Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-04
BROAD-STREET LINE.
M. jenkins Explains His Underground
System 10 a Dispatch Man.
THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN.
How BIocksdes Arc 20 NE Cleared
General Idea of the New scheme
for the Road and Features of the
proposed Change.

the aNNAtt itlN VI fN' w N''''' -ffff
cultural and Mechanical Society have boon
.ndcavor1nr 10 get street-car route TO
the Exposition Grounds. Recently the
Council Committee on Streets decided to
recommend that the Broad-s'reet privi-
lcres he granted TO the Jenkins Com
pany.
Nir. jenkins the inventor 81 the under
ground electrical arrangement. was seen
ry a Dispatch reporter yesterday and
asked what his corporation proposed TO
O., in the matter OF building car-ilne
here. lie replied:
Il have been working on this system
. for cisht years or more. and have given
IL my best energies and almost unremit-
ting labor. endeavoring chiefly 70 over
come the more prominent objections 10
such systems as have been already In
vented and tried. In every other system
o. underground trolley The curren,-carry-
ire wire has been rleidly suspended at
intervals. either from the sides or top
ar the conduit. and though at such points
q contact insulated from the conduit.
vet a film Of moist dust was sure TO
sr-sdny collect. across which 20 tho metal
o. the conduit and the surrounding soil
the current was sure 10 escape in greater
or less quantities, thus Increasing the
cost OF power 10 such an extent as TO
make such systems Improbable. and IN
NO wise % materially lessen the danger
OF c.cctrolysls Of gas. water. and sewer
ripe In the vicinity. which IS Inherent 10
the s!nelc-wire overhead-troley system.
This objection l have overcome by al
lowing my feed trolsy-wire aud return
wire TO rest on their own weight In
curved arms. insulated by covering OF
ruhher ard porcelain. and projecting from
,hc sides Of the conduit at suitable inter
,ale By 2 simple mechanical appliance
na Nim Of Dust which might gather AT
me point OF contact is brushed away al
the passage Of each car
THE CONNECTION.
The connection between these wires ana
tho motor IN the car is by means or -
trolley suspended from the truck, branch
rr out into two curved arms after enter
inc the conduit. at the lowest point OF
which curves are trolley-wheels running
under the wires which rest thereon. This
trolley being elevated several inches above
the supports In thu conduits. lifts the
wires a. 10 passes along, letting them
drop again into the supports after the
car has nassed a few feet. Inc only
weight necessary 20 be supported by TINS
trolley is that Of few feet OF WIRE anu
thus 70 can be made very signt ana 10
pass easily through "A narrow slot al the
80, Of the conduit. We thus overcome
another objection 20 the older system
which is thai contraction ana expansion
frequently phy havoc with the supports
10 the wire and render IT difficult 10 Keep
the trolley ia contact
..EIovr do YOU propose 10 clean out the
conduit should n become stopped up WIN
foe. snow. or dirt?' asked the Dispatch
man. s.,.
'rn the first place no more Tee snow.
or dl,t can enter the conduit than would
naturally fall on a space represented py
the slot in the conduit-say han an lhch
IN width The system OF sewerage mere j.
80 uerfect that u vii, be a simple matter
f1r our engineer 20 provide outlets from
our conduit az proper intervals INTO thn
cfiv sewers. which we believe, VIII Keep
the conduit froo OF ell obstruction. \
very .iu,pla mechanical device has been
provided. however for cleaning out inc
conduit olsily and completely shouIu
that become necessary, ana ms can ~
done ag often as may be desirable. once |
gav n necessary. without any con
siderable cost by an, attachment 10 the !
frat car. In this copaection v IS, per |
hans. worth while 90 note the fact tha'
gvstorn similar 10 mine now running III
washington operated successfully during
the heavy SHOWS Of last winter wheh an
the surrounding overhead systems VIZ
blocked up ] was there myself and rode
On the cars Of this system AT the Tune
AMPLE CAPITAL.
III GRANTED the franchise by the Coun-
Gil what DO you propose 10 90
a omit
Kim. ample capital 10 build and equip
rrarptly the proposed lire throughout
me entire length OF Broad street. Inc
conservatives OF this capital nave peeh
carefully over the ground, and are Ieaay
and anxious 20 begin work. ana peneNe
that the adoption OF this system VIII De
"a paving investment for them. 90
rot know much about capitalists. IN
fortunately. my lot has not been much
r. ftat direction. but l know that these
Gentlemen are anxious for us 10 OBTAIN
,-e franchise and are anxious 70 buiid
fre road. and my observation mas NOT ,
l.l me 10 believe that capital rushes
thoushtcssly or without due consldera-
ton into experiments.
suppose your system docs not work
successfully: what them
"Wr3 has ever said that II would not
work. We hGve been before the Coun-
cl committees repeatedly, and nave on
every occasion MfEFl VilFAA't9 ~ 'N"N-
their objections publicly. and If we could
mon answer them satisfactorily 10 any
unbiased mind we would withdraw our
notification IL will work. But, II We
suppose for the sake OF argument. that
DO should faU the city VIII be protected
ly $1,000 IN her own treasury placed
tier. bv us as an indemnity. The fran
c-lse and the road. including the con
OMIT and the track. will revert 10 the
CITY. and il viii then be In possession OF
r. thoroughly equipped road. which may
bee sold by the city as may appear to its
best advantage: and. In addition 10 mat
"a conduit. which may be utilized either
for the purpose of a cable or for over
head wires, OF all sorts. which II Is now
sought 10 put underground. Should the
civ. however, not desire 10 avail Itself
90 this privilege n may entirely remove
the track and conduit and replace the
street IN the condition In which 1t now IS
a responsible paving contractor mas IN
formed me that he viii enter into a CON
tract TO DO this work for N2.JD when
amount the city would certainly more
than receive by the sale OF the tracks
gul conduit as old iron. in addition 10
having $1,000 deposited by us IN hef
Treasury 10 cover this. However. we are
not making experiments, This Is ousi-
ness undertaking. 20 he carried out on
business principles. and the city has ao-
so.uiely nothing to risk"
OTHER CNDERGROUNDS.
care these underground trollcys in ope-
rauon elcscwhereg queried the reporter
systems similar 10 mine" replied Mr..
jenkins. but considered by many
experts inferior 10 mine. are
now IN successful operation In
ths following places: In Buda Pesth,
Hungary. where The climate is almost
Identical with ours. there have been In
successful operation for seven years sor1"
thirty miles OF a similar system. al
an Operat.ng-cost (as shown by published
reportJ ~ considerable less than any
C,her known system. There are also
roads using the underground trolley sue
cessmlly in Washington. Chicago. and
New YORK. and IN New York and Wash
iuGton the systems are being further ex-
tended. ana long lines OF such roads. par
ucuariy 20 Washington, arc now In
coufte % construction So far has
the underground system passed the ex-
pcrimentai stsge that an act Of Congress
was passed (srd b. now IN forco) forbid
ning the further construction OF any
overhead trolley wires within the city OF
Washington. and has or,cred the removal