Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-22
Cars Run by New Motive Power on
18th Street.
SYSTEM OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY
Officers of the Road Pleased With
the Test.
THE AVENUE LINE NEXT

Cars were run today by electricity on the
18th stree; line of the Capital Traction
Railroad Company. Shortly after l. o clock
last night the first car was started from the
car house at the northern terminus of the
lire. 1t made the entire run TO New York
avenue and 18th street and back again
without hitch, except at one place where
bolt had been left in the slot by one Of
the Workmen. The pillow of the car struck
this obstruction. but the rate of speed was
not high and so no damage was done The
car WIS., of course, stopped. and the bolt
removed.
This morning for the first time since the
cable power house was destroyed BY fire
the 18th of September last. cars were
moved along the entire length Of l4th street
by another motive power than horses.
Had It's Defects.
AS is well known, the cars have been run
by the underground system from L street
horthward to the terminus If the line since
the 10th Of January last. and from that
point southwark passengers have been car
RED by horse cars. 1t was a system of
operating the road that was supposed to
be only temporary, and had all the defects
that are apt to be connected with that
character of rairoadng. Thus, perhaps
the application of the underground system
in the operation of the entire line which
began this morning becomes an event of
unusual Importance to the patrons of the
line, and they no doubt will have occasion
to look backward to Washington's Dirt hday
OF 1S0S as the beginning of their freedom
from the annoyances and Inconvenience
which followed the destruction of the cable
power house last fall.
Mr. CARL the engineer and general super
intendent of the Capital Traction road as
been OIL
with the installation of this system are of
course, very much pleased that the test of
the system proved to be such a complete
success. The connection with the power
house of the Potomac company, where the
current is obtained. and which is located
in Georgetown, and the wires running up
lIth street were completed last evening.
Then the current was turned on, and, as
the experiment demonstrated, the cleo
tricity ran without hindrance from the
power house up 33d street TO NJ street and
Pennsylvania avenue to New York avenue
and 18th street, and from that point up
18th street.
The Schedule.
Twelve cars are being run on a schedule
of three minutes. On New York avenue
near 18th street the cars are switched over
on the other track and are then ready to
make the return trip. The horse cars which
formerly ran on 14th street began at this
point, and made the regular trip down the
avenue to the B. and o. station.
AS soon as the power house of the COM
pany in Georgetown is completed ii is ex-
pected that cars will be run by the under
ground system on the Pennsylvania avenue
line. No definite date has been fixed for
this event, but ii is thought probable, If
there are no unforeseen difficulties. that the
power house will be completed by the LIST
of March, and in that event the additional
portions of the line will have the electric
cars.
1t is the purpose soon as this is ac-
complished to place horses on the eth street
line and to begin the work of installing the
underground electric system on that
branch.