Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-24

public confidence in the efficacy of the sys-
tenn. The local tests were plainly fncom-
plete and imperfect, and the lack of proper
facilities for satisfactory experiments was
made the more irritating to the public by
reason Of the fact that this insufficiency
was regularly attributed to the refusal of
the courts to permit adequate expenditures
for this purpose. 1t was notorious that the
roads were placed in the custody of the
courts for the specific purpose of securing
for the majority stockholders still greater
possession of all the properties through the
issuance of receivers certificates for the
ostensible purpose of paying for the COM
pressed air tests and subsequent equip
ment. Thus in the eyes of the people the
entire transaction was mere maneuveT on
the part of the wreckers of the roads to
complete the "freeZe-out' process that was
already under way. The rapid transit pre-
lenses of the management seemed to serve
as a convenient blind for the real designs.
Incidentally 1t was unquestionably the hope
that in the end the far cheaper overhead
trolley system would be forced upon the
unwilling community, thus achieving the
great aim of the syndicate that came to
Washington several years ago and bought
up all the then available trackage and
franchises with the purpose of gridironiag
the city with overhead wires.
This in brief is the background of the
present compressed air endeavor of the
Eckington-Belt end of the great Philadel
phia street railroad syndicate. This con-
Germ is, as already stated, identified by ndi
viduals- with the Metropolitan Company of
New York. The latter will now change its
name but not it's nature, will equip part Of
Its lines with the underground electric
system. part with compressed air and main
tain some of its present cable routes. In
his summary of the situation Holland,
who has always taken a close and intelli-
gent interest in the rapid transit problem,
writes thus.
THE most careful estimates and tests
seem to have proven that this system (the
underground electric for long and straight
lines, which encounter few switches and
curves, is superior to compressed air, and.
in the long run in a crowded city. is more
satisfactory than an overhead trolley. The
first cost of constructing this plant is great
er than that of the overhead trolley. but,
all things considered, including the safety
of the community and the convenience of
operation in a crowded thoroughfare. it is
believed that the underground trolley is the
ideal system
The local prejudice against compressed
air, however, need not wholly nrevail even
in favor OF the undo. round electric sys-
TEN which Is in such excellent and salts
factory operation in this city. All that has
been seen here of the air motors has been
subject to reasonable suspicion. A poor
device that had achieved a bad record else
where was imported and put through Il
few PAGES under favoring conditions. An
other substituted and has received
only qualified approval from the local engi-
neerfng authorities. The experiments have
at no time been conducted on a proper
scale representative of the local needs and
the gravity of the situation, and at all
points when the inadequacy of the tests
has been noted the fact of the receivership
has been brazenly presented as an excuse.
The New York experiments seem to have
been conducted in different spirit The
on a liberal scale as regards needful ex-
penditure. and Notwithstanding the occa-
sional taint of stock jobbng that appeared,
the desire seemed to be to sift the air sys-
tenn to the depths of its capacity and econ
omy. Perhaps now the exact availability
of this form of motor will be demonstrated
and the Commissioners will be enabled to
determine accurately as to the best course
to pursue. In them now rests the future
to certain extent, of these two roads.
They rave the power to grant authority TO
equip with compressed air or rejecting
that device as unsuitable and inefiici mt
they can compel underground electric
equipment under the terms of the law.