New-York tribune., 1898-10-30
STREET RAILWAY EXPENSES.
AZ INTERESTING TABLE BY II II. vREELAND
SHOWING THE COMPARATIVE COSTS AND
PROFITS or OPERATION BV ELEC-
TRIcfTY CABLE AND HORSES

TRiCITY. CABLE AID HORSES.
"The Street Railway Journal" Of this city will
carry I'm its November issue. which will appear the
first part of this week. table furnished by Prcs-
cent Nreeland. showing in detail the relative costs
and profits Of cable. electric and horse railway
opcratlon by the Metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany OF New-York for the year ended on June 20.
1895 and for the quarter ended on September 30
1893 With the table will also be printed an article
giving an exhaustive analysis OF it's figures. The
most important deduction made In this article is
that the Metropolitan companys experience points
unnisakably to the great superiority Of electricity
over both horse and cable. not only in traffic ham
ding capacity but In economy" on January !.
1899 the entire street railway system of Ncw-York
city was operated by horses In the spring Of that
year the first cable line. that in Broadway.
put In operation. Cable construction stopped in
1885, when electric construction began.
During the twelve months ended June 20 the
company operated 3f2 per cent OF it's mileage by
the ca BILE system. 202 per cent by the electric
tenn and As per cent by horses During tho last
quarter however ended on September 20, tho pro-
portions were greatly changed. the cable mileage
being only PA per cent Of the total the horse 337
per cent; while the electric had risen to S9l per
cent For the year the operating expenses OF the
cable lines 1912 cents per car mile Of the horse
lines f7S cents and of the electric lines 1923 cents
For tho three months period. which Is more favor
able to electric operation the cable lines cost lbs
cents the horse l1s cents an. the electric 1905
ccrts.
From careful study OF the figures. "rhe Street
Railway Journals article continues. 1--WE believe
that were all the lines I'm New-YOrk City 10 he
euulpped with "a single motive power electricity
would have Il permanent advantage over the cable
of at least 3j cents per car mile In maintenance
Of way a slight disadvantage In maintenance Of
enuipment and an advantage OF at least % cents
II, mower Of IL cents in transportation. and OF o.
cents In general expenses, total OF nearly go
cent. per car mile. In comparison with horse
traction electricity would be at disadvantage Of
perhaps O5 cents per car mile in maDtenance Of
way and 05 cents I'm maintenance or equipment;
Nhil. IL would nave advantage or At least 9
cents in motive power. ID cents In transpora lion
and : cents I'm general cXDenscs-a not difference
Of : cents Resides this. electric cars would earn
more than either horse or cable cars with equva-
ent mileage. .. ,,, a.,
grand division OF operating expenses. electricity
has a de ided advantage over the cable system.
md lu every division except maintenance OF equip
mcnt /; has an advantage over the horse system.
During the twelve months period the cable lines
nnerated at ~ per cent OF their passenger
ceIp,s the electric lines AZ 80 per cent the horse
lines at 5j3 per cent and the entire system al
-g3 per cent. During the three months period the
cable lines operated AZ j91 per cent Of their pas
senger receipts electric lines al JS5 per cent.
the horse Ines at 81 per cent and the entire sys-
tenn jG9 per cent
In conclusion IT is pointed out that the instala-
,ion Of an electrical traction system would not be
feasible everywhere. Conditions favorable 10 l.
here are The cleanliness OF the city the moderate
rainfall and snowfall and the heavy traffic density
enabling the company 10 afford the enormous
Initial roRt of the conduit system, which averages
from $50 600 TO 100000 per mile Of single rack.