The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-18
nine TONS IN
OVERWEIGHT,
Tho Consolidated Trolley Cars
Weigh SO Tons, Loaded.
Mr.. BULLOCK HAS FIGURES.
According 10 Provisions Of City Ordinance
Lighter Vehicles viii Hie TO Be Pro-
vldsd on The Bridge. u
Mr.. BULLOCK HAS FIGURES.

1t now look as II the New York. New
HavenJ and Hartford Railroad company
would be compelled to change its ncavy
| motor cars. that are at present in use on
I the Warren, Bristol and Fall River
branch, for lighter ones, as a measure o:
| public safety on Washington bridge.
OF course. the ordinance that passed
the common council last evening. will
I have 10 pass the board OF aldermen in
concurrence, before IL becomes law,
but according TO general sentiment and
according 20 the expressed opinion OF a
number of aldermen, there does not sp-
pear 10 be any doubt that on Thursday
afternoon next. the ordinance will be con-
CURED In.
The entire quest. now upon the
weight of the ca the Consoli-
dated railroad ana any railroad
that operates trolley over Washing
ton bridge, and the most careful tests
have been made by the city engineers
department.
These tests show conclusively that the
bridge is being subjected to far great
er strain than was ever intended and the
ordinance becomes q measure OF public
safety.
WElShI Ot lffh NAftc
The ordinance as adopted by the COM
mon council last evening, provides that
no passenger car shall hereafter bc run
through any of the streets of the city by
the Union Railroad company 1.-The maxi
mum length of which shall exceed AZ feet
over all. the maximum width or which
shall exceed nine feet over all, the maxi
mum weight OF which shall exceed 1900
pounds when empty, and in no event 10
exceed $1,000 pounds when loaded"
This. as will be readily seen, limits the
weight of any car when loaded 10 80 tons,
and this is just where the difficulty of
the Consolidated railroad seems to come
in.
According to Mr.. William ID. Bullock
of the city engineers department. who
has charge of the bridge work for the
city, the weights of the several large
| cars when unloaded. that cross Washing
ton bridge Is as follows:
Consolidated. $1,000 pounds: Suburban.
Warren branch. 39,5Oo pounds: Warren
branch, 1900 pounds; Providence and
Taunton, ZOO pounds. The Consolidated
road cars seat is persons, and according
to Mr.. Bullock when fully loaded they
will weigh about 80 tons.
This would be nine tons in excess of the
weight provided for in the ordinance
| passed by the common council last even
| ing.
STRAIN is TOO GREAT.
In relation to all the other large cars
which run across the bridge IL will be
| seen that even adding an additional 1900
pounds. which would provide for heavy
| freight the next largest, which are the
Buttonwoods cars. would fall short OF
| &C, go pounds. the total being $500.
| Mr.. Bullock also called attention to the
| fact that when two of these Consolidated
90 nat m ha
there would be a weight OF IS tons on the
| structure. something that was never in
| tended. and making strain that the
bridge could nC, safely stand.
| He did not consider that 30 tons would
| be dangerous If the cars crossed the
bridge according to the instructions Is
sued by the commissioner OF pubiic WORKS
| and the general manager of the Union
| Railroad company.
When asked what the result OF the
| passage OF the ordinance would be, Mr..
| Bullock said that he supposed thas the
| Consolidated railroad would have TO pro-
| vide lighter cars, certainly between Maui
| ran avenue, East Providence. and the
| Union passenger station.
CONSOLIDATED TO WAIT.
The matter was quite generally discuss
| Ell at City Hall this morning, but the con-
sensus OF opinion seemed to be that the
] Consolidated railroad would have to make
4 some Change in Its cars, so as 10 Drins
| them. when loaded. within ths provisions
4 of the ordinance.
Some were of the opinion that the Con.
| solidated railroad could run the big cars
| over it's own railroad bridge, and while
| this was admitted. attention was called
4 20 the fact that transfer to lighter cars
| would still be necessary. under the pro
| visions of the ordinance. on the Provi
| dence side OF the river.
Just what the Consolidated railroad
| will do will not be known until after the
| action OF the board OF aldermen OF
| Thursday, when, IL the ordinance passes
| In concurrence. Attorney Buckland will
confer with the officers OF the Consoli
dated corporation.