The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-03

] Wherever ET4NE4EA1ts nav
granted or the traf7c has become very ex-
| tensive.
| In view 81 ne fact that the city coun-
/ ell q Seattle has recently ordered the
/ Eght ane telephone wires 70 ne placed I'M
/ dergroan6. and nay n the future try 20
1 ensign the traction wires % the same
place. x i interesting 20 note what pro
/ gress has been made in the way OF exper-
! irnenting with the underground trolley or
/ conduit system As yet il can be said 20
1 - only in an experimental stage. for. al
/ though number az systems have been
/ devised, there IS not one which can safely
| ~ said 70 be pronounced success and
suitable for any place, country or climate.
The Metropolitan Traction Company
about ten months ago offered a prize of
90 for a system Of underground cleo
tr.c traction. IN four months over 1850
plans had been submitted Only three or
four have been operated as commercial
undertaking and OF these only one has
been success. The Siemeas-Holshe sys-
TEN has been il operation IN Buda-Pesth,
Hungary, for six years. There have been
few Interruptions OF travel. and in a finan-
cial way the system has been profitable.
The Railroad Gazette recently gave con-
si6erable space 20 the conduit problem and
from that source Il is learned that IN the
Buda-Pesth system two rails, hfteen-six-
teenths Of an inch apart, are used for the
s,o;: the conduit OF concrete is only ten
inches deep and eleven inches wide. IN II
bow voltage. only 800. is used, and free
drainage keeps the conduit clear and
avoids leakage IN q climate more favorable
than one farther 10 the north would be.
In Boston, the Bently-Knight system.
which In many ways resembles the Sic
rnens-Holshe system, completely failed be-
cause Of fee and snow. IN fact, these ele-
Tnents seem 70 be greatly against the sue
cessful use OF 11x12 inch conduit with
an inch opening above.
In this country there are only three
underground electric systems in use. The
Love system is employed in Washington
City and Chicago. In the former place it
has been fairly successful, in the latter
city not so much SO. This system is being
laid in New York on Tenth avenue and the
conduit IS made Of cast iron yokes similar
20 those for cable roads. spaced four and
one-half feet from center 10 center This
conduit Is as big as a cable conduit aud
rests on six inches OF concrete. The I'M
derground system which the METROPOLITAN
Traction Company IS laying down on
Lenox avenue. because the curves are too
frequent for a cable. IS like cable sys-
TEN. The Connect system, which is being
laid on the Ninth street branch Of the
metropolitan Railroad Company is also
built like a cable road.
All OF these underground systems are
about as expensive as cable roads. The
last census gives the average cost Of the
trolley lines at about $40. 900 per mile. The
cost OF the underground system would be
nearly five times as much. The only
cheap underground system is the Whe-
well. II runs with metal contact plates
between the rails. and it's opponents claim
that strong force Of men has 10 be en-
pioyed TO keep these plates clear. 1t costs
only $4,000 per mile OF double track to
build, but Is as yet experimental.
The greatest obstacle the underground
systems have TO overcome is winter
weather. Those which are at all suc-
eessful are expensive, costing five times
as much as the overhead trolley and, as
the latter Is principally used in the larger
cities OF the North. where snow and ice
Interfere with travel. the Gazette pre-
diets that IL viii remain in our cities and
towns until the new systems have become
more than an experiment and the old
are ousted by city authorities The cheap
trolley system has been extended over all
parts OF our larger cities and far into
suburbs. If changed into conduit sys-
TENS. there Is no doubt they would prove
financial failures. The cost of conduits
could be borne only by main lines, and
but few Of Those, where there IS much
bad weather 20 contend with The troll
ley system is said TO cost 50 per cent, 10
operate. The underground system would
cost much more. while there would. I'M
der the latter. probably be a saving Of
current. the cost OF operating and the
fixed charges on the originally large out
lay would be such as to warrant the
change only In those cities where the
travel Is heavy al all times OF the day.
The conduit system will come in time. no
doubt, but IN the present stage OF its de-
velopment Il is likely that the traction
companies VIII De able TO adopt II on but
.fs