The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-07
WIRES UNDERGROUND
THE sUBsURFACE TROLLEY SYSTEM
A SUCCESS IN WASHINGTON.
No Unsightly Poles or Wires. No
Noise. and the Chance of Fatalities
Almost Done Away With.

The success of the underground trolley
road put in by the Metropolitan Street-car
Company of this city on its Sinth-street
line. with its four miles of double track.
has encouraged that company to contract
for the construction of thirteen miles more
OF the same system on its F-street line,
running from Georgetown on the north
west to Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill on
the southeast The new system Is pro-
nounced in every way satisfactory. and al
though it has yet to undergo the test of
winter the officers and stockholders of the
company and the engineering forces of
the mass placed at his disposal he was able
General Electric Company. have no doubt
whatever that they have hit upon a sys-
tenn which is destined to revolutionize ur-
ban transportation, and possibly steam as
well.
The Ninth-street cars run as smooth as
glass. There is none of the noise and roar
attaching to the overhead trolley. and the
movements of the cars are attended with
less commotion than the ordinary horse
car. The wheels slip along as quietly as
under perfect control. They go slow or
fast. at the pleasure of the motorman,
and in stopping and starting there is none
or the 1erkineSS which Is such an unpleaS-
ant feature of cable travel. They start off
gently, and those who are obliged to hang
on the straps during the crowded hours
which made cable-car travel under similar
circumstances dangerous to life aud limb.
So far as the public is concerned the un-
foreground trolley system, as illustrated on
the Nint1-street line in Washington, is
nearly ideal. The dangers of the overhead
trolley have been done away with; there is
nothing TO offend the eye or invite atten-
ton to the ever-present possibility of live
wires falling upon the streets and burn
ing up helpless victims: and. best of all,
been obtained. With the cable there can
be only one standard of speed. while here
the motorman can regulate the motion to
along, and whenever open space and OPP
pqrtunity present q greater rate is made.
ton now about two months, and In that
time only one accident has occurred. and
that was the result of carelessness.
The system adopted by the Metropolitan
abandonment of wires, except where cables
are employed to feed" the conductor
rails with new power at stated intervals;
The early experimentation in underground
systems was along the principles of the
overhead trolley. The Love system. which
was tried in Chicago three or four years
sufficient, was nothing more nor less than
a. little trolley on poles built in a conduit.
This was found to be easily thrown out
OF gear and hard to repair.
Ia IL . MADE.
Consequently breaks were frequent, with
all the annoyances attendant upon such
accidents. The Love system was tried in
Washington along a stretch on L street
about a mile and a half in length. Under
favorable conditions everything runs
smoothly on this line, but during the
rough weather of last winter it broke
down for an almost continuous period of
fun N - fhroo Ioxo The ~ Gifted ~
through the slot and clogged the under
ground apparatus hopeiessly. The
street underground trolley has a great
many improvements upon the original
did not work entirely to the satisfaction
or either the car company or the public,
pie for the time being abandoned further
construction which was in contemplation
at one time. Now Mr.. Wheeler, OF Chi
cago, who is the prime mover in the Love
concern, is about to put in several miles
of line in New York with still further i'm
provements, but inasmuch as it involves
thoughts the Sse in I'll the w eIeesric caf fi mSTe has s'y tar1ed
away from that idea as not carrying the
correct principle.
The power that moves the electrical
trains along the Ninth-street lines in
Washington is conveyed through 'T' rails,
fixed immovably in a framework. These
TT rails are eight inches apart, and pre-
sent the fiat part to each other. They
are supported upon porcelain insulators
1872 feet apart.
The device which is attached to the bot
tom of the cars and extends down through
the slot to the space between the "conduc-
tor rails" is called a pillow" and the, parts
designated as shoes" These shoes" un-
der the clever manipulation of the motor
man are tn Tp,S OUT Until ,ney auD agarnS -
communicated and although the frame
work is constructed to stand a pressure of
many thousand volts. it has never been
fOtrn6 nannS0o nv Tn QnnlV mora than IN
or 800 volts. This pressure is so gentle
| as to produce hardly a perceptible friction.
| than have been in constant use for nearly
sixty days, while the inner sides of the
| conductor rails show very little effect
The test so far has been so entirely to
the satisfaction Of the street-car company
that its management may be said to be
| system in use is very largely the product
of the inventive genius and engineering
skill of A. \. Connett. chief engineer OF
to be in a position 10 take advantage OF
all the improvements and inventions that
had gone before.
MOST INVENTIONS USELESS.
The General Electric Company. which is
the owner of over four hundred patents d.
| rected to this branch of electrical inven-
| ton, turned its engineering Office over to
Mr.. Connect and his assistants. with carte
DidDcuc " 81 Ah oHt hSip thSiucciNSS "
anything they could find. Mr.. Connect
found that the great majority of the in
ventions were useless or trivial. but out Of
the mass placed at his disposal he was able
to find enough to give him the right lead,
and after months of patient research and
experiment the conductor rail- In use on
the North Ninth-street line was the re-
suit.
This rail. with many incidental appli-
ances, has been patented by the Metropol-
itan company, but a friendly arrangement
has been entered into with the General
Electric allowing that concern to manu-
facture for the trade, the car company In
turn being guaranteed against infringement
of patent. The exact terms of the agree
ment between the two companies, Is UNI
known, but that is a matter for which the
wants.
The cost of converting the horse car line
into an underground electric system WAS
$4,000 a mile in the case of the Ninth-street
line of Washington That amount included
between 5000 and 5000 a mile for repaving
the street with asphalt where torn up in
putting in the conduits. Mr.. Connect esti-
mates that where the Belgian pavement is
| used the cost per mile would not be over
s29,O and ii might be considerably under
that figure.
The conduits put in on this line. Mr..
Connect says. are the best that have yet
| large as those necessary in the construc-
ton or a cable line, and very much less
expensive. A large amount of money Is
saved in excavation, while the great ex-
pense attaching to the construction of the
vast caverns for cable drums and other