Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-08
Mr.. Truesdell Dissents From the
Views of His Colleagues.
THE RAILWAY PROBLEM DISCUSSED
Objections to the Employment Of
a Surface Motor.
AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED

or them to Congress Wednesday
Col. Truesdells report is an exhaustive
document on the subject of railroads In
the District of Columbia. He differs from
his colleagues in only two particulars-that
regarding the use Of the trolley I'm the sub
urbs. and that in the statement that the
surface motor is more promising than the
electrical conduit His position on these
subjects is exactly the reverse Of his col
leagues.
He adds an important amendment TO the
bill providing for the establishment. OF a
department of railways under the Commis-
sioners. with chief at a salary OF 5000
per annum. and one assistant at s.. 500 per
anaum, TO be paid from the receipts OF a
tax levied on the gross receipts of dividend
paying roads. His report. which is address,
ed TO Senator Harris, chairman OF the Sem
ate District committee. is as follows:
Text of His Report.
The report of the Commissioners of the
District Of Columbia uron II. r. 6l7l, 10
authorize the Metropolitan Railroad Com
pany TO change its motive power. etc, con-
tains some opinions so radically different
from my own. and so contrary to the gen.
orally accepted theories established by re-
cent railway experience. that I must ask
permission to submit to your honorable
committee a minority report
oAssent from the proposed change in
route, which would remove the tracks Of
this company from the Capitol grounds. or
either of them, from 14th street. and run
either OF them through II and 18th streets
to f street Thirteenth street In my iude-
ment, should be kept clear of railway
tracks, and reserved for driving purposes
Railroad tracks occupy 5th, 9TH, 9Th llth
18th and 18th streets OF the north and
south streets, and E. F and @ of the let
tered streets.
All of these streets are rapidly being
given Up TO business purposes. and the
uayel upon them is already congested- The
| numbered streets between r and II are
thoroughfares, and to relieve the latter
! from heavy traffic. Moreover, TO throw the
| tracks OF this company one square further
away from the Treasury Department ana
| the hotels would be an unnecessary hard
| ship ulon the company. resulting IN con-
| siderable loss OF trafic. well as incon-
| venience TO the public. II the change In
the route Of the Washington and George
town railroad recommended IN the COM
nissioners' report is made. which would
| throw its north and west-bound cars into
| 13th street and New York avenue, and the
east and south-bound cars into 18th street
as they now run. relieving the latter OF one
track, which i favor, then I concur in the
/ suggestion that the Metropolitan Company
be required TO abandon its west track In
| l4th sueet, and that its east-bound cars
leave II at 18th street and run through
| 18th TO F, and thence through F. joining its
present tracks at 14th and Il streets.
| Dfssents From the Surface Motor.
i dissent strongly from the following
paragraph in the COMMISSIONER report:
An established surface motor would
tend to displace the present overhead troll
leys. which are not satisfactory on city or
suburban streets. One OF the Commission
ers is OF the opinion that IL overhead troll
| leys ana conduits We're positively prohibited
a satisfactory surface motor would be
promptly produced. In fact one kind OF
surface motor seems TO be available. or. 70
say the least is very promising"
| i do not believe. after a considerable ex-
perience with one form of surface motor
! (the storage battery. that that kind. or in
deed. any other kind of surface motor win
displace the overhead trolley. nor do I be-
l lieve that the consular report referred to
by the Commissioners 3ustifies the opinion
! that the gas motor seems 10 be available as
substitute for existing systems In this
| country. There can be no objection TO en-
| courag 1ng any company that may wish To
do so in experimenting with this or any
other form of surface motor. and L favor
\ giving the Metropolitan company the right
| 10 use surface motors, but in the light OF
my experience in this field 1 cannot share
| the rosy expectations OF my associates that
surface motors Of any kind are TO displace
| future.
The storage battery has been demonstrat-
| ed by long and costly experiments I'm this
city, conducted by two companies. to be
have gone far to convince me that to a
greater or less extent all forms of surface
! motors are subject to the same drax-backs
| and objections. and that however fasctnat-
| ing system where each car develops its
| own energy and is independent OF every
| other car, nay be in theory, I'm practice Il
| is found that the disadvantages more than
offset the advantages, and that such q sys-
| TEN cannot compete successfully with a
| system which SUPPLIES energy automatically
from central station. Surface motors must
always be handicapped by the following
| adverse conditions. as compared with the
| latter system: Each cars must at all times
! be weighted with the means of developing
| srfhcient energy to propel IL when loaded
to It's utmost capacity; up the steepest
] latter being relieved of this heavy deaf
| weight requires less power TO move Il. and
draws its energy only as needed through a
| wire or a cable from a central station.
| The surface motor, with its great weight
| when driven at high speed. is more difficult
| to control. more dangerous, and, owing 10
the lack OF under drainage on paved streets.
| is very destructive to tracks, and costly 10
! maintain. Some of these motors are very
| old. and the most successful type vet de-
! yeloped-the dummy engine-has been used
occasionally for many years in cities, and
J abandoned On account OF danger and ex-
pense In operating while on suburban roads
] they have been supplaDted by the overhead
| trolley. The only systems of rapid transit
| in use in any part of the world TODAY the
| success of which is undoubted and unoues-
| TONED are the cable and the overhead troll
| ley. which are supplied with energy from a
central station. The cable is only suited
| 10 certain conditions. and / agree with NV
| associates in the opinion that its use In this
| city ought not to be encouraged on account
/ OF its noise and great danger i'm crowded
! thoroughfares.
The Overhead Trolley.
The overhead trolley thus far, notwith-
standing the prejudice existing in the minds
of many people against IL, has to a great
extent supplantei every other system
| where its use is permitted. and is today the
! cheapest. the most satisfactory ana gener-
| ally popular system in use in this country
| 1t gives the most rapid transit under the
safest conditions. affords the means OF
! lighting and heating the cars in the most
| satisfactory manner yet devised. and slarts
J the cars without the jerking common 10
| other systems. Its use, however. in The
! city is objected to. and charges of causing
+, fire and damage to water pipes are made
| against IL. Notwithstanding these CbJec-
tions TO it's use in cities, l do not remem-
ber ever having seen. before the statement
| made by my associates. that IL is not sat
| isfactory on suburban streets" 1 think IL
| nay be assumed. without argument, that
| the overhead trolley, whatever may he said
! against its use in cities is now and VIII
| continue to be for many years the most
! satisfactory system for suburban purposes.
and that the electrical conduit or under