Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-18
Those on the Belt and lexington
Street Railways.
MADE IN TEE INTEREST OF ECONOMY
A Compressed Air Motor to Be
Experimental With.
A CITIZENS ROTES T


line and lexington and Soldiers Home
railroads went into effect yesterday. The
railway company claims that the change
in its system doing away with the belt
feature of the road and substituting a
| transfer system Is in accordance with the
| wishes of the public, as shown by the re-
ceipts of the road, which, it Is said, are the
only true index to the popularity OF the
| line. The changes made, however, are in
the interests of economy and will save the
| companies considerable money.
Transfers on the Belt Line.
Instead of passengers being able to make
| a continuous circuit on the line of the Belt
| railway transfers must now be made at
18th and o streets and 18th and E streets
| northwest. Any one wishing to make the
circuit must transfer at these two points
| to the 18th street line. There has been
| see-sawing in the system in operation on
| the Belt line. Originally 1t was what its
name implies, but was then changed ac-
cording to the system again put in opera
| ton yesterday. September l6 1t was de-
cided to again Introduce the system OF
having cars run continuously over the Belt
| line, with the idea that that system would
prove most popular and would increase
the traffic. The result has been, accord
ing to the officials, that the company in
stead of adding to the number Of it's pas
sengers has had less traffic than 1t enjoyed
previous to the change. This fact has
been used as an argument against running
cars continuously around the circle OF the
belt.
1t is claimed by some persons that the
traffic of the Belt line at this time Is no
| index to the popularity of the system that
has been superseded. AS rapid transit
has been introduced on 9th street it is
| said that the loss of traffic of the Belt
line has been caused by this competition,
and that the fact that less passengers
Rave used the latter road during the past
two months than formerly is not in the
nature of a condemnation of the system
| of having continuous cars.
Change on the lexington Road.
Another change that went into effect
yesterday was on the lexington and Sol
ders' Home railroad For some time the
horse cars coming into the city from New
York and Florida avenues have run with
out transfer to the Treasury Department.
| The cars coming from East Washington
| have also run without transfer to the same
| point. In order to accommodate passengers
going to the Center market cars have been
| run from the market house to 9TH and G
streets and return. This has necessitated
a transfer for every one bound to the Cen
| ter market, and, it is claimed, has placed
| an unnecessary number of cars on street
| from 5th to 18th streets. The change that
went into effect yesterday involves rum
| ming the cars from New York and Florida
avenues down 9Th street, without change,
| to the Center market, SO that passengers go
| ing TO the Treasury Department have to
change cars, while those visiting the mar
ket keep their seats.
These changes have effected a saving to
| the company. Under the system now
| adopted fewer cars are kept on the tracks
| between E and o streets on 18th street,
| and between 9Th and 10Th streets on G
| street 1t is claimed that formerly IL fire.
quently happened that two cars would
&C me together and run over the portions of
| the line referred to very close together,
without in the least adding to the comfort
| of the public By the system now in force
| the company claims that transfers from
! one car to another will be made promptly
unless some unavoidable accident occurs
| to delay cars, which is very frequently the
| case where steam railroads have to be
| crossed in South Washington.
What Secretary Gray Says.
Mr.. H. K. Gray, secretary OF the Ecking-
ton Railway Company, was seen today by
| Star reporter regarding these changes of
transfer systems Il was myself in favor of
the system of continuous cars around the
| Belt line" he said, land advocated that sys-
| tenn when it was put into effect September
| IL. The facts, however, have shown that
| the number of passengers carried since the
| change has decreased rather than increased.
This is the chief means We have of judging
of the popularity of the systems. But it can
safely be said that this arrangement has
been made only for the winter. When the
run without transfer around the Belt line,
giving passengers who wish to take the air
an opportunity to ride around the line with
| out changing cars. 1t Is safe to say, too
that this continuous system of cars will be
| introduced as soon as the company is equip
ped with some modern motive power
Compressed Air System to Be Tried.
! 1t will be but a short time before a sys-
| tenn of compressed air for running street
roi 90 yl-i1l tod ~,
| Star, be introduced into this city on the lines
| of the lexington company. President New
bold has entered into an agreement by
which eight of these new motors will be put
into operation here on trial. The company
has not yet adopted the new system, and it
| will not do so until it has been thoroughly
tried under all conditions likely to be met in
its practical operation. The District Com
missioners and Capt. Fiebeger of the en-
gineer department are favorable to the in
| PRODUCTION of some independent motor which
can run over any track regardless of the
system under which it has been equipped
II the compressed air motors prove to be
practicable they will effect a great saving
OF money for the lexington and Belt lines
1t will not be necessary to disturb the exist
ing tracks, and the Pullman cars lately pur-
chased by the Belt line will be transferred
to new trucks arranged for the new motive
power.
Experiment on North Capitol Street.
The new motors will probably be first used
on North Capitol street from G to streets
which line has been partially equipped with
a system under the control Of the Westing-
house Company. which system is electric
and which has been running continuously
for over a year for experimental purposes
If the compressed air system works well on
the North Capitol street line, it is thought
that there will be little delay in its adoption
for all branches of the lexington and Belt
railroads. TIE horses now used by these
| loads are proving too expensive under mod
ern ideas Of street railroading, and the COM
pany will be glad to get rid Of them.
When the Pullman cars now on the Belt
railway were purchased it was with a view
to using them as tralers for the new COM
pressed air motors. They are said to be too
heavy for horse cars. 1t is not known just
| how soon the compressed air motors will
| arrive in Washington, but they may be here
within ten days.
Tho additional trapSfar Of op3 ~