The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04
THE owl" GAR SERVICE
Pans Maturing to Facilitate Travel
Late at Night.
The District Commissioner Not Of
GcialIy Notified of the senate Conn
1anosafion-The system rs II Ex-
lists in the City of Philadelphia.

According to presents Indications, the
lonely citizen, who has been compelled
10 walk home when he has been detained
downtown after the cars have ceased
running for tine night, will be given relief
by the issuance Of an order by the Com
missioners establishing owl car, which
will run at intervals OF from thiry TO
forty minutes between the hours of !
and . O'Clock a. m.
The proposition comes from the Senate
District Committee, and is in the form OF
a resolution adopted at its meeting Friday
The resolution calls on the Commissioners
TO make some kind OF a regulation which
will provide for an ali-night street-car ser
vice The matter was brought to the at
tcntion OF the committee through a bill
which was referred TO 1t by the Senate. 1t
was suggested that a law would be TN
necessary as the Commissioners were in
vested with the power TO make regulation
TO this effect. which would accomplish tie
purpose sought. The matter was inform
ally discussed by the Senators present, all
of whom were In favor of the proposition,
and the discussion eliminated in the adop-
ton of the resolution referred to, which
was addressed to the Commissioners.
The papers have not reached the Com
missioner5 as yet, but when they do come
there is every reason to believe they viii be
favorably acted upon. Fer some time past
the citizenE of the District have been ag-
itating the question of securing al a]l-night
ear service. In other cities such a system
has been established, and has been found
10 work satisfactorily. IL is pointed lat
that the fires In the engine houses cf the
street railway r0mpapife % kp,fts q
all the time, MS there is not enough tine
between the hour the cars cease 10 run
and the time they start again to allow the
fires 10 go out and build them up again.
The expense TO companies operating the
cars would be slight Il Is said, and none
but the principal urban lines would be re-
quired TO adopt the system. The only in
crease In the expense Of running the cars
would be caused by the employment Of ad-
fitionai. conductors and motormen for the
owls as they are called. The cars would
not be run as frequently as in the daytime,
the intervals between trains being about
thirty minutes. Few of the lines in this
city would be obliged TO operate mere than
two cars If such schedule were adopted.
In Philadelphia, where the owl service
IS firmly established. the trains are oper-
ated at intervals OF forty minutes. and q
schedule is posted in the cars OF the time
certain trains are 10 stop at well-known
points about the city
There will probably be no speed limit
10 keep the cars back, so that fast time
can be made. 1t is probable that the
Commissioners will require the eomnanies
10 pest printed schedules in prominent
places where prospective passengers can
find out where the cars will stop at GER
tain times. u Is thought that these stop
ping places Will be about six squares apart
The District authorities decline TO dis
cuss the matter, as Il has no, yet been
brought to their attention officially. but
interested citizens have been assured that
the system win be adopted.