Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-14
A CABLE SYSTEM
Which VIII Include All the Lines Of the
Wsshington and GeorEesown Railroad.

TEE CENTRAL rowKR EopsE-PIASs OF FRO
POSED cHASoEs
In the course Of few weeks all the buildings
in square 2sS. which 10 located on the south
sde OF Pennsylvania avenue opposite the
National Theater, will be torn down. The
entire square, containing more than an acre Of
ground, viii be cleared OF and made ready for
ouiidins. The ownership OF this property has
Just been acquired by the Washington
and Georgetown Railroad Company rs part Of
the plan Of comprehensive improvements
which will result in putting down throughout
their entire lines Of street railroads the cable
system Last year the cable was substituted
ior horses on the 7th street line and in the
course OF the next two years cable cars will be
running on the line from Georgetown 20 the
navy yard and out 14th street 10 Mount Pleas
ant When the entire work ia completed the
company Will have spent the enormous sum Of
THREE MILLION poILARs
Aside from the great importance to the city
Of the introduction of this rapid method Of
transportation, the fact which lie Just now of
great consequence to the public is the purchase
OF .nis square, which has Just been completed.
In few DAYS deed will be placed on record
by which Mr.. r. o. Hoffman and wife transfer
70 the raliroad company the fee simple in the
property.
Mr.. Hoffman, who is the well-known real e.
tate broker, has conducted for the company all
QUESTION OF this property. He has been en-
gagged In this work about year. and has man.
aged the delicate and difficult business with a
skill that the results fully show. He has been
ably assisted by Mr.. C. C. NJ. Loeffer Of the
real estate firm Of Gibbs 4 Loeffier.
THE CENTER OF THE NEW SYSTEM.
This square will be the center OF the new
L. n
house. Already the consulting engineer of the
road, Mr.. Daniel Bontecou. has. with the con-
sent OF Mr.. Henry Hurt, the president of the
road, secured the services Of Mr.. Root the dis
tinguished architect Of Chicago. who will pre-
pare plans for six-story building. which
viii occupy the entire square. The magnitude
OF this building will be appreciated when it is
stated that the dimensions will be PAL by 1856
feet. The first named figure is the frontage
on E street or Pennsylvania avenue. from
which il is separated BY a small triangular
park. There VIII be the same frontage on ID
street, while on 1874 and l4th streets the front
Of the building viii be 1855 feet II is the in
tention to make the building intellectually
worthy OF the location.
THE BUILDING WILL BIZ frREpRooF
The principal front will be mainly OF stone
and the entire building will be built of brick,
stone and iron and will be freproof through
out Mr.. Hunt, the president Of the road
states that in the estimate made Of the outlay
required for the entire improvement about
S450 600 was allowed for the construction of this
building. The total cost. including that of the
building and ground. will be about 81 .0OO. 0o0
The company will have use for only the first
two stories Of the building, and il is the inten-
tion to nit up the upper stories that they can
be leased for light manufacturing purposes
heat, power and light being supplied to an por-
tions Of the building.
AN ARTISTIC EXTERIOR.
The artistic exterior which il is proposed to
give to this building and its height of six
stories is the company's contribution to the
adornment Of Pennsylvania avenue and also, it
is hoped, will be a source of revenue. But the
primary object is its use power house. The
location could not be better for this purpose
II is as nearly as is practicable the central
point between Georgetown, the navy yard and
Mt. Pleasant. The length Of the present tracks
of the road from Georgetown TO the navy yard
u five miles. 9TH street being considered half
the distance. The 14th street line is two miles
and halflong. The new power house located at
TINS point will be the center of three cables,
| which will run the cars over the entire line.
There will be a cable to the navy ward another
to Georgetown and third to Mount Pleasant
These cables will run around great drums or
spoOls, which will be turned by an immense
engine located in the power house.
POWERFUL ENGINE WITHOUT NOISE.
The engine that is expected TO do all this
work will be a powerful one, as might be sup
posed But it will be SO constructed and the gear
! ing will be so arranged that, Mr.. Hurt saws.
there will be no noise and no vibration. Cot
ton ropes used instead of gearing is
ono Of the methods adopted to
prevent noise. The success Of this method of
iunning machinery has been practically dem
olWtrated and at first i. was the intention to 81.
up the upper portion Of the new building a
great public hall. But the conclusion Was
reached that this use would not yield as great a
revenue as that which has now been deter
mined upon. There are several features about
the engineering construction OF the road that
are Of special interest
SOME ENoNEEnfSo fEAruREs
The first one, perhaps, that would occur is
how would it be possible to run the avenue cars.
which is one line, on two entirely distinct ca
bles. The problem is not q difficult one. The
cables are carried out of the power house
through the underground conduit to the tracks
in the center of the avenue. The
18th street cable will pass along in the
conduit up the avenue and 18th street,
and thence along New York avenue TO 18th
street. Tn cable, however, that viii run TO the
navy yard will pass around a large horizontal
wheel or terminal sheave. as it is called,
which il beneath the railroad track in
the center of the avenue, and thence
will be conducted TO the conduit, which under
lies the center Of the track all the way to the
navy yard. The Georgetown cable will be
conducted out Of the power house to its proper
conduit in the same way.
SPACE BETWEEN THE CABLES.
There will Of course be q space at this point
between the two cables. car coming up
from the navy yard on reaching this point will
pass over the space by its own momentum.
The grip attached to the navy yard
cable, as it might be termed, will be released
by the gripman and the car passing along, the
grip Will seize the Georgetown cable on the
other side and continue its journey. In the
event that the same style of grip is used on
the new lines as the one in use on
the 7th street road i: will be neces-
sary to pifce men at these points who
will bring up the cable to the grip. The grip
now in use takes hold Of the cable on the upper
and lower sides. The lower lip Of the grip. as
il might be called, passes along on the under
side of the cable. while the upper lip is moved
by the lever and is raised up when
the car is stopped and then is pressed down
when the car is ia motion. The lower lip is
practically stationary, and when the upper lip is
pressed down by powerful lever it has very
firm hold.
WHAT THE "aIpsY" WILL DO.
When the car comes to the end of the line il
il necessary to use q device called the gypsy
to throw the cable out Of the grip and allow it
to fall on the pulleys in the conduit. In the
of tongs, which viii seize the cable and relaxes
its hold without assistance. But this feature
has not been fully decided upon.