Evening star., 1896-09-10

OF the compressed air idea. The Porter
people claim that their device is greatly
superior to that now in use on the Sd ave-
nue. line In New York. On the latter road
ore of the discoveries made as a result of
the experiment was that the five-foot eight
inch bottle, or air tank, used in that sys-
tenn did not give the most economical re-
suits. For some reason or other the high
est efficiency of the power thus accumu-
lated was not obtained in the working Of
the motor. We will not meet with this
obstacle. for We start at the beginning
with bottle twenty-five feet long, or a
little less than the entire length of the car,
whereas the New York experimenters have
been obliged to arrange for the substitu-
ton of larger bottles for the old ones In
other ways, too. these motors are being
improved as rapidly as experience develops
detects and suggests remedies.
Attitude of the Commissioners.
LAS far as 1 know the Commissioners
have indicated no disposition to handicap
the road by insisting upon a radically strict
Interpretation of the law wherein 1t oblges
us to begin to equip within three months
Of the date of the passage cf the act The
Commissioners have in the past hindered
us In good many ways and have thrown
obstacles In our path in Obliging us to go
to unnecessary expense and to give in
creases in facilities when there seemed to
be no reasonable need for them. We have
complied. however, with the requirements
cf the authorities, and l trust that now we
will not be further impeded in our efforts
to give the patrons of the road a first-class
rapid transit service"
The citizens of lexington are naturally
deeply interested In the prospect of a rapid
attainment of the objects for which the act
Of June 10 was passed. They have kept
are no signs Of activity there and perhaps
the explanation Of this may be drawn from
side phrase dropped by Mr.. Symington in
his conversation with the reporter this
fnc hoy In tn lon,
of the reporter that visit to the power
house might lie profitable, Mr.. Symington
answered.:
I'VE do not allow anybody inside of the
The company promises that these ten
compressed air cars shall be made to do
all the service on the Brookland-Eckington
Washington run. Mr.. Symington said this
morning that these cars would entirely re-
place the trolley cars and the horse cars
now used on the main stem, which runs
by way Of New York avenue and 5th street
to the Pennsylvania station.
Mr.. Kane's View.
Mr.. T. P. Kane, secretary Of the Ecking-
ton Citizens Association whose interest in
the rapid transit question has led him to
make a thorough investigation of the SUBJ
ject, said to a Star reporter today:
"Well, you see the 10th of September has
reached Washington on schedule time. with
calendar regularity. but, as was expected,
without the air motors lawfully due on
that date and promised by the lexington
Railway Company.
The limit of time SO fixed within which
they were required to begin to equip their
respective lines expires today. and the in
quiry naturally is made by those who are
Interested in rapid transit on these routes
"hat .@ rae "~-. "re -,.-,- toward compliance
with the requirements of the act? The an
swer is. on the part Of the Belt Railway
Company. absolutely nothing. On the part
Of the lexington company, nothing, within
the meaning of the terms shall begin to
equip
"'Begin to equip certainly was not con-
Of new smokestack in the air for more
wind, nor the boring of a hole in the earth
for more water. 1t was not intended to
mean that at the expiration Of the three
months limit the public should be in
formed that ten cars are in course of con-
struction at Dayton. Ohio, and that motors
are being made for them at Pittsburg Pa !;
that the air bottles were sailing the ocean
squeezing machinery would soon be shipped
from Norwalk, Conn.,, but 1t was intended
to mean that by the 10th of September all
Of these essential and widely separated
parts should be working together, if posi-
BILE, in one harmonious whole in Washing
ton, and that each of these companies
should have in actual operation on their
respective lines one or more compressed
date of passage Of the act. and, II. after a
trial Of three MONTHS the act says, the
said compressed air motors shall in the
judgment of the Commissioners Of the Dis
trict of Columbia, prove to be in all respects
a proper and satisfactory motive power,
then, within six months from the passage
OF the act,' or three months more, the said
railway companies shall cease to use horse
power on any and all Of their respective
lines and substitute air motors therefor.
Can 1t BE Dones
THE three months limit having expired,
and with it part Of the contemplated ex-
perimental period. without a motor hav-
ing been run over either line, but three
months more remain from this date within
which both experiment and actual equip
ment Of their entire lines must take place
If compressed air Is to be used as a motive
power, and the penalty Of $50 day avoid
ed The further inquiry is, therefore, nat
urally made: What Is the prospect for
compliance with the requirements of the
act within the remaining three months?
In the light of the long array Of broken
promises made during the past year or
more, and the evidences Of bad faith on
the part Of the lexington company, the
prospect Is not very hopeful. The patrons
of these lines viii be somewhat Rratified
and encouraged, however, to know that
the lexington company did. several weeks
ago, really place an order for ten cars
with the Barney Smith Car Company
Of Dayton, Ohio, for use on their lines,
several Of which, I have reliable assur-