Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-27
THE Hath STREET LINE
A Portion Of the Road to Be Operated by
Electricity.
New Cars to he Running. SIT II Ex.
pected, by Next Week North.
ward From Z street,

II the weather continues TO he fayors i,Ie
Tor outdoor work it is expected that cars
operated by the underground electric sys-
tenn will be running by the first part of
next week on the 18th street line from l.
street to the northern end of the line. The
purpose OF the management of the Cap,tal
traction Company is to get the horse cars
OH tnat section of the line at as early a
oate as possible, and thus avoid the neces-
sity OF dragging the cars up the 18th street
nil by that means. A force of men are
no" engaged in supplying what is KNOW,
as the electrical equipment, and while this
u peins done the horse cars are passing
over temporary tracks. which extend as
lar south rs Thomas Circle. The pave
ment Is being opened and holes are being
MADE IN the slot rail, where the insulators
VIII De fastened. Then the conductor ha
are 10 be put in and the drip bar is to he
a,ssteo 70 Inc slot The joints of the rails
continuous ~ "Ne 'ne rAAAs
me iced wires are to he placed in tho
ducts. which are already in the trench an
sonleeiIne ago. These wires come in sec
lions of about 400 feet and will be 80,
through the ducts and the sections 80,
at the ends "etdeu
From the L street Line.
AS soon as the conductor bars Are in Mao.
connections will be made so as tn tr.nsm;,
a current from the L street nowar bous.
northward along the 18th street condpi,s
Ihen the new cars will b.. put on the road
and that section of the line will he operatnd
oy the new system. The work of eo,,in
ping the balance of the 18th street lire e
W pe pushed on as rapidly as the weather
VIII permit, and as soon as it IS CONNECTED
" ioth street arrangements have been
mace TO lease a current from the United
states Electric Lighting Company. and
men the new cars, operated by electricity.
Will De run over the entire Iith street line
Inc gangs OF workmeh will continue I'D
the avenue to Georgetown and when that
section of the road is finished TO The latter
point 1t will be operated in he same way.
FOR the present the electric cars running
from the northern terminus of the l3th
street line as far south as L street Will
leave the passengers at thai po,nt who
VIII take transfers to the horse cars, and
In mat way finish their journey.
How the Work is Done.
The work that is now being done is char
acterized by the same system which has
marked the installation of the underground
system on this road from the beginning.
one gang of men follows the other SO that
from the beginning to the end Of the sew
eral sections the various phases of the en-
tire work may be seen. The first gang of
men simply cut the asphalt pavement. Then
coihes another set OF men, who dig away
the concrete underlying the pavement Fol-
lowing these are men who are engaged IN
cutting out holes. SO to get the insula-
tors i'll the conduits.
Then what are called the slot matches are
mace winch are openings fer putting in
the conductor bars Following these come
set Of men, who drill holes in the slot
ralls where the insulatoIs are fastened.
Another Set of workmen rivet the drip bar
10 the slot rail. and then comes the men
a Cf-tI-a o. ha ia,,,
This completes the equipment. with the
exception of putting in the insulators and
the conductor bars. and the procession of
busy toilers is ended by men who fill up
the holes which were dug short time be-
fore, and restore the pavement to its
former condition.