Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-29
OPPOSED TO THE AIR MOTOR
Report Made to North Capitol and Ecking-
ton Association.
Arrangements Made by the AsxOcin-
ton to Greet the New Fire COM
pany-FlaE Fermentation.

The North Capitol and lexington Citi-
zens' Association met last evening at their
hall, corner Lincoln avenue and r street.
A number of matters of local interest were
discussed, and arrangements were made for
celebrating the opening of the new engine
house. on North Capitol and Quincy streets,
by flag presentation and a display of fire
works the evening OF July 5, when. it is
expected. Commissioners Wight and Black
will be present.
The meeting vas called to order by Presi-
dent VIM. G. Henderson, W. j. Hughes
acting as secretary, and S. NJ. Leitzell,
treasurer. There was large attendance,
three new members being elected, as fol-
lows: Sidney P. Hollingsworth of 30
Quincy street. H. L. Atwell of 3? Quincy
street. Joseph E. Casey OF 1903 LIST street
northeast.
NJ A Mess, chairman of the committee
on streets, reported that, in reply to COM
plant of the association. Capt. Beach CT
the engineer department had written that
notice had been served on the lexington
and Soldiers Home Railway Company to
repair the dangerous holes along its tracks,
and every effort had been made by the DIS
trict to require 1t to do so. The funds
of the District were so small that pitfalls
complained of could only be filled in with
gravel awaiting the making of proper re-
pairs by the railroad company.
Regarding the improvement asked for on
LIST street. Capt Beach also repiled mat ISL
street between Pierce and o streets ana
from p street to Florida avenue, had tee2
placed on the schedule for improvement Tor
the fiscal year 1899. the estimated cost OF
these two pieces of work being S1,OVo anu
5000, respectively.
Railway Committee Report.
T P Kane made a report from the COM
mittee on railways He referred to state
merits published yesterday IN effect that the
District expert who had been testing the
air motor for some time past had made
favorable report upon it to the District
Commissioners. ard that the probabilities
were the Commissioners would approve the
system and issue permits for the equipment
of the lines of the lexington company Win
it. az.
..Jf such be the case" said Mr. Kane, 1t
is perhaps just as well that IT should De So
and that the farce which we Will witness
during the next two years be :ointnthSeu
We will get through with it, ard the sooner
get down to something practical and SUD-
staEtiaI.
AN approval of the air motor system by
the Commits sioners means nothing more
nor less than an indefinite postpone'asnt OF
the time when q permanent and SAUSAGE
tory system of rapid transit VIII De pus
upon the lexington lines Ii simply means
extension OF UllIte lOi iiio>oi tt"''s'
for experimenting with that system will so
on urder the guise of a pretended equip
rnent until il has been demonstrated by an
actual trial of two or three years That the
air motor, like the storage battery car. IS
a commercial failure. and will meet with
the same fate-ultimate abandonment
Purely Speculative.
All the figures thus far made as to the
cost of operation of air motors are purely
he a6y promoters
of the air motor start out with an adm:s-
sion. based upon estimates, and not upon
facts; that the cost of operation of that
system is IA cents per car mile as against
q cents per car mile of the underground
electric system. based upon actual figures
made during years of operation W men d
trial of a year or two of the air motor in
regular service has been had, 1t Will be
found that the wear and tear on the COM
plicated machinery of the car, together
with that upon the roadbed, because OF the
immense weight of the air motor, Will IN
crease the cost OF operation far beyond the
admitted cost of today, based upon esti-
mates, and that it will exceed by far that
of any motive power in use.
NO storage battery system has ever
heen devised which can compete In cost OF
operation with power furnished from a
central station. The frequent rccharglns
of the air motors will also add to the cost
of operation, because of the extra cars re-
Qufred to take the place OIL thOSt dIi'leiS
ing the recharging process, otherwise no
schedule can be maintained with regularity
and satisfaction
Adapted to Short Lines.
"An these factors were taken into the
calculation of the practical railroad men
in New York city, and elsewhere, who have
given the air motor serious consideration,
and the one conclusion reached Is that 1t
is a power adapted only to short lines of a
few miles in length; but Washington. being
a sort of experimental garden for the
United States is the only place where the
owners and promoters or the AR motor can
find a foothold for it.
1T is understood that those who own a
considerable interest in the Hoa4lley air
motor own also controlling interest IN
the lexington line, and 1t is believed that
their purpose is not SO much desire to
eouip the lexington lire with the cir motor
system as 1t is to the line as an ad-
vertisement of their patent In order to
float their stock and unload the machine
upon somebody else.
CIassed as "a Novelty.
az want to say to the members of this;
association that even II the Commissioners
of the District approve this novelty. the
lexington lire will never be permanently
eouipped with il, for the duration of its
life will be but a few years at the farthest.
when 1t will be compelled to give way to
something permanent and wholly satsfac-
tory 1t is pity that time must be wasted
in order to demonstrate these facts. but
for my part / have not the least doubt of
the ultimate fate of the air motor"
H. s. Williams reported the completion
of arrangements for the flag presentation
to the new engine company on North Cap
itol street July ). He said an ample fund
had been raised to purchase set Of colors
for the engine house. to provide al elabor-
ate display of fireworks. and to engage a
that Commissioners Wight and Black will
be present as Will Chief Paris Of the fire
department.
Tue evenings entertainment IS to begin
shortly before Z o'clock, with music and
speeches Rev. DIR. Duncan. pastor of the
lexington Presbyterian Church. will de-
liver a patriotic address. Commissioner
Ross could not accept the invitation to be
present on account of a previous engage
ment, which will take him out of the city.
The New School building.
The committee on schools was Instructed
by the association to request the Com
missioners to secure not less than 10000
feet of ground on which to erect the pro-
posed public school building In the vicinity
Of North Capitol and r streets, in order
to provide abundant air space and a small
play ground for the children: also to re-
quest that a building of ornamental de-
-