The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-04-22
RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY HAS IT
UNDER CONSIDERATION.
Information From New York That
Street Car Companies are Using 1t
Now Successfully.

In their efforts ia secure for Homo
lulu the best and most modern street
railway service, the Citizens Rapid
Transit Company promoters are look
ing into all sorts of power.A Every
mail brings fresh information FOR the
various committees to work on. When
the franchise bill comes before the
Legislature its supporters will be
able to show the law makers that the
company proposes to establish a
street railway system that Honolulu
may well be proud of for years to
come.
With this end in view some intlu-
ential citizens now abroad have been
devoting considerable time to looking
into the modern street railways and
they have now suggested air power as
the cheapest and most satisfactory,
and the most modern. Facts and fig
ures to substantiate this claim are
now at hand. but the inquiry is being
pushed still further. One enthusias-
tic gentleman writes from New York,
under recent date:
General Nettleton's testimony on
the subject of air power is especially
valuable. because he has no personal
financial interest in it. He says that
he considers it the soundest invest
ment he knew of in New York City as
a business investment.
''The American Air Power Company
of New York have run their cars in
the upper part of New York on the
125th street lire. for about year and
half successfully, without set
back or breakdown. They have now
interested the Metropolitan Railway
Company of New York City, and the
system is now going to be substitute
ed for cable and electricity on their
| railways, consisting of seventy-eights
or nne-tenths of the railway system
of New York City, as fast as the cars
can be manufactured. | will only say
that so far as my observation during
during an afternoon goes, that the ac'
tion of the Metropolitan Company is
fully justified. The car runs NOR,
quietly and easily than any | have ev
er ridden on, unless it be the trailer
of the underground electric, after i
is well started. In the ease and lacl
of jar in starting and stopping. a'
well as in the matter of noise, it i!
distinctly superior to any.
"If in securing the franchise the
motor power must be restricted, theI
air seems to me to be the thing; bu
| have taken it for granted that thu
power to be adopted would be gener
allied and perhaps left with the Cabi
net. If not, l would rather put m,
money into the investment of air pow
er than in any I know of. My conf
dence is partly based upon conversa
ton with Mr.. Allen, the Fraser 4
Chalmers foreman and representative
who was at the Islands in connection
with the Reidler pumps. | met MI
Allen in New York last Sunday, an,
the question of air power arose il
connection with turbines and wit
high explosive guns, in which he /
interested. I asked him what he kney
of air power in relation to traction
and he said nothing intimately, bu
that he knew of this company, and h
believed that what defects existed i
connection with their work were nor
essential, were bound to be perfecte
soon. and that if he were going to in
vest in rapid transit TODAY he woul
do so with air power. His opinio
ought to have considerable weigh
for he is doubtless an expert engir
| eer"