Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-03-07
THE ELECTRIC LINES.
what Has Been Done for the Local
Tr aveling Public.

Csnta-A Peculiar Feature.
Ills not necessary to call upon 'old
residents" for "reminiscences OF the vast
imnrovements that have been made IN
the street car facilities Of this city by the
present wilmington City Railway Com
panv Any school child can tell person
vber horse cars were replaced by those
rrd by electricity Several months ago
= took as long TO ride from the b. q o
depos on Delaware avenue, TO Tenth and
Market streets as 10 did to ride on the
steam cars fr I'm Baldwin's or Newark to
tbs B. & o.. station. Now by the cleo.
trio trolley system man is landed In
the business heart of the city In jiffy.
Visitors to this city express themselves
as being delighted with the innovation,
which they declare to be far superior to
the cable roads Of larger cities. From
542 a. m. until 90 lext morning the
whir Of the motor and the rumble Of the
car wheels lcan be heard on Front street.
Market street and Delaware avenue, aud
oftimes the electrical display is bril-
liant one, particularly OF dark night.
THE CENTRE OF POWER.
The question naturally arises: From
whence does this unseen power conner
The electricity used for driving the nine,
teen Delaware avenue, RlverView ana
Eighth street electric cars, Is generated
at the middle Depot" on Delaware ave
nue., near the & o. railroad depot. IL
is there that six large boilers, throbbing
under the pressure Of steam, drive five
engines with an aggregate of 700 horse
power which in turn operate, with fright
full velosity, nine dynamos, which send
out upon the wires current Of 900 volts.
rrrrrs ,r.r,- ouurru
Yesterday afternoon an EVENING
JOURNAL reporter visited the place.
Entering the main Office he was greeted
by Captain @. g. Smith and shown
around The Office building is a sub
stantial and attractive brick structure
facing on Delaware avenue. IL is two
stories high In the upper story are the
attractive offises OF the superintendent.
assistant superintendent and auditor
In add ion there are two toilet rooms,
very complete In their appointments.
The first floor is occupied by the re-
ceiver's office. which takes up the front
of the building. In the rear is the read.
ing room for the employees. This reccea-
tion room Is very attractive. Il Is
finished IN blue and tan, heated by steam.
lighted by electricity, and is furnished
with an electric bell by which the men
are called fof duty. At one end Of the
room is a lunch table In the centre Is q
long table upon which choice periodicals
lie in profuslon, and the way In which
they have been "thumbed" shows that
they have been fully appreciated At the
west end Of the room is a table upon
which games are played. The only game
visible was draaghts or checkers. but
no doubt the men occasionally
Il "a. A.. L.. 80
of seven-up or euchre Two book cases,
chairs and q leather covered sofa add
much TO the attractiveness and comfort
OF the room. On the south side are the
conductors deposit boxes They run in
numbers from / 20 80 and In them 60 all
money, tickets and transfers These de
posits are counted up and the auditor
compares them with the register slip.
The basement Of this building is fitted
mp for the employees. Every man has his
locker In addition there are hot and cold
water, and all other conveniences.
SURROUNDED BY INVISIBLE FORCE.
From the main Office the reporter was
conducted to the boiler room The six
boilers are very large. and everything
about the room showed painstaking care
on the part Of the fireman.
Passing through door into the engine
and dynamo room, one is instantly struck
by the beauty Of the machinery. In two
rows down the main room are the en-
gines and generating machines. Each
Westinghouse engine runs two Edison
machines. There are fou- large engines
One Of 250-horse power three of $50
horse power each, aud a small one Of so
horse power. They are connected with
the generating machines by heavy link
hi 20 huk rrhf nit
Overhead are the wires running from
the machines down back Of the switch
board at the south end Of the room
This switchboard Is In itself
thing OF beauty 1t is covered will
amperes metres, automatic Circuit
breakers and resistance boxes Through
these the 500-volt current passe
out upon the wires and returns
by the track, This switchboard and al
the buildings are lighted by thu
Wilmington City Railway Company,
own electric light plant, which has
power of 10 volts A very pretty feature
of the switchboard is the display o
thirty clustered incandescent lamps, thl
same size rs those in general use Il
stores and dwellings. Everything sbou
this room Is insulated. The machinery Il
kept perfectly clean by Engineers Glenn
Nlb1 Al4 AhuAAkunf WIN NNAADnAAl HH
ieve that cleanliness is next to Godli
ness"
West of this building is the brick ant
iron car shed, 80 by 230 feet, inside meas
urement; an1 back OF it are the stables
LONG RIDES FOR FIVE CENTS.
Returning to the main office the re
porter interviewed Captain Smith.
''How many cars do you rum"
Nineteen electric cars on the River
view, Delaware avenue and Eighth stree
lines; ten horse cars on the Front tree
line and one horse car on the Risin
Sun route. We run four trailers ever
day on the electric cars. On Market day
from q. m. until evening. On othe
days we run them from about p. m
until Z o'clock"
What hours do your men maker
"They average about twelve hours
day"
Tell me, please, how far a man Cal
ride for cents under the present sys
tenn Of transfersl'
well, let us take Rising Sun for on
starting point. A man boards the hors
car there BE comes here to the Middl
Depot, is transferred to the electric car
goes down to Front and French streets
gets another transfer, takes the hors
car again, goes up French street t
Fourth, out Fourth to Spruce, up Spruc