The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-06
ACROSS MARKET STREET,
The Railroad People Want a
Crossing From Ellis to
Fourth.
II, E. Huntington Talks of the
Scheme and Says Something
About Guards.

1t is proposed by the Market street Com
pany to extend its Ellis-street line across
Market street to Fourth, along Fourth to
Townsend and thence down that street to
the railway depot.
A double track will be built to accommo-
date the returning cars, though it is be-
lieved that the ultimate purpose of the
company is to make the return trip UP
Third to Market and then up that thor.
oughfare until Ellis street is reached
Should the company finally make this
move it would be only question of time
before the Market-street road proper would
employ electricity as a motive power in
stead Of the cable system as now used.
The date of this proposed change has
not yet been determined, but it is safe to
assume that the railroad will not delay for
any great length of time.
1--WE have been thinking very seriously"
sa id II. E. Huntington, ''of running the
Ellis-street line across Market to Fourth,
and thence down that street to the Third
and Townsend depot. We may make this
change in short time, or it may be
months before move is made in that di-
rection. 1t is also possible that the entire
thing will be dropped, though I hardly
think so now. As yet 1t is too early to
even surmise as to what will be done,
though | think it pretty safe to say that
the plan outlined will be followed as
closely as possible.
where it is practicable all of our cable
lines are being rapidly changed into cleo
trio roads, and when the Ellis-street
branch is finished it will be one of the
most perfect in the City. The electric cars
will run out Ellis to Devisadero, up De-
yisadero to O'Farrell, back to Hyde, down
that street one block to Ellis. From that
point to Market street double track will
be used.
"If we determine to cross Market street
to Fourth that will give US q continuous
line from Third and Townsend station to
Devisadero street-a system | imagine that
would be greatly appreciated by the public.
''Now about tenders on the cars. We
are doing everything in our power to COM
ply with the law, but as yet have been I'M
able to decide on any particular plan.
There is no use to be in a hurry about the
matter, for if the thing is to be done at all
1t should be properly done from the start.
AS matter of fact there is not perfect
guard In existence, though it is only
question of time before some inventive
genius will perfect just the thing needed.
We expect to place guards on all our cars,
but we intend to wait for the right thing
Il received letter last week from an
Eastern firm advertising the advantages of
seven different tenders, but none of these
were practical. The guards used on the
baltimore cars are virtually worthless, SO
the railroad people write me, and they only
put them on because the law requires it.
OF course if person falls across the track
just right there is no question but what
some of the guards will do good work But
how often does that happen? Not once in
a thousand times.
"The people of San Francisco NAV rest as
sured that as soon as possible the com pany
will give them the guards and such as viii
do effective work"