The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-23
PUTTING 1 rHs WIRES.
Changing the Belt Line Cars for the
Electric system

electric System
Rapid progress has bsen made recently
upon the work Of changing the Belt Line
from horse add mule to electric power.
The wires connecting the rails with the
ground wire have all been put down, and
the suspension wires from which the over
head trolley wire viii be suspended have
nearly all been put In place.
A MORNING NEWS reporter who visited
the cOmpany's headquarters. on Habersham
street, yesterday afternoon, found a large
forcs Of hands at work and preparations
going on for the change there. A great
deal Of the work has already been done.
The power house Is nearly complete and
ready for the reception Of the machinery.
| Two immense boilers are resting upon
blocks at the rear Of the power house ready
| for the brick work 10 be built up around
them. The two large 10 hor 9 power
dynamos are in place in front Of the house,
aud space has been left for the addition OF
another dynamo. Between the dynamos
and the boilers the brick foundation tor the
engines has been laid and it only wants
their reception to complete the power house.
The company received notice soma time
ago of the shipment of the engines from
| hAAAhl OAb buCJ hhfO INV yON al ~ u
and re many days overdue. Efforts have
been made to trace them, as they have IN
doubtedly been side-tracked somewhere or
| have gone Ia the wrong direction, but so far
without success. They should arrive by
| next week at the latest.
The changes in the car shed have been
completed and it is now ready for the re-
ception of the electric cars.
Work will begin next week upon the
| hOripU of N xuall fr st,rr1u full
quantity Of water for use at the works.
f. F. Noyes of the Thomson Houston
Electric Company is busy wiring" the
cars and getting them in readiness for the
| transfer TO the electric motor trucks. Two
cars had been detached yesterday from the
old trucks and fitted up underneath
with wires, cables. speed controllers
| and other electrical arrangements. The
motor and truck of the electric cars are
combined In one, and when the moor trucks
are received it will only be necessary to lift
the body OF the car on to the new trucks
and fasten them on, when the change will
te complete. Notice of the shipment Of
fSur of these motor trucks has been re-
ceived and they are expected to arrive IN q
few days.
w. s. Duckett, an electrician OF the
Thomson-Houston Company, has been in
Savannah about week superintendinR the
overhead construction work and the laying
OF the ground wires. He reports that the
work is well under way, aud if the wealth or
permits he expects to complete his portion
of Ii inside of the next two weeks
About 5000 feet of ground wire have
already been laid on Habersham, Gwin-
nett and East Broad streets TO the corner Of
Liberty, and with no unexpected delays
the wire will have been laid past the corner
| of Bay and West Broad streets by the end
of the week
Mr.. Duckett says the work Of striuQing
| the overhead wire will begin In few days,
and will be completed in a short time, as
this work can be carried on very rapidly,
an average of two miles of wire per day
being very easily strung. A fiat" has been
rugged up with a roller upon which
quantity of wire will be wound, the 'flat"
will be run along the track and the wire
strung OF, which can be easily and rapidly
done.
One great Improvement the change will
make in the cars is that they will be lighted
by electricity at night instead of kerosene
lamps. The old lamps are being taken out
Of the oars and electric fittings are being
put In. In the center Of each car there will
be group of four incandescent lamps and
single light at each end.
Mr.. Gest of the Edison Electric Company
is superintending the work of putting in the
plant at headquarters.
The Continual delays in the ar
rival of the machinery and neces-
sary supplies has so hindered the
work Of the change that 1t has already de-
ferred the time of completion a month
longer than it should have taken. Never
theless Supt. Saussy and his assistants
have continued SO steadily at the
work, and the fine weather of the last few
weeks has enabled them to make such rapid
progress. that with no unusual delay and no
unexpected hindrance the work will be
completed by Dec. l, and, under favorable
circumstances, perhaps as early as Nov.
10. Anyway, Savannahians may promise
themselves ride on the electric cars before
Christmas.