New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-02
Will preach to-day in the Hanson Plnce Baptist
Church.
THE TROLLEY'S REALM.
NEARLY HALF THE LINES IN lis GRASf
BROOKLYN SURFACE CAR COMPANIES STEADILY

proohIvn hs boo, nrcduced by the introduction OF
the overhead system Of p'opehlng street cars ~
! electricity Already thousands OF hofses 10 "ho'i
hot weather caused much suffering with consequent
delay Of travel have becn dispensed WITH ana nearly
one half Of the street ear, of the city are now run
by the electric current. As fast possible the new
system will be introduced the remaining lines, ana
in another year probable that the use oil horses
will be entirely done away with. Inc chahSe III
motive power has been accompanied by a great IN
| crease in travel
A motorman on an electric was telling a pas
eenger recently how the breal-bar which h. operated
with his left hand controlled the electricity. wien
turn It So said he. that lets the juice down INTO
the armature uld # COS ont through the machinery
and drive, the car, and then Is carried of by the
wheels to the tracks, and by the return wire back to
| the power-house.'
There i, a large quantity Of "jucc" required to
propo the car, now in operation in the city, and there
are several poworhousts. The largest CT these IS
that Of the Brooklyn city Railroad Company, at
second ave. and Fifty lncond-st From it power Is
derived run such distant pints az Rdg wood
and Bonscnhur,t. Another immense power nous" Is
! building for the same company in kcntave, IN III"
| Eastern District. II will be- the largest OF liz KIND
in the world. There will be another smaller one at
Eldcewood. The south Br1, Myn powerhouse stretches
from 9ccondaye. to the shore OF the Bay, distance
| of two blocks. The first block is occupied by the
wooden structure erected the original power hcIs,
for the sccond-ave line to Ben onhurst which was put
in operation in 1891. Il enlarged when the
| trolley was put on In 1hirdaye. 10 Fulton Ferry In
Novom1 last Then larger and more substantial
brick he WAS butt. II has n lofty chimney, and
l. cquippc with the boiler, and cns zines necessary 10
drive six huge dynamoS, which of 300 horse power
each The immense driving wheels Of the engines are
twenty five feet in diameter and are turned with belts
seven feet two nchc, wide. There IS room for sixteen
dynamo, In the building. with capacity OF 5000
horsepower. A capacity of 1000 horsepower will
| be provided for at the ken'-ave. station.
The other railroad companies have fewer lines
and will require much power at their stations
The power for the Inns Of IA" Atlantic Avenue Com
| rany is generated the Gowanus Canal and Second
ST.: for the Brookln City and Ncwtown Company, at
Dckab and Central ayes, and fer the Coney Island
and Brookyn Company, at smith and Ninth sts
and ut Coney l,laEdave. and Kings Highway, out
side the city.
But beside building power houses. tho railroad
con paGc, have Lad TO provd" new car houses. rs
the Old ones together with the stables for horses
have been largely abandoned. The Brooklyn CIV
Company is Just finishing iuc largest car house in
the world II occupies the block bounded by Fifty
sixth ana Fifty seventh SIS. aud second and Third
AYES. and is 700 feet long and 300 feet wide. The
main part Of it is three store, in height 1t con
tains no less than SIX and Onehalf miles OF tracks,
and 1000 thirty four feet long can be stored in
It at once. The frs, floor is at the level Of second
ave- II VIII serve a ,torehoISe for the cars OF
the E,nsonhur,t road The third floor /, on IN" level
II Thiulavc and cars from the road in that street
can be- into il grade. on III" second foor,
entered on grade the middle Of the building there
will be- storage for open cars in winter and closed
car, I'm sumner
shops equipped in tho building for fitting -
the and making all repairs pit, being pro
vdd for the inspection ana repair Of the motors from
beneath M. cars. Tie motors used In tho heavy
car, Of The Brooklyn city Company weigh nearly Two
each. All Nh" Of this company ar" equipped
The Thomson Houston system. which is used on
the electric road, In Boston. Tie lines Of In" other
companc, in the city the Westinghouse system.
with smaller motor, and the cars are Of the same
size n those drawn by horse.
