The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-20

The First Run Made on the
Electric Motor Line.


At 8 O'Clock yesterday afternoon the
/ first car ever propelled by an electric
motor on Puget Sound issued forth
from the power house Of the Seattle
Electric Cable & Power Company. Ii
contained Messrs. L. ii. Griffith. f. c.
kilbourne. r. c. Watkins, f. III. os-
good and several others who are inter-
ested i'm the electric railway. The car
was under the guidance OF +. c. Wat
kins, the representative Of the Thorn
SON Housson Company. who has su-
perintendesi the construction Of the
electrical portion OF the road. The car
behaved satisfactorily and the speed
was under perfect control during the
entire trip. In fact. the speed was
varied from four miles TO as high as Is
miles an hour.
The sight OF car crowded with pas
sengers going up and down grade
with the ease OF bird and with no
apparent motive power attracted q
great crowd in North Seattle. The
motor which operates the car is hidden
from view, and many ran out into the
middle OF the street. and consequently
into the mud. to see how the car was
propelled. As the electric car passed
along Front street. past the power
house Of the Front Street Cable Rail-
way Company, which is located on
Second, near Depot, the employees ell
turned out and watched it as it silent
lv and smoothly travelled south. along
Front street. There was quite steep
raise just before Virginia ard Front
was reached, and the car went up this
as rapidly as though the ground was
as level as house fiocr. At this point
one of the horse-cars of the company
hove in sight, and the driver evidently
became alarmed, for he unhitched the
horses from one end and fastened
them 10 the other and drove away
from the car driven by electricity as
fast as he could. At the corner of
Virginia and Front streets s stop was
made. and the trip was quickly made
back to the power house, a distance of
over q mile. The car turned corners
and ran rapidly up grades, and could
be stopped whenever occasion de-
manded with marvellous readiness.
When the electric motor was finally
housed, Mr.. Watson, of the Thomson
Houston Company, as well as Mr..
Griffith and DR.. Kilbourne of the Seat
tie Electric Railway & Power Com
sany expressed themselves as more
than pleased with the manner in which
everything. including the machinery
and dynanos III the power house, had
worked.
IT was learned that experimental
trips viii be made from time 10 time
by Mr.. Watkins. in order that those
txs-l, -, arr fxa he
business. As running electric cars in
this vicinity is an entirely new thing,
this course of instruction will con-
sumo some little time.
There are a number OF little essen
tials which cannot be procured ANY,
where else than in Boston, in which is
the headquarters of the Thomson
Houston Company. The articles
needed were sent for some days since.
and are expected to arrive daily. As
soon as they arrive it viii take but a
short time to place them in position,
and then the road will at once be OPP
operated.
REcoNsTRucTfNs THE CABLE LINE.
The Seattle Construction Company
has 100 men at work building the Sec
ond track on Yesler avenue in the vi
entity of Eleventh and Twelfth streets.
Some are digging the trench while
others are putting in the conduits.
The work is being done in most sub
staatiai manner. Last evening re-
porter met Mr.. J. NJ. Thompson, who
is in charge of the construction for
the cable company. and asked him
how soon the work OF building the sec
ond track will be finished. Mr.. Thomp-
son replied that the iron is all here
aud that the cars win be here by the
LIST of April. II is the intention to fin
ish the work and have the cars run
ming in 40 DAYS