Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-30

/I&hN<M palling. will. at the
/@&SNN end of the month. be
found to have occupied as much space in
the daily press. Unless a trolley accident
results in the killing Of more than one per-
son the news thereof seldom circulates out
side OF the states in the immediate neigh
borhood of the occurrence and the same
can be said Of the railroad.
In the east the battle ground Of the troll
ley octopus can be truthfully said to be To-
Gated. Here the trolley has, through its
cheapness. seized upon the highways and
byways OF the country and now an cleo
trio car Is as common on the country roads
as farmers wagon. They can be likened
TO mushrooms In their quick growth and a
glance at map Of the eastern states will
surprise those who think they have kept
track Of electric railway development
railroad systems. representing many mil
hons or capital, that have developed the
country through which they pass, are
Deing paralleled with astonishing rapidity
by these hght-waisted corporations They
AFFORD a certain amount Of acconrnoda ton
| to the small towns and boroughs through
whicn they wind their way, but it is a
question whether this Accommodate is not
| nullifed by the deadliness of the trolley
| wires.
The Deadly Circuit.
deadly circuit is often completed in the
| most unlocked for manner and it is this
menace to life that causes the great oppo-
sition from the real thinkers of the coun-
try. Up in Pennsylvania and over in New
| Jersey the trolley octopus is growing fat
and its great arms are covering the coun-
try like spiders web Free transporta-
ton furnished the editors of the country
press has built up an effective subsidy and
nothing Is heard OF the numerous accidents
ana narrow escapes. but none the less ir-
hof
less there are fatal Examinations
Inc farmers. whom one would naturally
suppose would be the trolleys warmest
advocates. are its most bitter antagonists
Ineir peace and quiet is constantly dis
turbed. and although many Of this class are
away behind on scientific advances, their
knowledge Is sufficient to tell them of the
sIrength and surprising effectiveness OF an
electric bolt from trolley wire.
In driving along the country roads a CON-
tinual lookout must be kept up by the
farmers on the rails under foot and the
wires overhead. There is no telling when
the magnetic horseshoes Of the animals
they are driving will complete q straying
circuit, or. In the dark, whether a broken
wire may not be curled up In the roadway
loaded with the fluid that kills The read
ers of the daily press have not vet heard
or the accidents that are bound to happen
as result Of f1imsily constructed roadbeds
but they are certain to appear as the wear
and tear OF the road demonstrates itself
and In this way additional casualties will
be added to the long list Of trolley victims.
with the danger SO apparent in the coun-
Try what will the harvest be in thickly
populated districts of the city? This uues-
| ton was put to a Star reporter very re-
Gently by young electric engineer The
reporter could only reply by pointing to an
len IN MS paper telling of three deaths in
Baltimore inside of three days as a result
OF the uncontrolled speed and muggy state
OF the motorman's brain, of the trolley
lines IN that city. This young engineer
continuing, said:
MOtOrmen Should he Examined.
IF the trolley companies would REQUIRE
| the motormen to pass an examination as
| to general intelligence these accidents
| could be reduced very materially, but men
OF intelligence will not be satisfied with a
dollar and quarter 6 day as a salary.
Inc men employed generally know about
| as much of the electric fluid they are sun
posed to be masters Of as South Sea
| islander. II the current is uninterrupted
and the attachments on the car work oil
| right everything Is serene but let a hitch
occur and they are as a ship at sea with
out a rUdder. ~
Il questioned a motorman on one Of orr
| suburban roads as we were coming down a
| particularly steep grade one afternoon Ia at
| summer what he would do in case the
| brakes refused to work and he laconicaIiv
| replied: Jump. That word told me mora
| OF the mans understanding than a hundred
| words carefully considered He no doubt
knew there was an electric brake on the
| car or reverse current, but he also knew
so little of electricity that he had little con.
| fdence in It, VIII
| I'm dry weather the trolley system r.
comparatively safe as regards its fluid. but
in wet weather the usually unobservjno
pedestrian will do we'll to keen his evs
peeled. For beautys sake an iron most is
now generally used instead Of a wooden one
TO support the wires and as a result the
landscape Is enhanced at the cost of makine
| IT dangerous to traverse. Everybody knows
| that an electric current, when once astrav
| Is hard to locate and when located a mighty
| dangerous thing to capture. Take a rainy
| night and street through which a trolley
road winds its way as an object lesson
Say the line has been built for six months
The insulation at the top Of the iron poles
becomes worn through In such a way as to
be unperceived by the lneman The fuid
hugs the pole and should 1t be near a corner
F., will no doubt switch off onto the iron cul.
| vert covering. The water running on tbe
pavement will quickly act as a conductor
and the unsuspectfng pedestrian walking in.
to this current will have about one chance
out of four of getting through 1t with his
| life. Electricity, to my mind, has moi
reached that point Of development as yet
| that should permit the erection Of trolley
lines within city limits. 1t is bad enough in
| the country.
Recent Incident
| THE fire in the Western Union buildins
a few weeks back and the thrilling acct
dent that followed, wherein a linemar
pulled through with his life by the narrow
est Of margins. can be ascribed to the troll
ley system of railroading. The manager o.
| the Western Union located the offendinf
! circuit up near Baltimore but he doubt
| less overlooked several trolleys nearer home
The lines that enter the big Corcoran build
| ing come in close vicinity to the trolley sys
| TENS at a dozen different points in the sub
| urbs. Telegraph, telephone and electri,
| light dncandescenD wires are not con
| structed to carry the volts Of electricity
| that a trolley line does, and heavy storm
can be looked upon as an effective and de
| cided affirmation of this assertion. Permit
the system to enter Washington and grid
| iron the city, as has been done in Balti
| more, and the most skeptical can Sc,
| wherein the danger is increased.
EVERY day complaints are Forthcoming
| as to the dangerous character Of the cabl,
| guards so much as the speed and careless
| be much easier controlled than those of tn,
| trolley and are not as swift. People will
always be found who are careless ant
| clumsy: but for these faults they should
not be killed or MANNED. About the only
| good word that can be said in favor Of tn,
| trolley in connection with Washington Il
| that our streets are wide and from THU
| fact the list of casualties may be KEEP
| within reasonable proportions.
| 1T has always been a wonder to me thai
| the telegraph and telephone companies dc
not combine for mutual protection from
tr~,ll. T.