Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-05-09
....-..--, u ..~s.y l..o',-'l
statistics Prove That the ,:crsc Car Is
East Losing Its tIscrwlncss.

Statistics Prove That tho ':crsc Car Is
Fast Losing Its Usefulness.
At ti,c convention CT the,Amcrican
Street Railway association IT Buffalo,
in many ways one of the most irapor-
tant gatherings of The Kind ever seen in
this country, President Lowry congrat-
ul;lted the association on the progress
which had been made in the work OF
The association since its organization in
1882. He alluded to the fact that the
United States government had rcccG-
nizca the growing Importance OF city
passenger traffic by incorporating in its
census statistics for 1890 Il report on
street railways in cities of over $4,000
inhabitants
In this report flity-sl4 cities arc In
cluacd, and cat OF q tct;sl OF 5, $50 miles
of track possessed by them 2,;}5l l::iles
are operated by horses, $50 miles by
electricity, 2255 miles by cable and HH2l
miles by steam In the smaller cities
electricity is te.ns generally adopted.
and there ere already in operation in
cities and towns under $4,000 inhabit-
;lnts about eco niles of electric street
railway. Mr. LoTry added:
am SO thoroughly convinced that
electricity is the coming power for
street railways except heavy grade,
where tie cable is best suitca). and
that it viii prove elective as a means
of rapid transit in cities, that believe
Ills is the last convention that will ever
seriously consider horses for the opera
ton of street railways When the peo-
pie of city clearly understand the
great benefits of rapid transit by cleo
tricity or ot.icr improved motive power
over horses, they will demand that
their city authorities grant such rights
as will enable street railway companies
70 operate by the most Improved
methods.
Heretofore street railway securities
have been looked upon wi,l favor by
the Gnanci;;l world. However, since
they have been operated By electricity.
the financial men Of the countrysare
looking TO IT'S development and appli-
c;:tion To street railways as an addition
ii reliable sccurity for the investment
of savings and trust funds THIS should
encourage street railway companies to
give their various cities the most i'm
proved and best possible service They
will not OILY please c!le!r patrons, but
The investment will prove very profit
able If street railway companies do
this no better security can be offered
for tho savings of the widow and or
pllan than good street railway bond.
in thriving city.
People have not yet begun TO realize
what an immensely important factor
tic Increase OF speed il city travel may
become. 1t hes been found that in
crcasing the speed OF the cars given
percentage Inevitably increases the pa
t.onage in nearly tie same ratio. while
lie operating expenses are increased
.by very small fraction OF this percent
age.
An instance on this haa occurred at
Davenport, To-, where it has been
found, taking the record for one year,
that the total expense of operating five
l.orse cars was $40, $40. while five cleo
ir;c c;lrs cost 81 go to operate during
the same time, or it cost to operate the
same number of cars 3 1-2 per cent
moro by electricity than by horses
The gross earnings for the twelve
lnont!mof tho sanle equipments were,
horses 80, G97, electricity $2S, GO.
1t will thus be seen that although
the operating expenses were increased
5 l-2 per cent. where electricity was
used, the earnings were increased very
nearly so per cent, or in other words
the substitution of electricity resulted
l., net Gain OF more THAI 46 per cent,
owing to the Increased patronage in
duccd by the improved service. =
Pitts5urg Di-p2tc,l.