Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-04
CABLE ROADS AND HUMANITY.

The proposition to introduce the cable cars
on Broadway In New York has evoked a
variety of protests and gloomy predictions.
Some of the New York papers are quoting
the authority of Chicago newspaper, which
visits the severest condemnation on the
cable road, as follows:
The cable car is a Juggernaut, murderer on
wheels, manner of men and a destroyer of
women and children. 1t is a perambulating
fraud, whose least Objectionable use has been
to postpone hamper and bedevil real rapid
transit.
This denunciatory outbreak will lead
Pittsburgers to wonder whether they have
been for two years in the grasp of mon
strous destroyer without finding it out. 1t
is to be observed that this attack on cable
roads does not refer to any of the corporate
practices by which exclusive privileges are
built up and the attempt is made to shut off
competing lines. 1t applies just as much to
electric roads or to any other motor which
will increase the speed of surface cars above
that obtained by the perseverlng car horse
or the festiye mule. The arraignment of all
such attempts to improve rapid transit on
two grounds: First, their danger to life and
limb bv reason of their increased speed;
second, that they hamper and postpone real
rapid transit. The subject is of such i'm
portance to the dwellers in all cities that,
when allegations of this sort are made
against the new system, it is well to examine
into their truth.
Pittsburg is as well qualified to testify on
these points as any other city from her two
years experience. If anyone should tell
Pittsburgers that they are at the mercy of a
car of Juggernaut, the assertion would be
laughed at. That there are disasters and
even fatalities on the cable system cannot be
denied. So there are to far greater extent
on the steam railroads, and in the rolling
mills, but no one proposes to tear the rail-
roads up anG the rolling mills down on that
account The question to be determined is
exactly the increase of casualties by such
modern instrumentalities In proportion to
the increase of service, in order that we can
judge whether the gain to the public ex-
ceeds the loss. If this were done in Pitts
burg. it is doubtful if the casualties from
cable and electric cars would be found to be
ness done than those from horse cars, while
the gain from increased speed and widening
circle of the habitable suburbs for city
works is almost unalloyed.
As to the delay OF what the Chicago as
sailant of cable roads calls 'real rapid
transit" that is largely imaginary. 1t is
true that more rapid speed than can be OBJ
fain hx-o he CTR bo
secured on tracks either sunken or elevated,
preferably the former. Gable and electric
roads may seem to take the place of such
lines, but they really prepare the way for
them. The elevated or underground lines
attaining a speed of fifteen or twenty miles
an hour can only be built to accommodate
suburbs which are thickly populated. Their
cost would prohibit of running them into
rural suburbs to build up the section, as is
done with many of the less expensive lines
The latter may be regarded as the dudnt
courrierS of the more costly and rapid
transit lines, which will follow in such d.
rectIons as the population may Justify
Without the work Of the surface lines popu-
lating the suburbs, the time when the over
uCdu VI llnCc WOU4u VIC pOSslp4C
must be very much delayed.
There are many things about the building
of cable and electric lines which permit
criticism. The granting of franchises as
matter of political privileges, the DISPOSE
ton to build up transit monopolies and the
occupancy of dozen streets where three or
four would be enough for q loop common to
all lines, are abuses of which any city con-
templatiDg the establishment of such lines
should be warned. But as to whether the
surface lines, running at the rate of speed
attained in Pittsburg are benefit or injury
there would hardly be any dispute in Pitts
burg. They have realized the old saying
about the benefaction of causing two blades
of grass to grow where only one grew before;
except that the benefactIon is raised to an
almost infinite power, BY enabling thousands
to livs where only hundreds could reside be-
fore they went into operation.