New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30
WORKING FOR THE TROLLEY
NJ EVIDENT ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE IT
IN WASHINGTON.
.owrR HOUSES BUILT BY A COMPANY WHICH
pRETENDs TO BE EXPERIMENTING WITH
THE STORAGE BATTERY SYSTEM.
rpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TKIBt,Nr.

TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1
washington, July 20.-There strong indications
Aha, n concerted and desperate attempt will be made
:, the coming session OF Congress to obtain the
Usage of an act 10 permit street railway companies
m Washington to use overhead electric wires-in fact
~. trolley system. In 1890 Congress passed an
AFT recurring the two principal street railroad COM
ponies 10 Introduce some other motive power than
horses within two years on penalty OF forfeiture OF
their charters. One of the companies complied with
,be law. The other one did not, but went before
congress- and on the plea that 1t had expended large
sus In effort TO equip its with electric motors
m the storage battery system obtained an extension
~ one year. since then II Is understood q street
railroad syndicate which is powerful in New York,
Philadelphia and other cities has bought or secured
options several other street railroads and fran
chises In Washington with view to the introduction
AZ the trolley system, and II is assertedand the
assertion is backed by q considerable amount Of cir
cumstantial evidence-that the street railroad COM
pany which has failed to comply with the law is in
sdea' to bring about legislation to effect that object
The extension OF time granted to that company ex-
plred on Saturday. and it has neither complied with
the nor. far its patrons have observed has
II In good faith attempted to do It. few pro-
neled by storage batteries have been sent over the
road at irregular intervals, sandwchcd between cars
drawn by horses. and good deal Of money said to
have been expended in the purchase Of real estate
and the building Of "power houses" As to these ex-
penditures and their ultimate object "The Evening
STAR says:
"some practical men OF Affairs are inclined to
mako light Of the scientific work that has been
ried on by this company. and are severe as
10 say that 1t has nothing to do with railroad bus
iness. However there is q ray Of light the sua-
ton from business standpoint, for 1t IS said
that the company has not been carried away with the
INVENTORS zeal and enthusiasm to such extent as
of fhn
1t Is true that the company has In the past two
years placed on the market and sold some $500, 900
worth OF bonds This money, however has not been
spent in fancy salaries TO scientific experts or in
motors. The bulk OF 1t has been invested In substan
ta real estate and I'm buildings TO improve the
An entire square purchased In South Washing
ton and a great power house has been erected
there. Another power house has been built on the
company's land in West Washington.
"These buildings and the machinery in them can
be used in the event that the scientific calcula
tons OF the company to naught and the storage
battery should prove failure. In the contingency
that such a bitter disappointment should there
will DO consolation in the thought that only about
or per cent OF the total Issue OF bonds has been
lost experiments, while all the remainder OF the
proceeds OF the bond Issue is represented in we'll
equipped buildings. 1t may seem to be little
singular to those unfamiliar with the designs OF the
trolley people, that while the company has been ap
parently engfOssed, heart and SOUL in making the
storage car success, their plant will be ad-
mirably adapted for the trolley system This fact
may be incidentally called 10 the attention OF Con-
gress, but not OF course, by the officials OF the
pany, for the that they may take the position
that they are anxious TO go ahead and prove that
the storage is success. If members OF Con
gross should question this position then the officials
OF the road will ask: We'll, what you going 10 40
about II The cable can't be used because the
in our road too numerous. The underground
electric road has been demonstrated not to be a
practical system. and so what is there left except
the trolley II you don't let go and equip the
road with tile storage cars =
Among trolley this is regarded rs a strong
position and they conclude that COr9ress. whether
II wants 10 not, will be thrown into the arms Of
the trolley people. If Congress shonld grant the
kindly 10 the change. II will cost practically
nothirg TO equip the road with the trolley"
without regard 10 the objections against the intro
auction OF the trolley system DETACHMENT
OF the magnificent streets and OF the National
Capital where no plea Of rCccSSiy be offered IN
Its favor there special objections why overhead
wires should not be- allowed in of the streets
traversed by the road alluded to by The STAR For
threefourths Of mile il runs through Est. which
majority Of the higher buildings. II Is street I'm
tcd-more, probably than In any other street
IN Washington and where trolley wires would be a
constant menace 10 life ard property. These objoc-
tons alone should be sufficient 10 prevent Congress
from permitting the IDEAL" which seems TO be In
contemplation.