The times., 1899-02-17
RAPID TRANSIT lines
AGAIN IN BAD SHAPE
The Street Railways Operated
Under Great Difficulty.
The Flow of ley Water a Serious
Obstruction.
In Hnny Places the SIush Is Up to
the Steps of the Cnrs-Motors
tsed in Pairs.

The street railway companies made
determined effort to operate their lines
last night They were partially success
full and cars Nere-kept running in nearly
all the principal streets. This was man
aged under great difficulties. and it was I'M
possible to use trailers. Two and three
motors were usually run together. and with
n liberal use OF sand they were able TO
make slow progress. No attempt was made
to observe schedule time, and frequently
cars were from thirty to forty minutes
apart. The r Street line experienced the
least difficulty. and succeeded in maintain
ing fairly good service.
Pennsylvania Avenue was almost knee
deep in slush, and the lines operating in
that thoroughfare did little business, their
cars running at intervals of thirty and
forty minutes. The suburban lines were
obliged to abandon schedules and run cars
when they could. The Washington and
Mount Vernon Railway claimed to be in
good shape. The officials explained that
their track was elevated about two feet
almost the entire distance to Alexandria,
and that the slush did materially interfere
with the trains. The superiutendents OF
the various lines. in speaking of their diff
iculties last night, said that they were on
the point of congratulating themselves at
getting their systems into working order
so soon after the blizzard, when yesterday $
sleet again interfered with rapid transit.
The sieet was almost as bad as the snow.
The motor wheels would not stick to the
track and simply buzzed at terrific speed
without moving their burden. Sand was
used in large quantities and emergency
supplies had to be carried in sacks. The
sand used by one car did not help the one
that followed.
During the afternoon the rain became
warmer and melted the snow in such guam
titles that the tracks were deluged. IN
some places the water and slush came up
/ to the car steps. Electricians claim that
( water interferes with the current and
4 weakens it. The resistance of the "ater
was an additional obstacle, and no sand
could be used.
/ The horse car lines have not been
/ operated since the blizzard and no vgor-
Gus efforts havsrbeen made 10 get them
/ into shape. The companies are consider
/ ing the probability of a food. and expect
| that the water will become so deep iii
places as to make traffic impossible.
The conductors of the various lines re-
/ port that Yesterday the cars were more
crowded than on any previous occasion
! within their experience. People were
/ hanging on both the front and rear plat
| FORMS and wedged in the cars so tight that
! in many cases they ran by their destina-
tions The conductors missed many fares,
/ but, regardless of the irregularities Of the
| service, the receipts yesterday We're larger
| than on any day for months. Seventh
| Street is expected to be flooded along the
| river front 1t is Il problem whether ii
! will be able to run cars on other parts oil
I its line. The powerhouse of this line is
/ only a few yards removed from the river
and it is feared that it will be flooded
Plans are being considered for supplying
the current from other lines. All the
| street railways suspended operations last
| night before l o'clock.