The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-04

Charged.
racks Owned by Municipal Corporations
-RAtes OF Speed Seoured-Horsea,
stesm md Electricity.
l3oaToN, lseo. 3.-Osborne Howes, Jr., sub
Qittsd to the rapid transit committee his
eport or the transportation Of passengers
u and around tbs cities OF Europe. In it
le says: H
MANY OF tho rights which the American
municipalities have surrendered to street
ailwsy companies the municipalities OF the
Id world have jealously retained.
"The street tracks in Liverpool are all
wnsd by the municipal corporation. II
las nov the ownership of about Fifty miles
single track road. all Of which 10 Leased
Q the liverpool United Tramways and ON
ibus company (limited) for a term of
wsnty-h five years, on 4 payment OF approx.
nntoly 10 psr csnt. per annum ON the cost.
construction. The cars it runs nre not.
ia ttioularly cloan, or otherwise inviting in
ppearanos. They are nll OF the double
ecked structure. as nre practically all of
he tramoars ON English lines, and usually
ave 4 carrying capacity of eighteen inside
nd the same number outside.
1.-THE usual fare is I'd. (four %oents). The
peed Of the cars is no greater than the
pesd at which the west end oars in Boston
re ordinarily run. a. @&@
There are within the corporate limits of
Manchester about fifty miles of street. rail-
bay track. This has been built BY the
ity, which begun the work Of construction
ome fifteen years ago. In 1877 these tracks
1sre leased to the company which now op-
rates them for a torn of twenty-one
ears. The municipal government decides
hen and where the tracks shall be laid.
1.-The city resolves for ita fifty miles of
:ngle track, approximately, 100000 per
mum, but it is compelled to keep the
treets and tracks in sorvioeablo candition.
.'Yho fares arc based upon q sliding
Gale, graded by distance travelled, and run
rom Id. to Cd. (two cents to twelve cents J.
BY the terms Of the lease the company ID
nder nj obligation in the matters Of the
lumber and tims of running its cara. City
rdinanoe restricts the number OF persons
arried in or on a car to its seating
apncity, this is, eighteen persons inside,
nd twenty on top, and the company would
e heavily ined II the law IVES psrsistsntly
iolated. In laying ont, she routes the city
uthorities have en%doavored to have but
he cars 60 and return or different streets.
1.-THE average speed of the cars is from
i've to six miles Per hour. Thore Ia nj
resent intention of introducing cable or
~lectrio street cars In Manchester.
There are in Birmingham street rail
ingle track. These tracks are owned by
no municipal corporation. The average
ost per mile of single track for construc-
ion has been $4,000. &
t'"Thero are in Birmingham four different
ystems Of street railway transit, viz:
tenn, electric, cable and horse cars. The
able cars have q speed Of nine miles Per
our, the ~elsctrio cars, (storage battery,
even miles per hour, and the horse oars
lominally six miles per hour. The leases
+ the varioas roads havs been given out
or a term Of twenty-one years, these leases
Moulding such extensions as the munich
ality may from time construct.
1.-The companies agree for fourteen years
0 pay annually, in addition to all parish,
lunicipal, and national taxes that may be
e~pularly imposed, four per cent. Of the
ross cost OF constructing tho traoks, in
luding in this cost the expense of paving
r repairing between the tracks and for
wenty-nna inches on either side. For the
ucceedinR seven years the rate Of payment
b five per cent. Of the gross cost. Besides
hiS. the leasing companies are compelled
D pay the entire cost of all repairs that the
ity officials consider it necessary to make
n the tracks or the road surface in its inn
Mediate vicinity. The overhead wire sys-
em will not, it il said, be permitted in
WRirpni ,rh p m. huk tina lima whioh now nrAr-
tss it's cars by cable proposes to establish
n overhead electric system on a line which
has outside of the city.
1.-THE street railways OF Berlin have only
traction service of horses. 1t ia the wish
+ the municipal authorities to have cleo
Ficity by the conduit system sub
situted, but the chief company, Der
~roBsen Berlin Pferde-Eissnbahp Action
iesellschaft, is unwilling to incur this
Increased expense for tho reason that after
number Of years the street constructions
all kinds revert to the CITY. The com
my has to pay for its use Of the public
%treots a tax upon it's gross income Of four
nemsslves the right to regulate tbs rates
f fare and tina time table OF the trips. The
ates Of fare are determined by distance,
nd arc 10, Is, 20 and 30 pf., that is two and
ne-half, three and three-quarters, Ave and
evsn and one-Lalf cents.
buIa-E GStu. d Glby "a HOOuC OOU, UUU p6O-
10, il the only city in Europe that has a
ireot working electric railway. Tho wires
furnishing the current ara in n conduit
nder ground, aocesa to which is gained by
sing a split rail for one of the tracks. The
ominal rate Of Bpesd ia eight miles per
our, but at night, or at certain parts of
he routes, tho SPEED attained ia from ten
b twelve miles per hour. The price for II
Zip in the electric and horse car il six
reuzers per stage, that is, about two and
ne-half cents.
'sThe tunnel railway in London, which
as been one of the chief REASONS for this
hvestigation and report, ia a system about
HIGH it ia somewhat difficult to speak. If
be- so-called Grenthend tunnels, with
heir stations, trains, etc., were to be lit
Fally copied in Boston they would no
i've general satisfaction. They do afford
r%eaaonably speedy transit, The distance
fom the monument in tho city to Stock
oil on this south side Of tho Thames is
hree and Il quarter miles, and the space il
pvared with unnecessarily long waits at
he four intermediate stations, in fifteen
%linutes. The speed might easily be in
feased and the delays at stations reduced
|, as to make the distance i'll ten minutes.
hus far the plan is q success.
"Before thos, Interested in tunnsl con-
P~ruotion of this class could obtain f,om
arliaInent the cha ter they desired it WAS
e%cessary to prove by an object losaon that
|lnnels of the type proposed could be
ullt, and, when built, could be- success
billy operated. The route aelected for this
Frlal waa one from which a very large pat
image could not DO hoped for. THE total
Pst was about 5000, 600.
'Ine company WAS compelled to build