The record-union., 1898-02-04
STREET-CAR TENDERS.
WHY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN
USED IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Street Car Companies Prevented
From Adopting Them by the
Supervisors.

(San Francisco Chronicle, February 3D.
The Board of Directors Of the Market
street Railway Company will meet to-
day. Among the matters of business
which it will consider is that of equip
ping its electric cars with tenders.
General Manager E. P. Vining had
consultation on the subject with Chief
Counsel w. F. Herrin yesterday, and, as
a result, it was decided to submit the
question to the directors at their meet
ing to-day. 1t will be left with the
directors to decide whether the electric
cars shall be equipped with tenders
without further delay or whether the
company shall await the action by the
Board OF Supervisors.
The Market-street Railway Com
pany has been awaiting the pleasure
of the Supervisors in the matter Of
adopting proper fender for nearly
three years." said Attorney Herrin,
when seen yesterday, land Mr.. Vining
thinks it is about time that the COM
pany take independent action on the
matter without consulting the Super
yisors. The order of the. Supervisors
recurring tenders to be placed on cleo
trio cars was adopted in May, 1893, and
was SO amended later as to make the
time for SO equipping the cars Deepen
dent upon the action of the%. Super
visors in adopting a fender Tests have
been made by the company with some
fifteen or twenty tenders at a cost of
1000, and the Supervisors have reject
ed them all. Mr.. Vining has made a
study of the problem, has inspected the
tenders in use in all the large Eastern
cities, has gathered elaborate statistics
on the subject and has satisfied himself
what kind of a device is best for the
purpose. OF course we would like tos
adopt some style of fender that would
meet with the approval of the Super
visors, but as there seems to be no i'm
mediate prospect of any decisive action
on the part of that body, Mr.. Vining has
decided to lay the matter before the
directors of the company and ask their
pleasure.
THE device which he favors consists
of scoop suspended under the body of
the car in front of the truck, with a Stat
fender in front, suspended from the
front end of the body of the car. The
Stat fender is so adjusted that when it
strikes any obstacle it releases the
scoop and allows it to fall down upon
the track. 1t has been found imprac-
ticable to attach any scoop or fender
that comes within three inches of the
track for the reason that when the car
strikes grade a fender so adjusted
runs into the ground. A scoop that is
released by a trigger is, according to
Mr.. Winnings idea, the most reasonable
and practicable, and the company is
prepared to equip its 200 or more electric
cars with tenders of that style with
out any further delay should the di-
rectors determine to act without await
ing the pleasure of the Supervisors
"One thing is certain. No fender at
all is preferable to any device which
protrudes beyond the edge of the car
body. That has been established by
experience. AS it is, statistics bear out
the fact that the number of accidents
and fatalities on the lines of the Mar
ket-street Company are fewer than on
any other line in the country that OPP
crates as many cars"
The attempt to force the railroad to
adopt a fender for it's street cars
through a warrant calling for the ar
rest of II. L. Huntington savors of the
ridiculous from the fact that the COM
pany is not required to place tenders
upon its cars until the Board of Super
visors have decided what fender shall
be used. The original ordinance re-
curing the street cars to use tenders
was adopted May q, 1885 to go into
effect June 1st of that year. Order No.
II, 739, adopted July %, 1895, amended
this ordinance, providing that it should
not go into effect until thirty days after
the adoption by the Board of Supervi-
sors of the particular device or devices
to be used. AS the Supervisors have
not adopted any device to guard street
cars, the warrant might more properly
have called for the arrest of the city
fathers than of Huntington.
Manager Winnings reply to Mayor
Phelans warning as TO the speed Of
electric cars, particularly on Mission
street. was transmitted last night II
says in part:
The average speed of some Of Our
electric lines is as low as six miles
per hour, fifty-two minutes being al
| lowed on the Third and Kearny streets
line for making a run of D 1900 miles.
On other lines the average speed varies
according TO the usual number of stops,
| the liability of delays and blockades,
etc, but it does not in any case exceed
| seven miles and a fraction per hour.
/ The time allowed on the Mission street
| line. TO which reference is specially
made has never been less than the
time allowed upon the Valencia
/ cable line, which is practically of he
same length. Our motormen and con-
ductors have been specially cautioned
that they must not in any case or I'M
der any circumstances exceed the stat
ute rate of eight miles per hour. and
/ we have a special force of officers
] known as timers, whose duty il is to
/ patrol our various lines, watch the cars
| and renort any infractiOnS. In the