The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-28
STREET CAR LINES
Work On the Motor Track-Additional
Power for tho Main Street Line.

Power for tho Main Street Line.
Supt. Cahill, of the motor line, has COM
pleted the work of repairing the roadbed on
that road from the Northern Pacific depot
to Eighth avenue and Davis street. The
undertaking has been a big one, necessitat-
ing raising the track the entire distance.
ballasting the road, putting in new ties, and
fixing curves. But when it is completed
Manager Clark will have the satisfaction OF
knowing he has a track which will equa
that of any street car line in the country.
The poles are up nearly the entire distance
from the depot to the Broadwater, and the
wire is expected in Helena any day. This
part of the work it is hoped to have COM
pleted before very bad weather sets in.
The rails for the branch up Clark street will
soon be on the way and it will not take long
to grade and lay them. President Menage
of the Guaranty Co., is expected In Helena
this week, and on his arrival will probably
make some decision as to the location of
the power house.
With the Helena Street Railway COM
pany, the Motor line and the Union railway
using electricity as motive power, 1T cannot
be said that Helena is behind the times, SO
Helena Street Railway company contem-
plate expanding $25,000 on their plant this
year, which will enable the company to take
care OF all the business 1t will nave during
the meetings of the various conventions.
The plant of the motor company will be as
while the Union company. when it
begins to operate it's entire system,
will undoubted do SO with its
own power. The growth of the electric
system as a motive power for street cars
has been phenomenal. At a recent meeting
Of the street railway association of the
state of Now York, the report of the COM
mittee on electric motive power for street
surface railways was very interesting.
From it one learns that III 1886 there were
three electric railways in operation running
thirteen oars. To-day there are in opera
Italy. Austria and Japan. not less than 1926
roads. running 1000 cars and 1000 motors,
with 1000 miles of track, making a daily
mileage OF not less than 400, 600 miles and
carrying 100000 passengers. 1t is estimated
that one-fourth of the street railways in
the United States are being operated wholly
or in part by electricity.
Five years ago the only street surface
railways which we're in successful operation
anywhere in the United States were horse
and cable cars. Within that five years
more than 1900 street cars have been ~electri-
Cally equipped, and to-day more than 5000
miles of track in 300 cities and towns of
this country have been constructed, on
which these electric cars are run with sat
isfaction to the people and With profit to
the companies operating them. Nearly $50
cities in the United States have street rail
way systems in operation by more than 800
corporations in them. Fully 10000 street
~oars-horse, cable and electric-are now
running upon the 5000 miles of street rail-
roads in this country. They carry 3,00O,-
O00, 900 people yearly, equal to fifty times
population of the United States.
The cost of running ths electric cars pei
mile is less than that of the horse cars.
The West Enc Street Railway company, of
Boston, gives a statement of the total ex-
penses of the electric cars, per car mile
during three months. as follows: u
April. .....S III 10
June ......... ~ ~
The total expense per car mile run with
horse power Was:
-. VA 81
juno ............ rs u
This earnings at the same time wore upon
the two lines:
Electric, S3t o.
81 AZ
June; W u
MAY ......... ~ y
-..,.-,. 80 ),
The electric ran cheaper and made more
money than the horse cars.
Tho Rochester Railway compsny operated