The herald., 1896-02-01
SAN DIEGO CABLE RAILWAY
Something Of the sale Which VIII Take
plare 1arcn

Something Of the sale Which VIII Take
Place 1arch II
The San Diego cable railway will be sold
at the power house of the company in the
city of San Diego at . p. m. on Wednes-
day, March l, to the highest bidder. The
property consists of the franchise, roadway
and all the real and personal property OF
the company. The roadway is single track
with ten turnouts and two SO uares. of
double track. 1t is cable construction,
laid in concrete 10 depth of thirty inches;
the yokes are heavy cast iron, and nothing
but IRON, steel and concrete has been used
in constructing it. The conduit is two feet
deep and can be utilized for conveying the
electric current, although the right is re-
served in the franchise to use either the
overhead or underground SYSTEM; the
track between the rails is paved with
asphalt. The cost Of the roadway as con-
structed was over 100000.
The power and car house is located mid
way on the line of the road and is large,
substantial two.story brick building 10nS
200 feet, and has more than sufficient ca
pacity for the machinery and rolling stock
of the company. The large frame build.
ing adjoining the power house and located
100 feet south of it is the four-story dwell.
ing, containing thirty-two rooms. The lot
on which the power house and dwelling
HOuse are lOcateu is OOO Ieet W wv
feet deep, covering full block.
The machinery consists of two Corliss
engines, 400 horsepower; four fiue boil
ers, 100 horsepower each: pump, heater,
piping and shaftng, all complete and in
perfect condition. The equipment con-
sists of ten large combination cars, twenty
five feet in length, and four large open cars.
There is a surplus of 200 horsepower
which can be utilized for light and power,
and there is good demand for both.
The company was organized in ] $50 by
the officers of the California National bank
and was built and equipped at cost OF
S35O,0OO. 1t began operating in June,
1890. The bank failed in October, S3l,
when the road went into the hands OF
a receiver and was operated until October,
1892. During the time it was in opera
ton the earnings were sufficient to have
paid per cent on its investment. provid-
ed the operating expenses could have been
kept to as low figure as the road can be
operated at this time with an electrical
equipment. 1t was an error to construct
a cable road in city the size of San Diego.
Coal was then selling at $S per ton. This
was the great cost of the cable, its wear
and tear and the wear and tear of the pull
leys, and the cost of maintaining same,
made the expense of the motive power
nearly equal to the gross receipts of the
road. The franchise has yet seventeen
years to run.
The present owner of the San Diego
Cable railway is George B. Kerper, who
purchased the property a little less than
year ago. Mr.. Kerper came to Southern
California from Cincinnati to negotiate the
purchase of the Main Street and Agricul-
tural Park railway in this city and to look
into the feasibility of purchasing and con-
solidating the interests of the Redondo
railroad with the Main street system and
electrcisng the whole. but which ambitious
plan fell through.