Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-23
FINALLY SETTLED.
The Holmes Company Decides Up.
on ITS Power.
The Contract for Electric Equipment
Let to the Thomson Houston Com
pany This Morning-.All to be Ready
by December 4.

Supt Schnitger, of the Holmes syndi-
cate of street car lines in the cities OF
Rock Island, Moline and Davenport, re-
ceived the following telegram from his
chief this morning:
CHICAGO, Aug. %.
We have just closed with Thomson &
Houston. @. B. HOLMES.
This official announcement veriies the
ARGUS statement of a week ago yester-
day that the Thompson-Houston COM
pany would probably get the contract,
and it also definitely settles the fact that
the great street railway system of the
ri.cities is TO be operated by electricity
as motive power. Work will begin
Immediately and will be pushed forward
vigorously by the energetic local manager
Henry Schnitger The cars, fifty III num-
Der, of the most modern ard most elegant
design will be built in the meantime by
the Britt Car company, of Philadelphia,
and by the time winter sets in natures
motive power will have succumbed to
mans inventive genius. The determine,
ton on the part of the great syndicate
means another immense expenditure on
the part of the company, which has been
at constant outlay in rebuilding and re-
equipping the lines ever since taking
possession of them, and quarter
of million will not more than
meet the amount to be appropriated for
the electric power. This means added
life and prosperity to the three cities,
which Mr.. Holmes has already linked
more closely together. and whose interests
have become more identical through his
enterprise. No better advertisement
could the city have than to be able to Of
fer to strangers prompt and speedy &C.
cess to any point within our corporate
limits. The introduction of new power
will be welcomed by everyone.
The Thomson>Houston system pro.
vides for the overhead wire, a plan al
ways strenuously objected to bv Mr.
Holmes, but public clamor for q
faster mode of transportation despite
the fact that he has reyolutionized the
old horse car methods. has FASTENED
his action, but this contract, however, has
been let only after the most careful in,
vestigation and deliberation on the part
OF Mr.. Holmes and his associates. all the
best electric companies in the country
having competed for the contract.
1t is learned from reliable source,
though it is not official, that the Holmes
company has given up its idea of using
water power to generate its electricity and
that steam will be relied upon wholly, the
company having decided to construct its
own plants, one on each side of the river,
and engage experts to oversee the motive
power. The power stations will be
erected at once, one. it is believed on the
Moline avenue property and the other on
Second and Rock Island streets in Dav-
export. 1t is proposed to ree4uip the
entire system with the possible ex>
ception of the bridge line. with large elec-
trio cars. using the present cars for
motors. II it is decided to omit electric,
ity on the Davenport & Rock Island
branch, larger cars will be used there
also. two horses substituted fer one and
the time between cars reduced to three
minutes. On the other lines-the two
routes to Moline. the Elm street and
Ninth street and all the various branches
in Davenport, electric cars will be used.
The cars will be uniform in style and size,
large and commodious and provided with
what the other electric roads in the west
have not yet secured-an appliance that
contributes quiet and ease in motion.
The equipment is to be provided within
ninety days, and the tri,cities will then
have street car system second to none
in the country.
The company will apply for the neces.
sary ordinances at once and will then go
to work putting up its wires, etc. and
within one hundred days everything will
ne in running order