cars ia
nog4on and It's immediate SUBURBS W -.
,oTr Chelses, Roxbury and Doreheseerl, iou@.
,hsv arc with one exception UNDER enc s,~a .-s
,he wsst End street Railway COMPANY, Zoo -,
- "a numbers 1000 cars, 1000 horses, GOV NUTS
Of track, Afty-t~o steoies' anu
a,o,t 600 men. -. .O.o,
- oort,sIon reigned supreme, when rou'cs "cie
,.,ny changed, cars epainted ana re'e''eie'' So
- bla corporation was IN an emOr9ono sseAo,
pos.oraps were indignant They ieit tnAt 'no' 49,
:. the mercy Of one company, ana tna. ui'y MS
,vh,stIe for proper accommodations hcrVelnh Du 49,.
WHSLE ~ .,cns IAN the west End going to prove
lo'' 10 other monopoies. In some Respects
- RECOMMENDATIONS IN Boston streetcars arg "-uS
- ,hep thew ever were before and stii uee'oe
49,. ~. n-ou,sed The introduction oil eecusO'S
:. ulclv 10 solve the problem OF RAPID 'ransle
henry NJ whitney, president OF mo me.tVpo ,.s
steamship Company with few osner eh,S,p r,nAs
gentlemen, organized about two years $50 'H1 W"
md land Company. Its scope was lafse' ~ pu
$50 ,.rcc quantity OF land running west OF BIOS
- 10 Rroohiine This was largely marsh ana ui-
.so,,od land and A big outlay was necessary
hr,ro II into market for building purposes Nc"
Yard ta,e march Of empire has taRen iiS Was ~ DO
tom for the last twenty years Immense sum.
money have been expended IN BUILDING up N"
snor, .s the Back Bay territory. What Nenu-
NY - .ro was largo expanso Of marsh land,
-, "a, the most pert b. ttaevater, y o-asy
A.. most beautiful and artistic part Of sBoston'
- h.h1v true that no city IN this country can SHOW
- ro.rv nleeant and expensive public and pnVato
S,ud,pga On A given number Of acres, ARD WIN 30
tev, inferior ones. can be seen on inc bseA Day "
,oday IN Boston Tho talents Of the best aroni'eeo
,hs oonnry have been taxed IN the erection OF mag
L.. hons.s Of worship, hotels and prsyase ree
Ssrca~. The west End Land Company started IN ~
ne west End Of Boston, and proposed 70 ex1ona u
- toip the lovely and wealthy town OF Broehlne.
,Ubose public streets are constant sneoess~u OF
beautiful parks. -.
One step suggested another, and VERY soon ar.
whitney found hlnself also al tho head OF eE s'es.
ysI,wav corporation. A demand for RAPID transit
ras hoad ON all sides. An elevated
road was urged By many. cable road was pro-
,octed for Boston. An experienced engineer was
hrourht 10 Boeton by the West End management ior
tbs purpose Of laying the cable system. Ihe
nermits were received from the Beard OF
but iust before operations wero begun u was aee'ped
10 Investigate what could DO done win ele''s'0'u
as motor.
from the use of electricity. tho West End Company
4 carefully testing two distinct systemshe eondEt
and overhead patents The West End Company has
equipped with conduts about two miles Of im tre0R
from the Boston and Providence station In PARK
Square to the Junction of Bacon ard IpsSeh su..
where Il connects with the overhead line Tho oopi'
systeun n II can DO made TO work sattsfactarily,
especially desirable for cites, naSmuoh 40 IL aess
NOT obstruct the streeta Tho conduit IA supposa 10
be laid ia the centre OF tho track but IN Boston IL
has for economical reasons been laid on the outside
Of the outer rail. The conduit, which Is securely
fastened 10 the seeperS, Is about RIOT Square ~
the bottom. At the top. the opening through whSh
the electric current Is communicated 70 tho motor
on the ear the slot Is only about threefourthS Of an
inch vide so small that thin carriage hre couh not
got caught in IT, Tho conductors mat CARY the cur.
rent within this conduit copper bars Ia inches
wide and half an inch thick, Insulated some inches
beneath the opening Of the slot Ono bar carries the
current from the dynamo. and the other returns u
after 1t has passed through tho motors Tho current
taken from the conductors in tho condt 10 motors
underneath the cars by means Of ploughs' rs they
are technically designated, two b each car, to In
sure perfect connection Thote aploushs' are thin
iron plates ab6ut ten inches square which are hung
from q framework In the centre and beneath the ear.
and project down into the slot IN the conduit The
switch in The car IS tced that the car esn IN
less than minute be changed from abe conduit 10
the 0Vcfhean sistcm o. u.
The overhead system is better known, from ~
common psa The electric current from the
dynssnos ct the central power station is
conveyed By overhead wires 10 the motor beneath
the cars connection between the car and wire being
made by an ingeniousy arranged troly carried upon
flexible arm on the roof Of each car. line Of
small iron poles on each slde Of the street, 126 feet
apart support cross wires from which, directly
the centre of the track and about eighteen feet above
tho street. rs hung the trolly wire or working con-
ductor.H This wiro, which rs shout the size Of an
ordinary telegraph wire IL made OF an alloy known
Is silicon bronEe5 which can DO drawn 10 tensile
strength OF 100000 pounds 10 the square inch Along
The line Of the poles is hung copper wire three
Exeentis Of inch In diameter. which carries the
main current This IS carried frem the dynagnos
at tho power house by four feeders which roach tho
line at points about eQui-dlstant hom each other
aud from the ends Of the Ine thus securing equal
distribution Of the power over the entire length.