The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-11

The Members of tho Committee Watched tho
Cars Last Evening.

On Tuesday last the official committee Of
the Street Committee. who were requested
TO investigate the complaints made IA to the
noise Of the electric cars on the Main-street
line made trip over tho different lines in
the city 10 examine the condition of the
track. The committee were accompanied by
several other members OF tho City Council,
10y representatives OF the complaining citi-
zens and tho officials of the railroad COM
pany
Last evening the members of the special
committee and few other gentlemen met at
the residence Of Colonel w 4. Cutshav. the
City Engineer, at No west Main street. to
examine further into the matter Colonel
Cutshaw had invited the gentlemen to his
house 20 give them an opportunity to watch
in "A quiet and unObseryed way the cars AS
they passed by and TO enable them TO judge
for themselves whether the citizens living
along the line had Just cause TO complain of
the unnecessary noise OF the cars.
EIhc party who met Colonel Cutshaw in his
front peror. consisted OF Capt W. II. Curtis
the chairman. Capt. Taylor Stratton. OF the
special committee. Alderman l.. ID. Crenshaw
Jr.. Councilman w. l.. White and Messrs
John Laucr and Charles +. Wingo For more
than two hours the party sat there and lis
tened 90 the cars as they rolled by. Every
one OF the gentlemen assembled became fully
convinced OF ono thing. that there was great
deal Of noise that could be avoided, il the
cars were properly taken care OF by men IN
the employ of the railroad company who
Observation-Disclosures their business.
Besides the humming noise which is pro-
drced 10y tho carbon brush and which can
hardly be avoided IN any car. there was on the
same carsi screeching sound which was
evidently produced by some defects IN the
machinery and which. probably. was caused
by the looseness of the gearings.
There was also another noise which sound
ed like the clap-trap Of tho wheels il mill
out Of repair. 1t was caused 10y lat wheels.
and the racket produced by cars which had
these defective wheels was 50 bad that it
could be heard for q distance Of at least two
blocks before the car passed the house. Then
again there was.a shrill metallic sound, which
proved that the rails were not fastened as So
curely 20 the road bed AS they should be done.
This was explained by Colonel Cutshaw. who
stated that some of the rails were not nailed
down TO the underlying timber as tightly as
might be required. Quite frequently the
rails are only fastened by few spikes. while
several holes in each ral-made FOR the pur-
pose of driving spikes through them-had been
skipped when the track was nailed down
Another cause for this noise is 10 be found
in the fact, rs the City Engineer demon
strated that the plates which are laid under
the track. where two rails meet, are too thin
and too short and not thoroughly packed.
On account of this defect they very easily
become loose and work into the timber un-
derneath. AS soon as a car passes over such
places the rails. of course. begin to rattle. and
this can easily be noticed when buggies aud
other vehicles cross the tracks.
The members of the committee and tho
other gentlemen present became satisfied that
there IS swide field for improvement as far ~
the traffic Of electric cars is concerned, but no
definite decision was arrived at as to the
remedy 20 be recommended The meeting
was entirely informal and il was deemed best
20 await tho arrival Of an electrical expert
from the North who is TO look into the matter
very carefully. As soon as the committee will
come into the possession of the report of this
expert. they will take some definite action.