Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-15
Neither NeedfuI Nor Convenient.

When Congress provided for rapid transit
on the lexington and Belt railways 1t au-
thorized the use of air-motor under
ground electric system as alternatives I'M
der stated conditions. In behalf of the air.
motors stress was laid by the companies
upon the advantages of providing an indie
pendent motive power for each car, thus
avoiding a tie-up of the whole system
through accident to a single wire or
cable. and rendering unnecessary disturb
ance of street surfaces. But If the air.
motors were rot approved and the under
ground electric system was installed eKca-
walton would lie necessary in order to place
underground the devices for machinery alb
solutely essential for operating the road
So Congress to meet this emergency
acted broadly: That it shall be lawful for
said railway Companies to make
all neeiful and convenient trenches and ex-
cavations in any of said streets places
where said companies either of them
may have the right to construct and oper-
ate its road, and place in such trenches and
excavations all needful and convenient de-
vices for machinery fer operating said
railroad in the manner and by the means
aforesaid The question now Is whether
Congress. intending to authorize excava--
ton only for the underground electric sys-
tenn for which trenches are essential has
declared itself in such general terms as
fnvoiuntarily to authorize excavation in
connection with the use of the independent
air motors. 1t does not seem necessary to
construe the statute into a congressional
blunder- The authorized trenches and ex-
cavations must be -needful and convent
emit" The conpany's tests demonstrated
that the Arrears could run readily from
terminal to terminal without intermediate
re-charging. and proved conclusively that
the proposed trenches and excavations are
not ''neadful The tearing up of seventeen
miles of street surface. if unnecessary, is
promptly pronounced by this community
just the opposite of convenient In these
needful trenches are to be placed "all need
full and convenient devices for machinery
for operating said railroad In the under
ground electric system the trench construc-
ton is vital part of the operating ma
chinery- The car is lifeless until it is
placed in communication with this ma
chinery- In the air-motor system the pro-
posed trench construction would not be
necessary part of the operating machinery.
Each car is supplied with an independent
motor. ard only in the case of some unex-
pected emergency could there be occasion
resort to the store of compressed air be-
tween the tracks. The tests showed that
not only could the air motor run independ-
emily from terminal to terminal and back
again but could push disabled motor over
the same route in addition to carrying its
own burden. This surplus power of the
air motor still further reduces the need of
intermediate rechargtng stations. 1t is
doubtful whether these supplemental reser-
voirs of compressed air. not to be used in
the current operation of the cars. can be
viewed as devices for machinery for oper-
ating said railroad." and II is entirely clear
that II the stored air Is machinery 1t is not
a device ''neeifuI for operating
said railroad which is the requirement of
the law concerning the machinery to be
contained in the authorized trenches and
excavations.