Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-30
A IL r EADY TO RU N
Successful Trial Trip on the New F Street
Line
The Equipment and the Cars-Wait-
ing Only for Supply Of
81 j.
Fenders.si

The F and East Capitol streets electric
line Of the Metropolitan Railway Company
Is ready for opening to the use of the
travelling public. A large number of cars
are on the ground. and more are on the
way from the shops in St. Louis, and but
for the delay on the part of the manufac-
turers In Baltimore sending tenders, long
since ordered for the cars today would be
the last that the horse would be seen pro-
pelling Metropolitan car rq'
A test Of the new line was made after the
horse cars stopped running last night, and
everything worked to charm, there not
being hitch or delay of any sort, and the
officers of the company were delighted
with the performance of the first car.
AL O'Clock this morning motor car in
charge of Engineer A. N. Connett under
whose superintendent the Metropolitan
electric railway system has been construct
ed, left the Georgetown station, and was
run west to and around the Georgetown
loop on 36th street; east to 18th street and
East Capitol street the eastern terminus).
and back to the Georgetown depot in one
hour and twenty minutes. No attempt was
made to run on a schedule, but where a
sooo stralgnt stretch of track was found
some beautiful bursts of speed were shown,
and on East Capitol street a run was made
equal to twenty miles an hour.
After little delay, not, however. from
any accident at the Georgetown depot, the
car was sent by Mr.. Connect, in charge of
motorman. to the car barn on the east
SIDE or Lincoln Park, where it was stored to
await the opening of the line
There were on the car on the trial trip
Mr.. Coleman, private secretary of Presf-
dent Phillips; Contractor Saxton who built
the road; Assistant Engineers Heindle.
Spicknell, Smith and Babendier, and a few
others.
Equipment and Cars,
The power for the operation of the new
line will, west of 9th street northwest. he
furnished from the Georgetown power
house. and east of 9th street from the AZ
street power house.
The equipment of the line will consist of
sixty open and sixty closed cars, each fur
nished with double motors, and forty trail
ers. 1here are now here and ready for
service eight motor cars and thirty trailers.
and ten more motor cars are expected to
reach Washington in a day or two. and
whether the latter arrive by that time or
not, the operation of the line by electricity
Will be begun by the latter part of this week
The Georgetown power house was origin
ally erected and equipped for the purpose
OF operating storage battery system OF
railway, which the management of the
Metropolitan a few years ago CONTEMPLATED
using for the propulsion of their cars. To
operate the Connect system it was found
that most of the machinery would answer
the purpose, and the only additions made
were taree new electric generators, some
new switchboards and condensing ap-
paratus. Chief Engineer Connect went to
baltimore at noon today to see the manu-
facturers of the tenders heretofore ordered
Tor the cars, as above stated, and will try
to have them shipped at once, so that the
road may be opened for travel under the
new system by tomorrow or next day.
The completion of the and East Can
ltol street line, which also comprises the
division from the Capitol to the boundary,
rulh!ls to the fullest extent the promises of
progress stated by President Phillips to be
his policy in an interview with a reporter
OF The Star about two years ago and pub
iished In The Star at that time. Mr. Phil
lips then promised to furnish to the people
OF washington at the earliest practicable
moment the best system of rapid transit
propulsion to be obtained for money. and
1t Is the opinion Of every engineer who has
examined the electric system Of the Metro
politan Railway Company that it has now
the best system of electrical propulsion for
It's cars to be found in the world
SO evident is this to street railway mag
mates that, as stated IN The Star a few
days ago, Chief Engineer Connect has re-
ceived an offer to go to Europe and con-
struct similar system in one of the great
cities there =