Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-08-16

Officials Of both the Pennsylvania and
Reading railroads, the Philadelphia
Record prints, say that the opening of
the trolley line to Germantown and
Mount Airy has affected their traffic
much less than they feared and has not
seriously cut in their receipts. The
railroad people recognize, however, that
II they want to hold their business they
must quicken the time Of trains, so as
TO put trolley competition in this dirGc-
ton out OF the question, and it is prob
able that when new time tables go into
effect some action will be taken TO give
more rapid service to suburban points.
On the Reading railroad the trolley
lines have so largely reduced the COM
\ pany's travel to and from sixteenth
street, Tioga, Nicetown, Falls Of Schuyl-
kill, School Lane and other nearby sta
tons that il is proposed to drop num-
Der of the stops now made at these
points in order to make better time to
the stations beyond them, from which
the company's receipts are heavier. In
the same way on the Media branch OF
the Pennsylvania the Darby trolley road
has almost wiped out the company's
business from the Forty.second and
Forty-ninth streets stations, while on the
Philadelphia, Wilmington y Baltimore
road it has cut deeply into the travel to
and from Paschalville, Darby and the
many other suburban settlements down
as far as Chester and Marcus Hook.
Quicker time will be required here also
to enable the railroad to hold anything
like its own against the trolley's compe-
tition.
There is no doubt that the advent Of
the trolley is giving the railroad com
panies good deal Of concern. If it
shall lead, however, to Il division OF the
travel, the railroads taking the longer
hauls and the electric cars the shorter,
the public will be greatly benefited.
Already the Reading railroad has been
Obliged to put on l6-minute express
trains to Germantown, and there is lutte
doubt that in the near future the rail-
road companies will have 10 run faster
trains to Frankford, Manayunk, Ches-
ter, Merchantville, lladduniield, Wood
bury and many other suburban points
if they want to prevent the trolley roads
from running away with all the bust
ness.
B. d o. BALTIMORE TUNNEL.
After dragging along for years, the
Belt Line tunnel of the Baltimore u
Ohio railroad, in Baltimore, at last
shows signs of approaching completion.
Examinations are now being made fDl
the power house, to be used in operating
the road, on which electricity will bt
the motive power. The power mouse
will be long one-story brick building
fronting $3.50 feet on Howard street, witt
60 feet on Henrietta street and IS fee
on Montgomery street, in which clever
$50 horse. power boilers will be placed
The engine room will contain four lot
: horsepower Corliss compound en-
gines, coupled direct to four 1Ol
horsepower multiple generators, whlcl
will furnish the electric power for loco
motives and also for lighting the tunnel
In addition there will he four $50 horse
power compound engines, two of which
will drive eight 50.arc light machines
each light having 1000 candlc-powpr
These lights will be used at Noun
Glare, Locust Point aud Camden sta
ton, Each Of the remaining two on
gines will be used to drive two genera
tors capable of lighting 1000 lG candle
power incandescent lamps for use il
the new depot ut Bolton lot and othe
places along the line. Provisions vii
also be made for an extra 700 horse
power generator. The motive powe
for the tunnel trains will consist .
three electric locomotives.