Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-18

This line had the advantage of the other
two, from the fact that it passes over a
uniformly level territory. Many men had
to be kept constantly employed at crossings
and other points shoveling out the snow in
spite of these favorable circumstances.
The Wylie avenue line had the toughest
experience of any one of the cablers. From
the moment the first car started yesterday
morning until the road ceased operations
last night it was one grand round of trouble.
Time and again rows of yellow cars could be
seen strung along the avenue waiting for the
one in the lead to undergo repairs, usually
to the grip.
Many Broken Grips.
Many of the grips were broken, and on
each occasion the cars would have to be
turned back to the sheds. During the fore
noon the road was very badly tied up and
but few cars venture6 out. After dinner
they got something of move on, but this
was regarded by many as a mere attempt to
keep up appearances.
From the time the cars jumped over the
summit of Wylie avenue hill, on the down.
ward trip, until they reached the power
house. they sailed along like the fast line
express. Women, with skirts in one hand
and an umbrella in the other, would dodge
out on a crossing only to have the delusive
conveyance sail by, while the gripman
solemnly shook his head and pointed one
thumb over his shoulder to indicate that
another was coming. This, of course,
made the ladies mad, but as a rule.
they kept on trying cressing after crossing
until the downtown potion of the city was
reached. To the average beholder the grip
men seemed to be letting the cars go just be-
cause it was down hill, but the truth was
they could not stop within hundreds of feet
of any given spot. The uphill trips were
painful, particularly in case of accident,
tor then the passengers who were in hurry
had to either get out and climb through
slush and water shoe-top deep or sit still
and work themselves into passion.
At 8 o'clock last night little group Of
nine cars became blockaded just above the
power house owing to broken grip on the
leader. 1t was showing like great guns at
the time, and the employees were feeling de-
cidedly gloomy.
One Gripman's Experience.
One gripman said that if the snow con-
tinued to tall it would about knock them
out for Thursday, and if it froze up solid
they would not be able to stop coming down
the hill. At that hour he was less than half
way through with his third trip, while
under ordinary circumstances he would
have been completing his ninth trip OF the
day. He said they were not running on
any particular schedule of time, but Just
doing the best they could, and they all
seemed to be glad that they were alive.
On the Fifth avenue line the bulk of
travel occurred in the morning hours, when
not more than 20 per cent of the cars were
running. Great trouble was experienced
at Oakland, as the cars had a wonderful
faculty of Jumping the track. The road was
fairly well cleaned up by noon, and from
that on the cars became more numerous.
They did not pretend to run on regular
time, however, and the gripmen had to use
lot OF extra muscle at every stop. So far
as the hilly portions OF the route are con-
cerned, the conductors say they will have to
60 right through without stop in case of a
freeze-up. They do not fear the snow half
as much as this emergency. The receipts
on this road, as on all other cables, were
greatly diminished over those of ordinary
days.
The Electric Lines Attempts.
That electricity is not proof against
storms of all kinds as a means of locomo-
tion was evidenced yesterday in the vain
attempts made to run cars. Neither the
Pleasant Valley nor Second avenue lines
proved brilliantly successful in the COM
bat with the snow, and at numerous times
during the day there would be blockades
squares in length.
The chief stumbling block for the Pleas
ant Valley line proved the bridge. Several
times the cars were lined from one end to
the other. 1t was found impossible to run
the Perrysville avenue line. and persons
who had business in that direction either
walked or postponed it until next week.
The East street cars failed to run all
he mt f,,f off aIod
in getting around. No kind Of time was
made all day. and at $50 it was given up as
bad job. At that hour the cars were
started for the stables. They were blocked
at the bridge, where % cars were lined out.
It was an hour and half before the last car