Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-11
THE ELECTRIC CARS.

The nluelLine successfully Inaugura.
ted Yesterday Rides
An Accident.
The blue line, of the Davenport s.
Rock Island street railway syndicate, was
successfully inaugurated with electricity
as motive power yesterday. AMI the
cars, like those on the Elm street line.
were crowded all day. 1t was, financial
ly speaking, circus day for the syndi-
cate. Seven cars were run on the Union
line branch, this being the equipment in
place of eight horse cars with which it
has heretofore been run On the red
line where eight cars have also been run
the company expects to get along with
six electric cars. Some difficulty was
experie need yesterday in making the trips
on schedule time. and there were sever.l
delays on switches owing to the fact that
they have not yet been adjusted to the
new arrangement, but the electric cars
were withdrawn today until the changes
IN location can be made.
The opening day was attended by an
accident on Seventh avenue. east of
Thirty eighth street. This portion of the
track is of the old fashioned f1at rail,
such as the Union company used, and
the wet weather and heavy loads caused
bad joint, and when car 43. coming
from Moline at o'clock, struck the i'm
perfection. ii left the track ard plunged
down the north side of the elevation.
The car with it's burden of passengers
made the jump head first, and but for
the fact that the ground was moist and
that the motor on the front axle sank
quickly into it, the car would very likely
have capsized. Fortunately no one wss
injured, though flying glass from broke
window did mischief iu the way of tear
ing the clothes of some of the passengers
The front platform of the car was some-
what disfgured but otherwise no damage
was done. The car was in due time
righted and taken to the barn where the
proper repairs are being made.
Superintendent Willard, of the Thorn
SON. Houston company stated yesterday
that he expected in weeks time to get
the red cars under the railroad bridges at
Brooks crossing. Those bridges ought
to be higher snywsy, and it would not
be bad idea for the council to order
them raised about foot. The railroads
would no doubt cheerfully acquiesce in the
movement looking not so much to the in
terests of the street Car company as to the
people of Rock Island and Moline who
are to be benefited by all improvements
in the mode of traffic between the two
cities
The same crosker who was most effsu>
sive in his denunciation or the going
horse car, has already been whining about
the speed of the electric cars. OF course
the object of the introduction of electric
cars was TO insure faster traffic That
was the object of the investment of
1850 900 on the part of the street. rail-
way company in the new equipment, and
The man who can't keep up with the pro-
cession will have to drop out. The av
erage citizen halls with delight the speed
ing electric car, and if the company will
adopt rules tn at the motsr man will ring
his gong at least once in every block and
ON approaching all intersecting streets. al
leys and curves. and insure the continue
snce of headlight at night. there will
be no objection to rapid transit. 1t would
be good idea. however, if the cars would
stop only at street crossings and adhere