New-York tribune., 1900-08-28
BROADWAYALMOST CHANGED
TRACKS WILL SOON BE READY FOR
ELECTRIC CARS, WHICH WILL BE-
GIN TO RUN IN THE SPRING.

GIN TO RUN IN THE SPRING.
The surface disturbance IN Broadway consequent
upon the proposed conversion OF the Metropolitan
Street Railway Companys line from a cable into
electric system will come TO an end within three
weeks, according TO President H. H. vreeIand Sur
face work in that part of Broadway north Of the
City Hall where the great bulk OF the wholesale
teanng traffic is centred. will be finished in eight
or ten days. only two small portions remaining
finished. Double crews work night and day the
section between the Astor House and the Battery,
which is now being torn up.
The section in upper Broadway between Twen-
ty-third and Twenty-eighth SITS. will be finished
this week There is small section between
Eighteenth and Houston which viii be finished
in day two. The other unfinished section Is
between Houston and Leonard SITS. The surface
work between F1Ity-ninth and Forty-second
was begun early in the spring. and has been fin
ished for some time The section from Leonard-st-
south to Chambers-st- has just been repaved- New
granite trap blocks are used in repaving in every
case.
The surface work which necessftated tearing up
the street consisted chiefly In replacing the So
pound rails, formerly used, with new steel rails
weighing los pounds the yard The heavier rails
necesstated heavier brace bars, and the weight
Of the bars is double that OF the old The cleo
trio system requires manholes at closer intervals.
and IN consequence repaving is made difficult.
The officers Of the Metropolitan company say
that traffic viii not be interfered with least
during the underground work which will follow.
This consists OF putting in conductor bars and lead
sheet cables. with the necessary insulation. The
conductor bars are shaped like T'' rails, and must
be placed at frequent intervals. An electric plough
in the slot between the rails and picks up the
current from the bars side This current
runs through the motor and out the other side.
In their ordinary position the conductor bars
would be in the way Of the cable which now pulls
the along, The question which confronted
the engineers was how to put the bars in place
before the conversion in such q. way that they
would not be torn out by the grips OF the cable
cars. After trying several plans a successful one
was finally found It consists of placing the con-
ductor bars at angle which win keep them out
Of the way Of the cable and holding them there
by the Of small steel plug When the road
is ready for conversion the plugs will be quickly
pulled out as the cable is withdrawn, and the
bars will spring into their proper places.
Although nearly all Of the work OF conversion,
both above and below the surface. will be
pIeted before the summer is over electric viii
not be seen in Broadway until next spring. The
actual change will be made some morning between
and o'clock, and thoroughly will everything
be prepared that the officials of the road do not
anticipate the slightest hitch.
H D. Macdona, attorney for the Metropolitan
company, speaking for President Vreeland, said
yesterday TO a Tribune reporter:
So the public is getting impatient about the sur
face disturbance in Broadway! Well they Will
not have long to fret for the end Is in sight The
work viii be finished above the City Hall within
eight or ten days and the section below win take
during the night this lower section and the
conversion viii go rapidly If we are allowed to
do so. With the exception Of one or two hotels
there are practically no sleeping rooms along lower
Broadway and l can see no objection TO having
the work go on during the whole twenty-@four Your
hours The company has made every effort 70 rush
this work out the enormous traf1c during some some
cars minute has proven a sad handicap
It is strange that public opinion always waits
until the last minute before coming out on matters
Of this kind Now that the work is practically
streets. Il was the same way in regard to Dead
Mans Curve" as the one at Fourteenth-st. and
years TO md some way Of eliminating the danger
which is now being used so successfully II was
being applied 10 the cars when the newspapers
interest The Board Of Health took action against
the company Within few hours the change had
been made, and Dead Mans Curve was danger
Gus no longer To this day some minds hold his his
Board Of Health, which brought about change IN
twenty-four hours which the company's engineers
There seems to be a nisapprehension In many
quarters to the purpose Of this conversion from
that h % Mi bs abIa 70 e.vhi1 down Broa6yTav
as they side electric lines. AS matter
electric system speed Of cars in Broadway Is al
most entirely determined by the trafnc When a
few trucks get in between cars, they always
q2 y n Is the end or W6eb we % are T w5rns
When the conversion takes place thers will be
this city. We can then use cars from any electric
line in Broadway. and in case Of a blockade will
be able TO slip around II.
Il is likely that the present work in Broadway
will result in a city ordinance regulating the
number Of blocks OF street which can be torn Up
At one time and placing time limit the dis
+,rbaDce The proposed ordinance viii Grail the
,ovver Of the Commissioner Of Highways in TIE
matter Of granting permits for opening streets.
7 "a said that It viii be brought 10 the ettenton
NJ the Municipal Assembly. when that hody re-
srr,ss its sessions next month. Acting Mayor Cug-
genheimer and several AssembIymen oking
into the matter
The city law books used to hold ordinance
of this nature.