Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-08-19

thc huVuluh. LoA many 9NeAo NhN w
pie OF Budapest have been anxious to
have a railroad through beautiful An
drassy street, but, for apparently valid
reasons. the Minister Of the Interior
persistently refused to give his con-
sent to any such project. The original
proposition was that a horse railroad
should be constructed, but the Minister
promptly vetoed It. His argument
was that Andrassy street was mainly
used as a public promenade, and that
its beauty and usefulness would be
lessened by the introduction OF a
horse railroad.
Five years later-in 1ss7-the pro-
ject OF an electric street railroad with
an underground current was broached.
but when the Minister who was then
In ofilce heard OF II he refused to sane
tion II, and on the seme grounds as
his predecessor.
Finally the project OF an under
ground electric railroad came to the
front. and, after some delay, the ne
cessary consent OF the authorities was
secured. According to this new plan
a road was 10 be constructed beginning
at the Gisella platz and thence passing
under the Waltzner boulevard and An
drassy street to the Stadtwaldehen.
The greatest thoroughfares In the city
would thus be threaded, or, rather, un-
dermined, and a ready means Of tran
sit would be secured from one import
ant point to another. This plan was
adopted January %, 1894, and there
was a distinct STIMULATION that the
road should be in working order by
the time Of Hungary's millennium, in
1s96. Quick work therefore was neces-
sary. for the task was gigantic in it's
way, and not be easily accomplished
within two va
Actual worr vas begun on August
13. 1894, and II as kept up without in
Permission till me completion Of the
road. The line was laid with two rails,
the entire length being $500 meters.
Along the route there are eleven sta
tlons, at which passengers get on or
on. Nine Of these stations are under
ground and two are in the open air.
Everything appertainlng to the work
Is OF the strongest and most durable
material, and the utmost pains have
been taken TO insure for the passengers
comfort and safety. Lights are scat
tered freely through the tunnel, some
being used as danger signals. Thus a
red light shows that the train is 10
stop and a white light that the road is
clear. In case the lights get out Of or
der a telephone can be used. for each
station Is provided with a telephone.
The carriages are spacious, luxur-
ious, and are constructed after the
most approved models. They are
twenty in number. fourteen OF which
can be used singly.
The road was finished at the ap-
pointed time, and has been running
since then from o. m. to a. m.
Trains follow each other in rapid sue
cesssion, and during the busiest time
OF the day there is only two minutes
headway. From the start the road has
been popular, which is proved by the
fact that during the first FIVE months
the number OF passengers amounted 10
s,.61 .94O. The capital Of the road is
otuNVfNNV n0lAhnf VI WHICH ANNfNAV MgAH
ins are kept as a reserve fund.
The government, or municipal, con-
cession lasts for ninety years. In 1910,
however, the concession to the Buda-
pest Electric Railroad Company will
lapse, and then the franchise OF the
present road will revert to the city OF
Budapest Until then the Franz Josef
and the Budapes. Electric companies
will apparently work together.
In regard 10 the management OF the
new road some rigid rules have been
laid down. Thus, It was enacted that
during the FIRST fifteen years the fare
OF each passenger shall not exceed ten
kreuze-s. After that time a change
may be made II the interests Of the
road or the passengers require II.
II the road succeeds-and there
seems no doubt about 1.-THE city OF
Budapest will share In the success. Ac-
cording to the terms OF the concession,
Budapest Is TO receive no taxes from
the road for the first twenty years. but
after that time II is to receive one per
cent OF the gross receipts between the
twentieth and the thfrtieth year. two
per cent between the THIRTEEN and
the fbrtieth year. three per cent be-
tween the fortieth and the hftieth
year. four per cent between the fftieth
and the sixtieth year and five per cent
thereafter. Furthermore II is enacted
that during the first twenty-five years
Of the concession no other line shall be
built from the interior OF the city TO
the suburbs.