Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-28

upon extremely well-patronized lines Of rail.
way proves the cable system is even more eco
nomical than the overhead electric system. Be
that as it may the value of street railway fran
chises ought to warrant investments based upon
the best modern developments.
| MUNICIPAL STREET RAILWAY OWNERSHIP
With the street railway, as with the water
and gas system, if properly designed at the
| outset, We can conceive a well-adjusted street
railway system, based exclusively upon munich
pal ownership and operated for terms Of ten
sponsible bidders, upon scale and
schedule basis fixed by the city. Aside from,
the direct operation of street railways by con-
| tract on the overhead or underground system,
| the operation of cars has been effected by what
Is known as the storage battery being system
OF cells placed in connection with the motor ap-
pliance within the cars and charged with
current at the station to an extent to admit OF
given length of run. The aggregate number
OF such cars IN America and Europe. up to
| within year, was sixty-hve. Their manu-
| facturers, from time to time. issued glowing
| accounts of their successful and eco
! nomical operation. So far, however careful
investigation does not warrant these claims.
The greatest objection to be over
come In the application of the stor-
age battery cars is their extreme weight,
that of a car thus equipped being in the neigh
borhood of from six to seven tons. This
limits their usefulness to comparative
ly level streets, or at most such as
of limited lengths. Further experiments
in this direction may be successful in overcom-
ing some of their present Objectionable fea-
| lures. If they are, the storage battery will, in
| the present systems. chief among them
being that of absolute independence of one
car from any Of the others. In tine one
case arrangement IN the conductor effects
all the cars i'll the system; in the other derange
ments will be confined to the car itself All
that we can suggest upon the subject of
! electric street railway regulation is
that necessity being the mother Of in
vention the application of underground
and other unobjectonable methods in the
place OF those now applied will not materially
progress until the municipalities eXact either
the underground wire or storage battery pro-
PEELED systems in the place OF the overhead i'll
the central and populOus sections or the cable
system.
For lines having small traffic and running
into the country from the outskirts of the city
there is no doubt that the electric overhead
trolley system is the best and cheapest in every
way, and with provisions for underground
ing the wires in the central populous
sections Of the city and the extension
from these points of the overheard trolley sys-
tenn outward, towards the suburbs, the street
railways will then meet all the requirements of
service in the best attainable manner.
CONCLUSIONS.
First. In cities overhead wiresare objection
able.
Second. Underground wires are practicable
for all kinds of electrical service.
Third. Efficient cables for all kinds of cleo
trlcal service can be manufactured at reason
able cost. Failures OF cables heretofore have
been due to inferior material, faulty construc-
ton or wrong methods of laying.
Fourth Conductors CARVING hiph pOtent ial
currents may be placed close to telephone or
telegraph wires without interference by induc-
ton. 70 prevent accident, it is well to place
the high and low potential conductors in diff
ferent ducts, and also to use separate man
holes or compartments of manholes.
Fifth. 1t lis not advisable to limit the poten-
tial currents. With proper precaution currents
of the highest potential may safely be used.
Sixth. Efficient management of electrical
matters requires q permanent bureau or de-
partment, such exists in Philadelphia and
Chicago.
Seventh. A single subway in the middle of the
street Is impracticable:
l. Because of its excessive cost.
z Because 1t requires connections under the
street to the property lines, and SO does not do
away with the cutting up and repairing of
streets.
Where water. gas and pewer pipes are yet to
be laid a double subway might be practicable;
that is, tunnel on each side of the street I'M
are to be accommodated a system of conduit
ducts and manholes, on the "drawing-in'' plan,
is preferable.
Eighth. As regards the ownership of the con-
duits We believe that the interests of the city
are best subserved by public ownership, and
subway company and renting them to the
electric companies would result in great
trouble and Inconvenience to all concerned.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
First. We recommend the creation of per-
manent electrical bureau to supervise all cleo
trical work in the District and to enforce all
regulations relating thereto. Its duties should
be:
To have charge of the fire alarm and police
signal service.
To direct and supervise the construction of
electrical conduits the erection of poles and
placing Of wires and all other appliances for
electrical service by the District government
and to inspect the electrical appliances belong
ing to private individuals corporations under
permits or franchises.
To make periodical inspections and reports
of all electrical appliances in the District.
The bureau should consis. of skilled cleo
triciar as chief, with a corps of competent as
sistants. Sufficient salaries should be paid to
secure frst-class ability. We would recon-
mend a salary of $4,000 per annum
for the chief o. the bureau; $1,000 per
annum for his principal assistant Since
efficiency will require special local and expert
knowledge. both of which will increase with
length of service, the personnel of the bureau
should be made as permanent as possible;
changes should be made for imperative reasons
only.
Second We recommend that within the lin
its indicated on the plans submitted all wires
should be put under ground as soon us possible
and that the District Commissioners be en-
powered to summarily remove poles and wires
maintained overhead after due reasonable no.