The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-05

THOUSAND HORSEPOWER ENGINE,
means that human ingenuity has again
been applied to the lessening of the
amount of labor required to do the
worlds work
The use of cables in hauling street cars
is not at all n new thing, even in New
York. A cable line has been in opera
ton in Ono Hundred and Twenty fifth
street for several years, and, as all the
world knows, in San Francisco, Chicago.
Kansas City, Philadelphia and other
cities the story of cable cars has long
been an old one. But nowhere else has
the cable been put to so severe test as
1T has here. The crowds OH Broadway
are denser and the traffic is greater than
III any other city. Crowded streets in
crease the danger to life and limb, and
undoubtedly the congested condition of
Broadway has contributed its full share
to the opposition to the introduction OF
The cable here, which has nowhere else
been as strong or SO long continued. 1t
is worthy of record that the Broadway
managers have been able to congratulate
themselves because of the fact that no
other cable road III existence made so
clean record, so far us hurts to humani-
ty are concerned, during its first weeks
operation as the Broadway line
The opening of the Broadway road as
4 cable line is but the beginning of the
Eeign of the wire rope in New York.
Third avenue is about ready for the
cable. Work was begun in that thor
nnghfarc at about the same time as on
Broadway. That was literally years ago,
and the public has complained often and
Of Il
ness with which the work has been car
ricd on. But Judging from the satisfac-
ZION with which the Broadway line is
discussed since the cable has begun its
work the discomfort of the past will he
very shortly forgotten. The laying of
fhe conduits and the building of the big
power stations We're watched with gen
eral interest during the progress of the
work, but those who have been fortunate
enough to so through the stations since
they were put i'll operation have seen
something almost infinitely more inter
eS6nG.
1 devoted half of yesterday TO the sta
tons at Fiftieth street and Sixth avenue
and Houston street and Broadway. In
certain sense they are much alike.
Both contain powerful steam engines
that turn ponderous fywheels and pull
Ieys OF fabulous size, and though the en-
Eines at Houston street are larger and
the wheels and pulleys heavier than they
are at Fiftieth street tho lay eve pel-
ceives little difference in these particu
lars. But there is very apparent differ
ence of quite another kind. The Fifticth
street station IS housed in high build
ing that i'll other days was used for sta
bles and carhouses. All tho upper floors
have been taken out, and the place is Il
vast hollow shell Of brick walls, pierced
by many windows, and slate roof Tile
first impression, therefore, of the visitor
rs that ne is III a cool, spacious, well
ventilated place. There is at once on
entering q sense of plenty of room ana
st great power eXerted quietly, for the
big engine that is at work performs its
labor without noise. 1t, with it's dupl-
cate, stands on high brick piers some
eight or ten feet above the level of the
street. The attendants move lcisurely
about, and no one seems to be in n
hurry.
The power station at Houston street
is veritable inferno. The engines. of
which there are four instead of two. are
IN the bowels of the earth Of great
puileys there are also twice as many as
at t1ftieth street, and as there are
thousands less square feet of floor sur
face space is at premium, and all the
machinery is crowded. Instead of the
pleasant GOODNESS brought about by
many open windows through which tho
breezes blow freely the temperature is
decidedly torrid. The attendants arc of
course more numerous, and they clothe
themselves very lightly while at work
Hot jets of steam and dropping tepid
water arc everywhere encountered.
Murh of the station is directly under
rhe street, and the ear is constantly as
sailed by the grind of wheels and the
click of horses hoofs on the pavement