The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-02
THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Its Inevitable Triumph Over all Other
Systems of Transportation.
The recent meeting in BOSTON of the
American institute of electrical engineers,
was marked by an event which should in
spire confidence in the mind of every cleo
trical engineer as to the complete triumph
of the electric railway. The visiting engi-
neers were given every opportunity to ex-
anime the existing temporary power plant,
and also the engineering plans of the great
central power station of the West End rail-
way company, the foundations for which
are Snow being constructed. In this
building when completed will be 10
Gated thirteen 1000 horsepower steam
engines and the magnitude of the work is
such as to involve the expenditure of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile
a sufficient number of electric cars are run
ming in the streets of Boston to give every
citizen and visitor an opportunity of CON-
pairing them with the horse cars. There are
not enough of the electric cars, however, to
furnish facilities for all who desire to patron
ize them-not because they are novel-but
because they are clean, we'll lighted, start
quickly. are controlled with remarkable IA
cility. and nre in every way so superior that
passengers will walk an extra block for the
sake of riding in them. All the howl about
overhead wires was confined to
those tn who have been influenced
cient for the people that they have an i'm
proved system of transportation. and that
they mean to enjoy it. is shown by the ac-
ton of the aldermen who are forced by pop
ular pressure to rescind the ordinance linn
iting the speed of the electric cars to seven
miles per hour. The increase in the num-
Der of cars operated is now checked tenn
porarily on account of the necessity of
equipping open cars for summer traffic.
Boston is 90 located that its suburbs are
probably more beautiful and accessible than
those of any other city in the country and
facilities will be readily understood by
those who make the trip to Chest
nut Hill and return by the electric railway.
Along the center of a broad avenue the
double track occupies strip of parking,
with row of trees at each edge. The
roadways for vehicles are ON either side.
The entire absence of horses has therefore
permitted the grass to grow between the
rails, and it is kept closely cropped, giving the
whole SO beautiful an appearance that the
incidental existence of overhead conductors
is entirely ignored. The one prominent
feature in the entire system. as installed in
Boston, is the evident determination to dc
everything in the best possible manner
This being the cardinal principle, there car
be no doubt as to the continued sue
cess of the great undertaking
If skeptics still exist. let then
stand on the sidewalk of fremont stree,
and note how perfectly the electric cars mr.
| handled on that crowded thoroughfare
Every street railway company manages
| DESTROYS of changing his system, ever,
newspaper editor who dwells on death anS
destruction by overhead wires should visit
Boston where they may learn in one day b,
quiet observation that. with all dine respect
4 ~ l.. -
air and napi ha, the electric street railwa,
has no rival in the field which it propose,
to occupy.-Electric Power.