Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-01

the present prospect Is tina. everything
will be quite satisfactory. The fact that this
is the first cable system in Washington lends ii
considerable interest to the people here. In
San Francisco or Kansas City or Chicago, where
cable roads have been in operation for years,
the building Of anew one attracts compare
lively little attention. But in this city when a
railroad company discards the old horse cars
which have DOM such faithful work, some OF
them for many years, the event is one Of real
moment
FATE OF THE CAR HORSES.
It Is a thought to arouse curiosity as to the
probable fate Of those staid old land marks,
the car horses, now that their days of useful
ness on one line are SO nearly past Is a car
horse ever anything but car horse? Has he
nothing to hope for? No broader field of use
fulness or nobler sphere in life to fill? Alas,
1t must be admitted that the chances are
strongly against him. He will probably
be Q car horse all the days Of his life. though
che scene of his labors may be changed to some
other line. He will simply receive transfer
east or west, as the passengers he has carried
many wears have done so many times
But then we are told all progress is forward
and that every step. every Improvement in
labor-saving machinery, leaves III its way a
number Of unemployed.
1t will not be long before the horses are
quite forgotten by the passengers who are
being carried along faster than they ever were
before on a street car line in this city. That is
one OF the main beauties Of such road. 1t
does go fast
THE SPEED OF A CABLE ROAD
is only limited by considerations of conven-
fence and safety. The cars on a cable road in
one Of the western cities run at an average
of oil and IL
that run through rather sparsey settled sub
urbs 60 high as fifteen. Ii is hardly
likely. however, that the cable here will
ever be run at a much greater speed than eight
miles, and perhaps even less than that would be
desirable. especially along crowded thorough
fares. The system Is claimed 10 be COMPARE
lively safe one, and II is stated that records Of
cable roads show a smaller number OF accidents
than occur with any of the other systems.
The cars run steadily and they can be
stopped and started with such ease that they
are by no meals as dangerous as is commonly
supposed
THE POWER HOUSE.
A question that perhaps interests number
of people in this city to whom the cable road is
comparative novelty is how the whole thing
works and how the cars are made to go SO
easily. A STAR reporter, actuated by curiosity
on this point, spent an afternoon at
the new power house at the foot
OF the 18th street car tracks examining
the building and its contents and asking all
sorts of questions Of the men who are putting
In the cable. The power house is immense
building and admirably planned for its pur-
poses. 1t is built of press brick, handsome in
design, and covers space Of ground III by 400
feet, so that there is really nearly two acres I'M
der its broad roof. One-hah of this is taken up
by the big car storage room. and it seems as
though hundreds of cars might stand there
side by side. The floor is all OF artificial stones
and is as smooth and clean a dancing floor
The tracks are sunken, so that all that is to
be seen Is a number of narrow parallel grooves
in which the car wheels are to run The floor
has decideH sInr,a To