The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-10-25
SOONER THAN ExPECrEp.
Cable Cars Likely to BE Running On the
Avenue Next Month.

Cable Cars Likely to BE Running On the
Avenue Next Month.
Every one is interested In the new cable
line on the Avenue, and every one will be
glad to know the prospects now are the cable
cars will be running on the line much sooner
than has been generally expected. The ex-
lpectation has been that the cable cars on the
Avenue would not begin to run until late
next fall after the completion of the power
house. But unless unforeseen obstacles are
met, the latter part of next March will see the
entire system in operation. The brick work
on the power house, the contract for which
was recently let, has been begun, and the
foundation, small portion of which is still
incomplete, will be finished next week. Only
portion OF the force of men who will work
on the construction are now employed, as the
iron work has not yet arrived. 1t Is expected
in two weeks. Work will then be carried
forward at rapid rate. To indicate the
progress which the contractor expects to
make it is estimated that the building to the
level of the third floor will be finished not
later than Christmas. When this point in the
construction is reached temporary roof will
be built over 1t, and the intricate mass OF
machinery with which the road will be
operated will be placed in position.
There has been some curiosity az to how
the cables which will run the cars from Fif-
teenth street and New York avenue along
Fourteenth street to Mount Pleasant and
from the Peace monument to the B. IL o. depot
will be operated. From Mr.. Clark, the super
intendent in charge of the construction OF the
system, a HERALD reporter learned that the
cable running from Georgetown to the Navy
Yard and return will operate the B. q O. sta
tion branch, while separate cable will run
from the power house to Mount Pleasant and
return. Thus from the power house to Fiji
teenth street and New York avenue there will
be two cables At Pennsylvania avenue and
Fourteenth street, where the cables turn into
former street from the power house, there
will be a .jog" in the cable-slot similar to the
one at Seventh street. When an Avenue ear
reaches this point the grpman will hold fast
to the cable until the 'jog" is passed. The
Fourteenth cars will come to a full stop
here and let go the Avenue cable. By n me-
chanical lift, operated by the conductor, the
Fourteenth-street cable will be raised 80 that
the grip can take hold of Ii and the cars will
proceed to Mount Pleasant and back by this
cable. In the same way when down-town
Fourteenth-street car reaches Fourteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue 1t will let go this
cable and in a similar manner take the George
town-Navy Yard one.
The branch running to the b. d o. depot 10
operated by means Of a loop. That is, the
Georgetown-Navy Yard cable runs to the lat
ter place around a large wheel and back to
the Peace monument. 1t passes on the west
side of the monument and then goes to the b.
81 0. depot, turns around another wheel,
back to the Peace monument, and then up
the Avenue to Georgetown. When Four
teenth-street Car bound for the B. 81 o. depot
reaches the Peace monument it lets go the
Navy Yard cable just before the curve is
reached and runs by the force of gravity to
the north side where it again catches the
cable returning from the Navy Yard on it's
loop to the B. g. o. depot. In the same way
when an Avenue car from the Navy Yard
reaches the Peace monument curve it leta go
the cable and runs by gravity to the west side
of the monument on Pennsylvania avenue
where it catches the cable returning from
the B. 81 o. loop.
The paving of the space between the tracks
with asphalt has caused speculation as to how
the horses would be able to get along when
the streets are covered with snow and ice
during the winter months. This matter has
worried President Hurt not a little. He says,
however, that they will have to get along the
best way they can. Heretofore all the heavy
teams have utilized the car tracks when snow
was on the ground, and President Hurt thinks
that if they can get along without the cobble-
stones his cars can. The horses will be shod
very carefully to keep them from falling and
an extra force of snow shovels and sweeps
will be employed to keep the tracks rs clear
as possible. The greatest difficulty will be
experienced on the Fifteenth street and Four
teenth street grades.
The foundations for the two large car
houses, one at the Navy Yard and the other
at Mount Pleasant, are about completed.
Work on them is being pushed very rapidly.