St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-11
Thomas Lowry Concludes to
Abolish Cables and Horses
as Motors.
He Abandons His Minneapo.
lis Cable Project After
Spending 100000.
Horses to Be Sold and Elec.
trieity to Be Used on All
the Lines.
The Same Heroic Treatment
to Be Applied to ALI the
st. Paul Lines.

81. Raul Lines.
The improvements announced to be
made by the Minneapolis Street Rail.
way company, which have followed one
after the other so rapidly-the proposed
cable lines and extensions, the banisn-
ment of the detested bob-tails, the adop-
ton of transfer system-have nat
urally occaSiOned surprise as well as
qualification, and the making of con-
tracts and orders for construction
that have been given have added
the assurance that the company is
in earnest, and evidently as desirous as
is the public that Minneapolis should
be provided with thoroughly equipped
and modern street railway service. A
radical change has been decided upon.
however, with the concurrence of the
city council--the adoption of electricity
as motive power to succeed the draw
ing of cars by horses, as at present, and
as a substitute for tine proposed caUle
lines on First avenue south, Washing
ton avenue, from Nineteenth avenue
north to Cedar avenue, on Hennepin
avenue to East Minneapolis, and on
Bloomington avenue.
THE CHANGE,
or rather the cause for the change.
which will involve the abandonment of
material and work. already begun or
ordered, amounting to between $500. 900
and S400,O00 in cost, came about in this
way: The Fourth avenue line was set
aside for the trial OF electricity, and late
i'll the fall was fitted up for the ThOmp-
S0n-Houston system. Dec. IA, at noon,
the first car left the Twenty-fourth
street barn and traverSed the en-
tire line without hitch.
Since that date cars have been
running continuously. and the system
has been subjected to the most trying
conditions of Minnesota winter.
Changeable weather. severe cold and
heavy snow have been experienced, and
the cars operated by electricity have
been delayed less and less trouble has
been experienced in keeping the line
open with the cars on time than on
either the motor line or the horse car
lines. Not only that. but it has been
demonstrated that electricity is the
cheapest and the
MOST SATISFACTORY
motive power. The cars have run
smoothly, rapidly and comparatively
noiselessIy. The people along the line
have been delighted with the change,
and those who have the choice of taking
the motor or the electric line have been
found to invariably prefer the latter,
even if they were obliged to walk some
little distance to reach their homes.
Thomas Lowry. the president of
the street railway company, was
doubling Thomas on the subject
of electricity as applied to street rail-
way service. Nevertheless, he was
willing to give it trial, as he was any
other motive power, just as he had tried
soda motors in the past, but he was not
at all sanguine. He is as much surprised
success of the electric line. He has ex-
amined its workings personally, besides
making inquiries concerning similar
lines now IN operation i'll various large
cities, and finally. almost against his
will, has been convinced that electricity
is the motive power above all others to
be selected for street railway service.
Although, as has been stated, the street
railway company had already ordered
the
MATERIAL AND MACHINERY
for the construction and operation Of
cable lines. the building of power
houses. etc. MI. Lowry has decided to
call halt, and. with the permission of
Ino city COuHCti, SuuStlbulo SlcCGTfclIy,
not ouIy for cable lines, but for horse
car lines as we'll. he yesterday adj
dressed a letter to Acting Mayor
E. NJ. johnson, making the request that
a special meeting of the council be
called for next Friday afternoon to con-
slider the proposed change. 1t is not
likely that any objection will be raised.
WHAT THE CHANGE INCLUDES.
There are III Minneapolis to-day q
little over eighty miles of street rail-
way. When all the proposed extensions
are put in this will be increased to
about 10 miles. As much as possible
of this will be put in this year. The
cable system, which is to be abandoned
by the electric lines, Will be COM
posed of line from the union
depot to Thirty-first street, via First
avenue and Nieoilet, the old motor line,
and the Washington avenue line from
Nineteenth avenue north to Cedar.
These two main trunk lines, which
were to have been cabled this season,
will be equipped with the electric sys-
tenn at once, and MIR. Lowry thinks he
will have both lines in running
order by June 1. Work on
lines on Hennepin avenue to the
East side and on Bloomington avenue,
which were to be put in next year. will
be pushed as rapidly as possible.
though it is not likely that they can be
finished this coming fall. A most inn
portant feature is that from Thirty
first street to Washburn Home and to
Lake Harriet the electr ic line will be-
put in this season. and it possible, the
motor line to Minnehaha
WILL BE sUPPLANTED
with the electric line before snow flies
next winter. The Nineteenth avenue
north line, the Emerson line, and the
Washington avenue line to Shingle
creek will be equipped this season; the
avenue line will be put in
next season surely, and, if possible, this
season, while the line from Thirty
fourth avenue to Shingie creek will
be put in as soon as it can
be done. The Twenty-seventh ave.
nue. line to Smelling avenue and
the Cedar avenue line will be pushed as
rapidly SIS possible. AS soon as the line
is put in to supplant the proposed Hem
nepin avenue cable line to Hennepin
and Lyndale. an extension will be made
to Lake of the Isles; the Douglas ave-
nue. and Hawthorn avenue lines will be-
pushed, and also the Western avenue
line. On the East side the Monroe street
line will be properly equipped with the
electric motors, and also the lines on
Second avenue southeast, University
avenue and the line to Elwood's addi-
ton. As soon as practicable the other
lines near Monroe street will be put in.
In short. tile entire street car system
Il tN1r mn %