Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-09-29
IMPROVED SERVICE.
MORE CARS ON THE ELECTRIC LINE,
AND OTHERS NEARLY READY.
mfr. steers Says the Road Shall DO
Equipped with New Motors IL IL
Costs Him 100000.

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. anu INV N"hNso "''
probably be ready for duty to-day.
Every effort is being pat forth by tho
management not only 20 give the public
better accommodations than have boen AT
forded for several months, but 20 remedy
fhe imperfect details in the motor equip
ment which have prevented the enterprise
from being perfect success.
The chief trouble that has been expert
enccd in the conduct Of the railway has
been in the matter OF getting the arma-
lures 70 stand the heavy strain to when
they are subjected and when they are
burned out in having them rewound.
BEING DONE AZ HOME.
This work is now being done at tho
eompopy's sheds. on Church Hill, where
room has been fitted up especially TOR the
purpose and whore several mon are en-
ployed 10 DO nothing else.
The brass segmcnts. which form a part
Of the motor-heads, or commutators, ana
into which tho ends OF the forty-eight cons
of wire wrapped on each armature are
caught are also being made here. ms IL
an entirely new departure, nothing OF the
kind having ever been done here before,
but the success attending the home WORK
mems efforts Is very encouraging. AT
first il was found difficult to nsu-
late the segments ana wires sum
GENTLY. but greater pains IS now
being taken in packing the mica filling be-
tween the sogments, and the armatures
are now standing tho test much better
than they did a few days ago. The three
cars turned ont Of the shop yesterday were
doing very good service curing INC SNc-
ring. and workmen we're engaged last
MIGHT on armatures for two cars which
fhey are expected 10 have ready for service
Tins morning. With sixteen cars the COM
panv can accommodate the public very
well indeed
WILL. HAVE NEw MOTORS.
Ceptain Andrew Pizzini, secretary and
treasurer Of the Union Passenger Com
pany. in his mail yesterday morning re;
ociVci the following letter, which VIII
prove very interesting reading Just al inns
iimc. as il treats of q subject about which
the public mind Is very much exercised;
NEW YORK, September q, 1889.
Andycr Pizzini, ESP:
Dear Sir.-I returned Yesterday, and
learned from Mr.. Motley that there had
rot been ANYTHING settled during my alb
scncc / Immediately saw that something
must be done. and ~ once. l saw Nj.
johnson. president Of the Sprague Elec-
trc Company. and made an arrange
msnt with him 20 send Mr.. Green 10
Richmond tonight for the purpose OF
finding out tie difficulties with the cleo
tric equipment of the Richmond Union
passenger road, and if il is found that
il viii need am entire HDr equipment II VIII
be done. and as rapidly as the Sprague
works can DO IT. / soc by the Word news
pant.r this morning report Of conference
or discussion over tho service of the roads
All want De- little lorhearancc ana VIII
soon have the Richmond Union Passenger
road equipped with entirely new motors.
II necessary / VIII do TINS myself II II costs
100000 hope those Interested viii help
me. lut II they VIII not OF cannot VIII 20
1t alone with Tie ~pmgue people.
There was nothing IN the election 10 us
turb YOU or your interests. but II was done
for the purpose Of having organization
thai would give some attention 20 the busl-
mes of the road. They can all resign to-
morrow If necessary. ! want YOU To tel
those in authority that the Richmond
Union Passenger road UW De- pid an 9ood
shape at once. There is no buncombe about
this. and am 90 settle arrangements with
the Spague Company to-day. or as soon as
III Green gcts back. possibly on Monday,
and then We VIII 20 ahead sure. Mrlte me
If you have time. Yours sincerely.
Mr.. Steers is the president OF the
Eleven.h-Ward Bank, Of New York city,
and is one of the largest holders OF the
stock Of the Electric Line.
STATEMENT TEoN CAPTAIN PIzzrNI.
In conversation with Dispa'ch reporter
las night Captain Pizzinl sad:
Il am not president Of the Electric Line
0g has been stated in some Of the papers ,
hut secretary, treasurer, and acting gone
raj manager and director. l nave not
said e'ocfrtc-motorS or the Sprague system is
d failure. | only asserted what the public
knew too wcll-th0t o'r motors and ma
chinery were failure. and that with THEM
could not guarantee reliable service. l
have perfect confidence in the efficiency of
electricity in all l,s application ana believe
that under all conditions 1t VIII work sue
cessfullv with proper mechanical ap-
pliances and arrangement"
Both IN his statement at the conference
held ia the Mayors office a few days ago
and in his several interviews with repre-
aentatives Of this paper Captain Pizzini
has said very positively what he states
above. and the DisYd'ch has so reported
him. He has insisted all the while that
cars can he successfully operated by cleo
tricity. and has expressed the belief that
the Sprague people can easily remedy the
defect in the equipment of the mon Pas-
senger Line if they choose TO take hold OF
il and do so. He has not, so far as the
DsDatcl is informed, used any language
that could be properly construed as pro-
nouncng the SpraCue system a failure.
On the contrary. Captain PiZzini said last
night that he felt sure the Sprague people
can do what is necessary to make the cleo
trical operation of our system success.
THE SYSTEMS.
In speaking Of the several systems of
electricity, Captain PiZzin said: " The
Thompson Houston has the overhead
wire. and the main current passes through
q resistance-box before il gets TO the mo-
tor. which they claim will prevent the
destruction Of the armature. The Daft
system also has an overhead wire,
with what is known as the return
metallic circuit. which the Daft peo-
pie claim gives perfect connection be-
tween the motor and the generating power;
that there is very little loss by leakage
and no chance of short circuit The Ju-
lian Company, whose systemi is storage bat
terry, propose TO make an offer for placing
their cars on the City railway, provided
the street-car company will provide extra
power on all grades over per cent, either
by attaching tug-horses or other power.
The ISSUE.
The real issue between the Sprague Com
panv and the railway company IS this !;
The former claims that the trouble here
arises from inefficient repairs and lack of
management. The latter MAINTAIN that
there is no fault III the management or
operation, but that the motors which have
been furnished are imperfect IN some of
the minor details.
No doubt one reason why the armatures
do no better service is that the cars are so
frequently overloaded where the grace Is
heavy. IL there were a rule that only as
many persons should be allowed 10 get on
n car as there are seats 20 accommodate
them the machinery would undoubtedly
do longer service.
IT OUGHT TO WORK WELL.
Mr. Robert l.. West. assistant manager
here OF the Southern Bell Telephone Com
pany, said yoste rday that az far as he could
see, or had heard, there was no reason why
cars should not be successfully operated
here by electricity. With the meagre in-
formation before him. however be did not
care 70 pronounce positive opinion, but
he feared that proper care had not always
been taken here IN making connections and
protecting the motors.
MIR. West said that all over the country
the Sprague Company are running street
cars, and he had been told that in Ashe-
vile. N. G., they have a road which has very
steep grades. and yet the service is first
- Iar fr,e ha haf