The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-20

Tho RoauolSe Street Railway Com.
pany was chartered the second day of
May. 1857, with the following gcntlo-
men as incorporators: Ihos. Lewis.
president; G. Markley, treasurer, and
J.. II. Bcinklcy, secretary. The capital
stock was 10000, and the shares were
owned 10y l.. Ii. Cccke, Joseph ii. Gale,
M. H. Clayton, Waller =. Huff, j. e.
Christian and w. L. Baker. A portion
talists, alter which G. O'Learv and j. Il.
Levy becamc members of tho company,
the former being elected president, sue
ceeding n. Wayt, OF Staunton, who had
succeeded Thos. Lewis.
j. L. Christian was elected general
manager in March, 1889. The capital
stock was increased to $50, 900, and the
Salem, V!nton and original lines in tho
city were completed. The present COM
pany purchased the lines etc, Feb
ruary J. 1892
W. Franz; Carr resigned his position
December !, 1891, as chief engineer of
the Minneapolis and st. Paul system,
which comprises about $50 miles of
road. lie took charge Of remodoling the
entire street railway system of Roanoke.
and managing tho operations Of Same
on April /, 1892.
TO stag. with eight motors were pur-
chased, twenty horse power each
or forty horse power to the car.
Before returning from Pittsburg an
order was given to tho Baltimore Car
Wheel Con pany for four of their latest
improved trucks. About the last of
April Mr.. Carr succeeded in picking 10 al
Troy, N. Y, -FOUR 1G.foot body cars at the
shops OF the Gilbert Car Company nearly
completed, some minor details of which
had to be Changed according TO his spcc
iiicaticns.
In tho early part Of May contract
was made with the Edison General
Electric Company for two 1875 horse
power Edison generators. The engines
were purchased from tho Arlington and
Sims Company, OF Providence, Il. l., by
tho old company and were turned over
to the new company.
About the same time an order was
given to tho Pennsylvania Steel Com
pany for 200 tons I. 80 pound rails with
the necessary spikes and poles; 10000
ties from ". i. Garner and w. =. and
Z. l.. bush. OF this city, and A. j. Fair,
OF Walnut Cove, North Carolina. About
1000 poles were also purchased from A.
j. Fair, and four miles OF copper wire
were purchased from John A. Roebling
~ Sons Com pany, Of Trenton, N j.
On May 7 grading was commenced
on the Campbell avenue or West End
line, and about $50 laborers were en-
ployed TO hasten tho completion. On
the 10th day o. June everything was
ready for the opening of the Crystal
Spring limo except the power station.
On June the cars arrived from tho
Gilbert Company in New York. About
the same time the nine motors from the
Edison Company also arrived. On Thurs
day, the lGUh day Of June, the trial trip
was made or the Crystal Spring line, and
1t was successful one. On j une 18th the
inc was open to traffic. On Decennial
day two cars were in operation and over
1000 people were carried on this line.
About July ! the Vinton line was
opened Tie Vinton car was tho same
when the dummy was ia operation eX
cept that i. was reprinted ana changed
10 carry the motors. At tho same time
another car OF the Same style was being
painted anu fixed up for the west line.
This line was rushed to completion and
July was opened for traffic rs far as d
street. One car was operated on eaoh
line until July when the four new cars
we're turned ont, two of them going on
the West End line. At the same time
the line YVES pleted to the Norwich
Lock Works.
About July contract was made with
L H. uSS 40 Otllu u new Car SncQ OH
Ernest avenue. The building is about
1G0 feet square, provided with store
room, work shop pit room for general
overhauling OF cars and car room proper
with capacity OF twenty two cars.
This room is also provided with pits for
the cleaning and oiling of equipments
by night men. This building was com
pleted and occu pied about the 18th Of
September the cost of which was Sc, 000
The street railway company pur.
chased the Roanoke Electric Light and
Power Co. and took posse ssion on the 18TH
day of May. 10th of these companies
were placed under the Same manage
mont The station furnishing the
power for both companies is located at
the foot OF Henry street, in which tho
street railway machinery was placed
when the new company took possession
OF the system.
The work on the East Roanoke limo
began about the middle Of September
and was pushed with ell possible speed
and completed on tho second day of
November. This was the last line
opened. The Salem avenue line across
the Park street bridge was completed
the middle Of December and has since
been used only for the patrons of the
Academy of Music.
Tho macadamlzing OF the streets and
the building OF the sewer of Franklin
road have prevented the company from
operating either of these lines. In the
latter part of August the company
purchased two new cars from the
, Gilbert Company, rail from the
Baltimore Company, two Edison single
reduction 20 horse power and one
Thompson Houston double reduction 30
horse power equipment. The cars are
provided with electric heaters mann