Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-21
FOUR TROLLEY CITIES
Comparative Notes of Pittsburg,
Detroit, Cleveland and Toledo,
WASHINGTON'S SPLENDID TRAMWAYS
The Value Of Anti Trolley Laws Ap-
parent to Returning Citizens.
A PROGRESSIVE TOWN
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
1t is an opportune time for Washington
iars interested in street railway transpor-
tation to go abroad among the other cities
of America and then to return to the one
spot where the blight of the overhead troll
ley has not fallen. With the 9th street un-
derground line in full and successful opera
ticn, and with the last foothold of the troll
ley syndicate swept away in the removal Of
the poles on New York avenue, the summer
tourist, who comes back to the city this
time from the west, as did recently, will
obtain splendid point of observation from
which to compare Washington with some
of the other communities of the country,
where, by legislative Indifference or care
lessness or perhaps design, the streets have
been utterly surrendered to transportation
companies with no regard for the safety.
comfort and welfare of the citizens.
The little journey that gives rise to these
trolley thoughts included four exceptionally
interesting cities in this regard, Pittsburg,
Cleveland, Toledo and Detroit, four Of the
most trolley-ridden cities in the country,
and corresponding with the four eastern
olaces that are now the victims of the over
head wire. Baltimore. Philadelphia, Newark
and Boston. To the returning tourist the
impression afforded by the Washington
streets, wide, smooth and Endisigured by
trolley poles and wires. is one of vast relief
after the streets of these four cities that
have been named. No pen can describe the
feeling of gratitude for the unfiinching
front that has been presented by the enc
mics Of the trolley for SO many years, felt
by the citizen Of Washington, who thus
gets back into the realm of advanced street
railway facilities that do not include the
disadvantages
property, afforded by the systems now in
vogue in Pittsburg and those other three
cities.
WashinEton's Plan Unexcellcd.
The principal lesson learned by such
visit as mine-viewed from the point of
comparative observation that have men,
tioned-is that the geographical plan Of
Washington is prominently favorable to
a safe and convenient street railroad sys-
tenn. This is an advantage that is not OBJ
tanned by ether cities that have grown
spasmodicaliy, without regard to proper
ton or continuity of streets. Such city
is Brooklyn, which, though not included in
this series of towns now under conSidera-
ton, is an exceptionally fine example OF
the disadvantages of welding number of
villages into an unharmonious. incongruous
whole. called city. The duplication of a
number Of lines upon few trunk stems of
tracks is one of the chief elements of
danger that is presented in that city, and
found also in an excessive degree in To-
ledo. where the average citizen of long
residence is often puzzled to understand
the schedules and routes of the great va
riety OF street car lines. all propelled by
overhead trolley, that form a network of
dangerous tracks through the narrow
thoroughfares.
In comparison with such city as To-
ledo, the Washington system of completely
covering the entire territory by two or
three trunk lines fed from the suburbs by
city SO easy to comprehend in its street
system as Washington lends itself more
readily to an intelligent and modern street
railway plan than do the more rapidly
grown and less capably planned towns of
the west, and the comparison between the
street railroad plans of Washington and
Toledo, for instance, encourages an addi-
tional hope that the street extension plans
proposed for Washington will be CONSUME
mated.
What the Trolley Means.
Another lesson learned from these COM
parsons Is that the overhead trolley danger
is not so great in itself as in what it sig
mites and means, what is behind it. This
cheap construction is most advantageous
and beneficial to small towns that other
wise could not establish and maintain rapid
transit street railroad plants. For example
IN Adrian, Mich, where spent several days,
there Is just the field that the overhead
trolley will. in my opinion, be forced to
occupy exclusively in the near future.
city OF 10000 inhabitants. needing quicker
horses, will be well equipped with a trollev
line, while 1t could not maintain the more
expensive form of cable or underground
electric construction.
Running between Cleveland and Pitts
burg, on my way back to WASHINGTON NV
eye was caught by what was evidently an
overhead trolley that was being constructed
several miles out of one of the small Ohio
W
again, the thought came, is the proper field
for the overhead line, binding together the
smaller cities around the large centers of
population with lines that can be construct
ed cheaply over long distances. But the
absurdity and antiquity Of this form of con-
structien for city use are shown in Pitts
burg, where the streets are absolutely oc-
cupied by the dangerous overhead wire
giving currents to cars that run at reckless
speeds over most intricate system of
ira cks.
Pittsburg possesses an exceptional disad-
vantage in the use of an enormously heavy
car on the trolley lines. One of these lines
runs on Smithfield street, the principal bus
mess thoroughfare, the cars there being
fully one-half again as large as the average
avenue trailer and much heavier than the
large cars In use on the Chevy Chase road
These cars are plastered with advertise
ments within and without, and the outside
signs are so great and glazing as to be a
positive blot on the not over-lovely land
scape.
Too Many Franchises.
Detroit is sadly agitated over the street
railway question and there is strong SEN
timent Of Indignation among the people
against the action of the city council In
granting franchises without due regard, Il
is claimed, to the needs and desires Of the
residents. The result is a rapid formation
Of duplicate tracks, parallel lines, danger
Gus crossings and the formation of mo-
nopoly of all the street railway facilities
Tom Johnson the Cleveland millionaire,
who is the owner Of most 9f the street
car lines at the latter city, is getting foot
hold in Detroit and his corporation bids fair
to control eventually all the lines of the
city Of the straits.
Cleveland is completely at the mercy of
this street railway magnate SO far as these
facilities are concerned. The cars run at
an exceptionally high rate of speed at all
hours. being mainly propelled by overhead
trolley, although there are some lines that
use the cable. There Is the same accumu-
lation Of the cars Of the various lines on
certain important streets that is observed
in Brooklyn and Toledo, and that forms
such dangerous and confusing element In
city life.
All IF these cities have the k-cent fare