The evening times., 1895-12-14

President q. T. Dunlop, OF the CAPITAL
Traction Company, appeared before the
Commissioners this morning in regard TO
the proposed increase or sIeed for street
cars. he first asked wEeIher there Was
not law passed by CcIgrcss regulating
the speed Of vehicles.
He opposed the increase of speed The
cable car, as was wen Known, must run al
tie same rate at every point, so long as
the grips hOld on the cable was nain-
, tained. Furthermore, at the very points
where the danger is great-that is, at
the curyes-a firm grip must be taken
IN tie Cable and the cars must go round
at full speed.
HIS conpany was able to run the cars n &
"A greater speed than the nine miles an hour
now kept, but he thought II was not adj
y1sahe 10 do SO. Some persons. he said.
were so eager for RAPID transit that they
would want to 20 at fCrty-Iive miles an
hour, hut tRIs would De very fooiishIy dan
gero'IS.
MOMENTUM AT CROSSINGS.
In answer to questions, he said his cars
now run by momentum merely at crossings
and on meeting other cars.
Mai Powell asked II there WAS not a
regulation in his cOupany's charter on the
there was III the Rock Creek charter, linz
lting it TO fifteen miles an hour: nothing in
the GcOrgctown Charter.
President Phillips OF the Metropolitan
was present. He said the acts OF January
2S, 1887. and February 20, 1892, woud
permit the Commissioners To make Il regu-
lation allowing greater speed on one road
than another and at one point tn1n another
He said urder existing conditions his road
was able TO run only three and seven
eighths miles in thirty-two minutes when
limited by the law tu nine miles an hour.
The main difficulties were the DELAYS
| by the Anacostia cars running nn the same
tracks, the sioppages by the PeDnsyiyania
railroads trains CROSSING bis tracks, sixty
"a fur los n far
gers, and the hin from u street tn Kew
! York avenue. Hc WAS uut asking for any,
| thing ioF the Capital Traction Company.
neither was he asking an exclusive prlyl-
| lege. The MetroDolitan speed up to G
street WAS only about five miiesan hour.
DELAYED BY WAGONS.
Mai. Powell asked il the cars were rot
much della yed on B street. between Sixth
and Ninth. by market wagons, and he an
| swered yes. He also said in answer to
AnaCostia ears free transfers in order 10
Ecep them Off his track. 1t was not how
ever, cOnecting line in the sense of the Ia "
compelling reciprocal transfers.
Mr.. Dunlop said he thought the lines were
connecting lines, since 1t was possible to
run from one road to the other. Roads that
merely cross he thought were not connecting
lines.
MIR. Phillips said he wa Is running now on a
twenty eight minute schedule over the
Ninth street line, and To max. that tine he
IiuSt DE dllOWN-l 10 tnuS VI ttit
road. where there was little cross travel.
the time lost by the stoppages referred to.
Under present conditions people werecom-
planning that the electric cars were IA
slow c0ach,' not much better tian horse
cars. He would be satisfied with u
schedule run OF nine and a half miles an
hour, with the privilege of reaching that
average speed by running fa sterat the ends.
Mr.. Dunlop said his road was making 81
minute time on The Seventh street branch.
IL ten mikes an hour were allowed he ~culd
certainly make il % minutes. and. ii IL
miles in 1s minutes.
He thought the increase would he danger
Gus.
President K. +. Baker OF the Columbia
road said his company would be glad to
have slight increase in the speed allowed
in order to really become IA pd transit.
At the present ia te they could do little better
than by the old methods. II twelve miles
an hour were allowed. the ca BILE could LII ke
il. but lie thought il would be unsafe. Ten
and half to eleven miles. lie considered the
limit.
Tie matter was taken under advisement.