The evening times., 1898-11-21
UNDERGROUND SYSTEM
ON CHEVY CHASE LINE
CAPITAL TRACTION IMPROVEMENT
Seventh Street Line to BE Extended
Through TO Rock Cheek bridge
Next Spring.

The Capital Traction Railway will soon
begin the extension of its underground
electric system along the u Street line
and as far as the Rock Creek bridge, to
take the place of the present Dove sys-
tenn from Seventh Street to Eighteenth
Street and of the overhead trolley
from there 10 the bridge. The present
Seventh Street line will thus be extended
as one service continuously to the bridge
without a change of cars.
1t is stated by officers of the company
that the work of installing the new sys-
TEN will be begun early in the spring and
that il will be in full working order in
ample time for the opening of the sum
mer business next year. The extension
will be nearly two miles long and will
make the through run from the Southern
end of Seventh Street to the bridge about
four miles. 1t is believed by the company
that this will add greatly to the popu-
larity of the Seventh Street line and the
Chevy Chase extension. 1t is understood
that 1856, 900 for making the extension was
voted al the last monthly meeting of the
directors on November 2
The contractor for the work of INSTALL
ing the new system will be Mr.. Saxton
the man who has installed all the under
ground systems of the Capital Traction
and Metropolitan roads. / is understood
that the contract has already been let to
him and that he has made all his ar
rangements for the work.
The cost of the extension will be in the
neighborhood of $4,000. New tracks VIII
be laid over the entire distance. New
mains will have to be laid from the pres
ent end of the Dove system at Eighteenth
and L Streets to the Connecticut Avenue
bridge, and the smaller mains on / Street
will have to be enlarged In addition to
this it is understood that there will be
necessary some increase in the capacity
of the electrical plant.
This extension of the underground mo-
tive power on the Capital Traction sys-
tenn is in line with the record Of the
company for several years past. A d.
rector of the company said To a reporter
for The Times today regarding the I'M
proyement:
The road wishes TO give the pub ic
the best possible service for its money
everywhere. The underground system is
the best in the country. The cars on the
Capital Traction lines are the most mod
ern and comfortable This eXteus on
seems to be in line with the best interests
of the public, and therefore will certa My
be for the benefit of the stockholders IS
well.
The public appreciates this policy #
giving the best for the least money.
| This is shown very conclusively by the
( increased earnings of the company since
the installation of the underground sys-
tenn on the Seventh Street line More
people are now riding on the line than
ever before in its history The same can
be said of the entire Capital Traction
system. The company is now earning
5000 u day gross earnings, or some
! thing over Sl,000,0o0 year.
The capital stock of the Capital Trac-
! ton is $1,000, 600. II will be seen that the
! gross earnings of the road are therefore
something over per cent The present
! dividends of the company are per cent
/ or $4,000 a year II Is said that there is
/ soon to be an increase of this dividend
! to per cent which would make a yearly
/ disbursement OF $4S0G00 for dividends 1t
( Is the belief of the company that the OPP
/ Grating expenses of the road will not be
! 50 per cent which would leave ample net
! earnings 10 pay the additional dividend.
1t is understood that the expenditure OF
! Sl50,G00 for the contemplated extension OF
! the underground system will not in any
way interfere with the larger dividend