The times., 1899-02-15
RAPID TRANSIT TO
Be RESUMED TODAY
Snowdrifts Conquered by
Shovel and Muscle.
All Street Cars Will Soon Be Run
ming on Schedule Time.
The metropolitan Line Opened From
End to End-ProSrcss of the
Work on Other Ronds.

Much of Washngton's street railway
system was dug out of the snowdrifts by
a vast army of laborers before dark last
night, and it is promised that cars will
| be running in fairly good order today.
! The work of uncovering the tracks and
putting the conduits into shape was ex-
| ceedingly difficult and slow. On the
various lines at least 5000 men were en-
ployed with snow shovels and other i'm
] plements, and in extreme cases gasoline
was poured into the slots and lighted to
thaw out the conduits that could not be
cleared with picks.
The railway companies, of course, were
unprepared for the emergency. Scraper
implements for opening snowbound lines
were not to be had, and the work was
prosecuted under tremendous difficulties
I Some roads pressed the idle motormen and
! conductors into service Every laborer
/ who presented himself found employment
The methods usually adopted were very
| simple.
! The snow shovel brigade went ahead
fought the drifts to one side and scraped
the underground conduts with long iron
! bars and then came the snowploWs to
complete the work. Ordinarily this scheme
worked well enough, but in some places
the conduits, which are from two to three
feet deep. were so solidly packed with
snow that to dig them out was an impos-
sibility. In such places gasoline was
poured through the slot and burned. 1t
was strange thing to see blue flames is
suing from the ground under white tracks
and lick up every bit of snow within reach.
Stubborn switches were treated likewise
and slowly by this process lines were
opened into town.
The first-car to make its appearance on
Pennsylvania Avenue. about 5 o'clock, was
a green one, sandwiched between two
snowplows. Others followed in slow sue
cession. Shortly after dark string of six
got stuck in the avenue at the corner of
Thirteenth Street. The citiZenry were ap-
pealed to and responded with right good
will to push the motors beyond the stick
ing place.
Late in the afternoon the Metropolitan
road succeeded in opening its line from
Lincoln Park to the City Hall. Before
midnight the road was clear from end to
end, and cars were kept running all night.
The regular schedule will be resumed this
morning. The motormen and conductors
of the Metropolitan road volunteered their
services and shoveled snow from O'Clock
in the morning to IL at night. The COM
pany is very proud of its success, and
men in uniform.
The other lines are rapidly getting into
shape for business. and it is expected that
before night rapid transit will have been
pretty generally restored.
The cable line continued its service yes
terday and operated cars in good order,
as it did all of Monday. This is the only
road in the city that did not suffer
lapse in business as a result of the bliz-
zard.
The Capital Traction Company promises
TO resume its service some time today.
Over all the lines opened up yesterday
cars were run during the night, so that
none OF the work should be undone, and
the old familiar clang of the gong sounded
cheerful and loud over the fields OF snow
The suburban roads are less fortunate.
The Alexandria line has made but little
progress toward extricating itself from the
wake of the blizzard. No trains have sue
ceeded in getting through and business
cannot possibly be resumed for several days
to come.
Other suburban roads are in even worse
shape. The cuts and gulleys through
which these lines run are filled up with
drifted snow. and thaw is about the only
thing that can reinstate the suburban rap
i'd transit service.
The street car companies paid their
snow shoYelers at the rate of 40 and 80
cents an hour and found difficulty in
gathering together big brigades. The
District authorities refused to pay more
than SIPS a day. and few men enlisted
in the Governments service. So long as
the street work holds out the city
will have to depend chiefly upon its reg
ular street cleaning force for snow fight