New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-06
HORSECARS N LOWER BROADWAY.
RESULTS OF AN ACCIDENT IN POWER
HOUSE-A NOVEL SIGHT FOR
NEW WORKERS.

rha rurninp ~ horsecars in lower Broadway
vest rdav morning astonshed many New orkers
ana set them 20 wondering If the hands on the
dial of tirle had been turned backward suddenly
In Mace Of the long clean. smoothrunnng cable
cars there were lot of old SiXth-ave. open
cars that rocked and jolted along ohe-horse
"iigger" cars. cars with closed front platforms
and cars that looked Ike hat-cars with roofs on
Them All were drawn by horses which had bells
1ngling on their harness. and most OF the horses
were driven with so mueh bungliHg as TO cause
untold merrment The sight of horses drawing
cars along lower Broadway had not caused so
much excitement since the first appearance OF
cars there in the days of Jacob Sharp ana the
Doodle Aldermen
An acciaen, j. the power house at Broadway and
Hous,on.st which stopped the cable service from
the Battery to Thrty-hfth-st, caused the appear
ance of the nondescript collection Of horsecafS.
TIE large chimney in the powef-house is hhed
with FIRE brick and layer of cement About a.
IN Yesterday a large part Of the lining suddenly
eiouched off and fell to the bottom Of the chimney,
chok nc the drauehts and making II necessary 10
draw the fires under the boilers. Of course. the
steam gave out Immediately and the cable stopped,
leaving about seventy-hve cars stalled IN Broad
way south of Thirty-fifth-si. North Of Thirty
Nfth-st the line in Broadway is operated from the
power-house In Fiftie;h-st. The Lexington-aVe
line cables 10 Broadway and Twenty-third-st are
run by power Of their own. Cable-cars continued to
run as usual. therefore, north Of ThiTy-htth-st
ID Roadway and on the LeXngt on-ave line.
As soon as possible the managers Of the Metro
TO itan Street Railway Company collected horses
and drivers from the stables of the SiXth-ave.
line and set them TO hauling the cabe-cars of
that part of the Broadwy line which traffic
had been stopped Then old hOrsecar teams and
drivers were collected 10 start the trafhc again
The old cars were bad enough rs substitutes for
the cable-cars but he driving was something
fearful to contemplate Many OF the drivers were
gripmen who never had 1riven horses In 'front.' OF
car and they tugged at the re.ns for dear life.
They drew The horses back their launches,
leaned far over the dashboard. and assumed the
same attitude as the driver OF a Roman quadriSd
in the DAYS Of Nero. as pictured in the paintings
Of the incidents of the Circus Maximus What
added 10 the humOr Of the occasion was their
irritabity The poor horses driven as they
were never driven before Some OF the drivers
cropped the reins when they tired 10 put on ne
brakes The hcrseCafs being lighter IMAM cable
cars the brakes Work more quickly. ana many a
passenger nearly shaken from his seat by The
staccato- like ahruptness Of the stopping OF the
car The ,wayng Of the cars made fl difficult for
the conductors 10 get around TO collcct fares.
As quickly possible afior the accident at the
power mouse telephone messages were sent in
every direction ana messenger boys were dis
nal cbed over the city 70 mechanics 10 hasten az
once TO the powtr-hOuse Inside OF an hour work
men were tearing away large part OF the base OF
were nearly three carloads OF brick and mortar
al the bottom OF the chimney Other Workmen
which had fallen. Mechanics were also busted in
making repairs that have been needed for some
time 10 parts Of the boilers and machinery which
have heretofore been inaccessible. Repairs were
made I'm a few hours
There v re about nnety-six horsecars in all
onorated In Broadway between the Battery and
Thirty-ffth-st The hoTsecars started by
the company at 40 a. n. and little before noon
the cable-cars were started again