The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-30
~AY STOP THE CABLE.
-. Not to Run While the Big
Sewer Is Building.
rnlecTions OF THE COMPANY
.resen would Mesn Serious Loss
ptsehade Of snow and slides
On the Great Sorshsrn.

n syussees of the Front Street Cable
q Consolidated Electric roads have been
$500 by Chairman J. w. Van Brockiin,
- hoard of public works, and City En-
sssee, 3. II. Thomson that they viii be
ssuirst 10 stop running cars on CONNER
- snd Front streets between King and
1900 en- January /, and TO keep that part
= - fwo roads shut down until the new
s..e,eepting sewer to be built between the
1870 Is completed. DIR. Thomson esti-
- that this work viii occupy about
20 months.
~ sever, which is to be built for the
snryoss OF intercepting the sewage from
~ hills and carrying ii TO new main
su1fni extending beyond the coal bunkers
s the foot Of King street, will extend up
4 n.mmercial and Front streets. and its
esassrucsion is one Of the first pieces Of
~ 10 be undertaken in the creation OF
- nsw sewer system. Il will be partly Of
I ~ and partly Of pipe of varying sise.
a : conference between Messrs. Van
1rorkiin and Thomson and the street
salIvay trustees on Saturday afternoon
. latter were informed that the city
sf1pded 70 begin work on January 1,
"a desired to use the space occu-
"a By the tracks for piling the excas atsd
III and the material for construction. and
skat therefore it would be necessary to
rkst down the cable road until the sewer
~ completed. A great many objections
vsss urged by Superintendent Clark, of
~ street railways. and the proposition
~ not received OF eli favorabiy by the
Hussses The proposition involves the
sbutsing down of the cable road, but the
eectric cars could still run to Main and
Commercial streets. and then run back the
vsy they came. The two roads have q
hint franchise on Commercial street
NJ. Clark was called upon by Posr-Is-
fuaisEscEn reporter last night, and
ssssed the objections to the shut down as
itIIows:
~Naksng due allowance for delays and
~ weather, IL will probably take nearer
lhrse than two months 10 build the sewer.
ed In that time our patronage would be
osattered and our old force Of employees
would have left the city and would have
y be replaced by q new and green force.
L costs about 500 each to break in new
nsn, for even when they have worked on
ssher roads they have to become accus-
iomed 10 the conditions OF this one, and
~ change would involve many accidents
kaf Of machinery and cables. When you
aart . road with new men the life
cable 10 only three or four
nonths, while after they are trained
lasts over twelve months. The
machinery would have to be kept running.
~ the rope must be kept running and
siIsd, or It would rust and break. You
nnnot keep . cable in shape unless you
~ 1t. The excavation between the tracks
sould cause the yokes to spread and the
nncrete TO settle on the side next the
oesr, and the whole track would have to
y rebuilt. Even IL We were to put in
witch at Union street IL would cost 500
y 500, We should nave TO change our
oips. for they are made for turntables,
~ No could not run the combination
~ Then nobody would ride on the
~ except those who have to use the
0hae road.
@The shutting down of the road would
leynvs $500 to 5000 PEOPLE who live in
~ north end OF town of the quickest
a6ans OF transit. Many OF tnem would
hse TO walk up and down the hill for
deht or nine blocks. and women, children
nd infirm people could not walk and
would generally have to stay at home. The
teetors who have to visit their patients
sIhe city officials cay they want TO put
Ne dirt they excavate on the tracks and
n pile material on them. but they can put
hem clear across the tracks and pile them
o. the sides of the street Ut a small
extra expense. / was engineer Of sewers
n Kansas City and built sewers between
We tracks there without shutting the
lpsds down. do not believe there Is .
eose on record of cable road being shut
s down for 4 ras on hs for ~ mr.
work. Ii IL were not for the street rail-
way. the center of the street Is the best
Place for sewers, but in many citiessw here
here Is cable road il Is built on the sides.
IN one case in Kansas Caty a sewer seven
eight feet IN diameter was built on the
Gde OF the street.
II believe that if IL Is necessary the city
can compel us to shut down. out do not
link IL can prove the necessity. do not
mesn the necessity in order to save ex-
pense TO the city. but IL is a question
whether the city should be put TO fl.oop
more expense IN order TO avoid shut
down, or the company should be compelled
% shnt down at a cost of $7.o0o or $500.
The directors will not do anything until
NE city has definitely decided what To do,
and hope tie board OF public works Will
hnd some way of doing the work without
requiring us to shut down. When the
city takes action il will pe for the comps-
nies to DECIDE what 10 do. We do not
Gand III the way of any public improve
mtnt. but we want the work done in such
Away that il Will not injure us.
The matter came up before the board
seain yesterday aud several devices for
wedding the entire shutdown OF the road
vas discussed, but no action was taken.
uus member OF the board thought that by
eating the cable and splicing IL At the
ectnef Of Pike and Frent streets, aud max
NC little alteration in the tracks at that
Fosnt, the ears could turn at that corner.
waning thence east ON Pike. and 40 back
ssts The present line on Second street.
iae objection, however. presented itself
'aat, as cable needed oiling every day or
sso. to leave portion on From, street ly-
ag 'die for tao months gouid completely
nla IL as u could not he oiled while
saading stiH. Still another proposition
sas that gurntsbie could be built At Pike
3 Aa Fsont streets and the extra cable re-
~essd Tor The TINE being.