The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-07
NOW FOR RAFID TRANSIT
President Thurston Files
Plans of the
System.
THE DETAILS OF THE WORK.
Chancellor McGill Will Now Re-
quire the City to Inspect
Them-No Fractions OBJ
jections.

The Jersey City and Bergen Railroad
Company has submitted to Chancellor
McGill the plans for the extention Of its
electric system from Varick street to the
ferry. They are in substance as followss--
The poles are round and made OF the
best steel Three sizes will be used. Poles
three inches at the top and five inches
at the base will be used where
there is single TRACK, four inches at tie
top and six at the base on double track
construction. and six inches at the top
and eight at the base where there is an
extra strain, as on a curve. Twenty-Five
feet of the poles will be above groundt
and six feet will be under ground. The
tops of all the poles will be insulated in
the very best manner and it will be inn
possible for the current to get further
than the cap, although it is OF even sup
posed to be there. The proposed distance
between the posts is 1875 feet.
The span wires will be No. galvanized
steel and made to stand strain of 1.500
pounds. although only about 500 pounds
will be used In the construction. This
wire will be strung across the street from
pole to opposite pole and will be used to
suspend the "trelley wire" which is the
only wire that Is charged. The trolley
wire will be about three-eights of an inch
in diameter, of hard drawn copper wire,
and will be used to conduct the cur
rent from the power station to the
cars. 1t will be strung over the track and
suspended to the cross wires by means OF
an insulator twenty-one feet above the
| ground. This trolley is so strung that it
| will be next to impossible to break, but
| should it do so from any extraordinary
| ca use the moment it touches the ground
| the current is cut off at the station by
means of an automatic ''cut-off" and the
| wire will not receive the current again
| until fixed.
THE POWER PROPOSED.
The voltage of the wire Will never be
more than 500 volts and will seldom be
above 450, which has never yet been
| known to tnjure human being. though
many have taken the full voltage of 500
volts .direct. The trolley wire will be
suspended to the span wire by neat iron
| sulated so that the span wires will in no
| W ay be charged.
The guard wires are two small (No 81
steel ones, which are strung over the
trolley wires where there are any tele-
| phone wires which are liable to fall on
| the trolley wire If these guard wires are
not there to prevent it. These guard
| wires Will never be charged, and VIII
| stand strain Of 500 pounds.
In the thickly settled part of the city
| Uuere Will uc uSeu d Cu6 Oub sy SbeA every
| 500 or 900 feet. This will enable the fore
men to cut out the current from that por-
| tion of the wire where there is q fire by
simply throwing over switch which is
| fastened to the pole opposite the "cut
| out"
| Though the current is cut off from this
| portion of the line 1t is not cut OF from
| the remaining part, so that the cars may
| still run ON both sides of the fire.
| Ladders of such length that it Is neces-
| saly to raise them by being thrown up.
| must necessarily be raised lengthwise of
| the street. There will be ample room
after this system is built to raise ladders
100 feet in length.
OPEN TO INSPECTION
The Chancellor ordered that the plans
shall remain in the custody of the Ser
geant-at-Arms of the court for period Of
| ten days. during which time the city arl-
thorities can examine and make ohiec-
tions to them. Such objections. however,
| are not to go to the system adopted by
the company, known as the trolley sys-
tem," but to the method of putting such
| which the authorities make must be
served upon the company's solicitor, and
on two days notice the Chancellor will
| hear the objections and dispose of them.
Mr.. Thurston is SO positive thAt no
| valid objections Gan be found to the COM
| pany's plans that he Is preparing TO make
contracts for extending the system. so
| that rapid transit may not be delayed
| longer than necessary. The company
! proposes to erect its own electric plants
| aud will probably locate on Grand street
| next to the stables, although the locality
has not yet been fully decided upon.