Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-18

by very ingenious device. At certain inter
walls device is inserted in the wire which
automatically yields when the wire Is
contracted and draws it up whom il is expanded.
so 1t Is claimed that through the heat or cold.
IN wet weather or in dry, the wire still con-
nnues to yield its force, which is used in
making the wheels 60 round. The small boy
who may wish to fish up some OF the current
to see how il looks in daylight will be obliged
TO experiment elsewhere. for the reason that
the slot Is protected by the deep fianges of the
slot rails. making it impossible from the out
SIDE to reach the conducting wires. The con-
duit has at intervals openings into the sewer.
so that water which may gather in the conduit
can readily flow off
There is feature Of this road which will be
highly appreciated by the residents along L
street and citizens generally. The slot rails
can be taken up without disturbing the pave
ment. At the end OF each block there is a man
hole which leads into a vault extending under
both tracks and in the event that any section Of
the road is out OF order the current can be
run on either wire. There will be
no necessity to change cars when passing from
the portion Of the road which is operated by
the overhead wires to that which is run bv the
underground WIRES The cars will have an
overhead trolley and an underground trolley
car coming in from the country, on
street, stops over a pit which is opened
and closed automatically. The overhead trolley
is tied down and the underground trolley l. by
means of levers lowered from the bottom OF the
car into the pit and il is brought into contact
with the conductors. The car then moves
along, and il is said that the pause TO make the
change will hardly be long enough to be per-
ceptible to the passengers.
CLAIMS MADE FOR THE SYSTEM
At first the new part of the road will be
operated as far 14th street and thne the con-
struction will be continued to 7th street II il
claimed for this system that it solves the prob
lem of how TO prevent the waste of the electric
current by complete system Of insulation
and that high percentage Of the current is
utilized as a motive power. IL is so claimed
that the cost of construction is .Ilv slightly
more than that OF an overhead system when the
latter is properly constructed. The managers,
however, recognize that the trolley, as the over
head system is known, is supported by powerful
any other system that threatens the overthrow
of the overhead wire. However, they assert
that this new road will defy criticism, and they
propose to convince the skeptics that they have
the coming street car motor.
The method adopted in effecting the cross
ing OF the cable road is shown by the cut which
| accompanies this article. As NAV be seen the
cable runs beneath the electric wire conduit
| In order to prevent contact with the grip OF
the cable the electric wire is carried beneath the
cable conduit through terra Gotta pipe The
car on the electric road passes by momentum
over the crossing and on the other side the wire
is brought up and contact is again made with
| the trolley The wire, or conductor as il /.
called, is drawn along the upper side Of the
conduit, on each side of the slot.