Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-10
THE CAPITAL RAILWAY OPEN
Now in Operation From Congress Heights to
Navy Yard Gate.
Tests Made Of the Capacity Of Ann
Works Satisfactorily.

The Capital Railway company's line be-
tween congress Heights and the navy
sAro gate was opened this morning for
uraNei' ana the fact not only marked an
event In the history OF that corporation.
but the results already attained would
seem TO demonstrate that the Brown sys-
tenn OF underground electric railway pro-
pulsion-the plan used for running the cars
OF the line inside the city limits-is a sue
cess. There are reasons for believing that
the continued success OF the Brown sys-
TEN, where now installed here. will insure
the adoption of the same system by the
Belt Line and Soldiers Home railway COM
panies. which. despite the fact that they
have for months past SO persistently advo-
Gated the adoption of compressed air
motors on their routes I'm the District. have
recently had one of their most prominent
and capable officials to look on several &C.
casions into the merits OF the Brown eys-
tenn. and Il is said that he expressed him
self very favorably thereto.
Last evening a number OF tests were
made to determine the strength OF the
Navy Yard bridge. in effort to show
that II is absolutely able TO bear any strain
quent to the running across the structure
OF big loaded electric cars. and the bridge
stood the pressure without vibration. At
one time there was upon the bridge not
Only u car Oh lnt Sdpitdl ndlWdy SOm-
pany. containing a little in excess OF one
hundred passengers. but two of the horse
cars Of the Anacostia and Potomac Rail-
road Company. and large number OF two
heavily loaded with produce. one containing
twenty-five barrels Of flour. making a total
weight OF that wagon alone I'm excess OF
10000 pounds.
Transfers DO Cable Line.
Tho bridge having shown it's ability to
bear the great weights above mentioned.
President A. Z. Randle OF the Capital
Railway Company directed that several
trips be made by the cars from the ter
minus Of the trolley line on the south side
Of the bridge to the navy yard gate ard
return, and that passengers be given trans
fers to the cable cars at the navy yard
gate.
The order proved to be very popular.
During the evening each car carried not
less than 100 passengers each way.
The transfer across the bridge was made.
as 1t will be done until the underground
means of horses, but these are attached to
the car so quickly and draw the
cars 50 rapidly from one side Of the
Anacostia river to the other that the time
made is practically as good as though
there were an unbroken current OF cleo
tricity from one end of the line to the
other.
The speed along 18th and M streets.
where the Brown system is in use. has no.
yet reached the maximum allowed by law.
the management being satisfied to allow
the cars 10 be operated at a speed not ex-
oeed.ng eight miles an hour The cars run
az smoothly as do those on the lines Of the
Metropolitan road of this city, which, as
is already well known. is frequently re-
ferred to In all portions OF the country as
the pride Of the people Of the District of
Columbia.
The Brown system of underground cleo
tricai street railway propulsion is the in
vention OF Mr. Milton Brown. a young
engineer In the employment of former Rep
resentative Tom L. johnson of Cleveland.
Ohio, whose works are located I'm Johns
town. Pa Here the Brown system has
been In operation for several years.
The Brown System.
The Brown system is composed of iron
boxes of about eight inches square. and
they rest on the ties. projecting about one
inch above the street surface. The boxes
consist Of a vitrified brick inclosed in iron
&C sing, the brick being hollow to receive a
n lea cup. which is known as the best nom
conductor. In the mica cup are placed a
small uantity Of mercury and a steel ball,
two inches In diameter, the ball being SO
arranged, when a magnet is placed on the
top of the iron box, the steel ball will rise
and touch the top Of the box while a por-
ton Of the bell Is immersed in the mercury:
therefore. forming a perfect contact. The
positive wire, which in the case of an over
head line would be the trolley, is I'm this
case run through a cheap conduit and
branch connections are taken of to connect
up under each box into the mercury cup.
and the contact from the car Ia by means Of
two slides which touch the tops of three of
these boxes at one time. Over the slides
under the car are placed three magnets
When the car passes over these boxes the
magnets, of course. attract the steel ball,
and the current then posses through the
box and motor, thence to the rail and back
to the power station; AS soon as the car
a ha1 I'm 1x
there is no current at the boxes excepting
when the car is directly over same.
That part OF the Capital Railway COM
pcny's route which lies between the south
end Of the Navy Yard bridge and Congress
Heights. and which has been operated by
the overhead trolley. las been open for
until and including yesterday there had
been carried In its cars a little more than
H0.00O passengers, without an accident of
airy kind to either the patrons of the road
or the employees of the railway company
800 Washington to Phtlndelpbfa
and return via Pennsylvania railroad
rock ballast-steel iails-feet locomotives
beautiful trains
Grand excursion next Sunday.-Adyt
~
LIMITATION OF ELIGIBILITY.
An Important Order by the Civil Ser.
vice Commission.
, The civil service commission has decided
that the limitation of eligibility OF one
year shall not apply to persons who pass
any examination for departmental promo
ton. and such persons shall be considered
as eligible for promotion at the grade at
tained in the examination. unless they
shall request a REORGANIZATION at the end
of the year for the purpose of improving
said grade. in which event they shall, il
they pass. be entered on the register with
the new grade attained; but IL they fail
they shall be dropped from the register.