The first road started near the city was operated
the Jamaica Plank Road from East Nowlork t.
Jamaica. three or four year, ago. Then the Coney
I-lnd and Brooklyn Company changed hands and !
electricity wa, ,'roduccd the part Of rs route
from Prospect Park Coaoy Island. outside the city
When the company undertook extend the Of the
trolley i'm the street, 4 the eft, the strongest OPP
position was met. ~ Tine hearings before the state |
Railroad Clmml-,io the chief opposition |
manifested by proprrty-ownrr>. The first attempt |
10 secure permission fl"d Then the four leading |
street railroad corporltion, united in their demands
and there were several hearings. The required con
sent wa. secured early list year. The Aldermen ana
MAYOR ais, gave their consent. and in september OF
last year the cars ~ the Coney Island and Bro IL
Company IL jay. smith ana NlitH
,s f. the ferries Tn Thirdav". line OF the Brook
I'm civ complny wa, started In the November FOL
lowing and the De Kab-ave line Of the brooklyn
CITY aud Ncwtown Company In December. In Ap1l
the Atlantic Avenue Company began 10 operate It's
Atlantic and Iinh.ave line by trolley, and has since
added the Bergen st. and Bucr-st lines. The Brook
Iyn CIV Company h., substituted the trolley for
rs, on a., Cour,-st. Fl1tbushave., Futon-st and
or ..n. and Gates ave Ines. II will soon have IN"
Putnam ave- and the Myrtl,avc lines equipped, and
the use Of horses Fuon-St will be thing II the
past.
The opening mp Of the region lying south and west
q, South Hrohlyn In Newt recht. since tn trolley
was introduced has been marked. and many
house, have been erected near the lines in Benson-
hurst. Bath Beach, Van Pclt Manor, Font Hamilton |
and Bay Ridge There has been a similar opening |
up of the southern part Of flabush and the town Of
Flaaud, since tho electric road In Flabush-ave was
extended II will soon be u-rnted 10 a new terminus
tensions Of trolley lines In IN" Eastern District ana
into the border Of Queens County will be followed by
Ike growth.
sccr,tary Doeardus, of the HrioIyn CITY Company.
in speaking OF m" extension OF tn trolley. said We
are now operating all our cars In south Brooklyn.
save the cross line. and nearly all the lines in
the centre 0f the city bv clcctncty II Will soon
be- introduced in Putnam Myrtle and No,trand ayes.
horse cars We Shall extend the use Of the trolley
as fast as we get the. power. and shall build new
lines rs soon rs possible. We now operate about
equipped with The trolley. There has always been
q marked Increase Of travel the electric
cars have been put on We had to ali Eighteen ca,
nj once 10 orr equipment I'm Fulton ". to carry TIE
people under III" new ,Ys''m. The proportion OF
aoc dents Is not greater than with the horse ears +
~ course people have to BE- educated to the trolley
and haV" Ia learn that they cannot take the risks
they formerly df. The mOtormrn have 10 gain cN
prr"ncc also. but only careful men are employed
The old employees OF the company who most stead
Easily opposed tho clmncr from horses 10 electricity.
now say that they would not 20 back to horses for
any dn the hot weather of last week the
advantage OF electricity over horses was marked ana
proved far available than horses I'm coping with
.nOwdrfs. Travel delayed much less than
formerly
The Atlantic Avenue Company is now operating
about one half Of is line, 10y che trolley and the
,ry"nihnve. lin" will soon be- added 10 those a.
ready oqulpnci. The company Is running about seven
" electric ears This company il now operated hy
ne Prooklyn Traction Company. which will substitute
Electricity for steam soon the line Of the Brook
yn. Path. and West End Railroad to Conev Island.
Wh Wng roc !