The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-17
Until the New Plant Is Completed
The Service Cannot lie
Improved
TWO MONTHS DELAY POSSIBLE.
Heavy Storm Would Have SerioGs
Eject on Traffic Motornrn
Now STOP ut All
Crossings.

Not Until the new power-house az Second
and Salisbury street Is completed w:i, the
service on the north and south lines OF the
So Louis Transit Company be improved
II is MOI likely tia: the machinery Will get
started fo- two months, as there has been
unicoked-for delay ia placing the equip
ment.
The company is now running 81 OF the
cars it possibly car. the managers say.
with the power il has. and a faster service
Is rot possible under present conditions.
II a heavier Snow should fall. sweepe.s
and plows would have 10 be operated &c
keep the tracks clear. and for every one OF
these hat is put on one car less vii lie
run for the convenience OF the public
During the busy hours of the day. when
patrons are going TO and coming from
their work, the company cannot handle
the traffic. but it is making q bette at
tempt just az present than it VIII be able
to do If the weather gets worse. which is
not improbable.
The Republic yesterday if ne could promise
an Improvement in the present service AZ
any definite time.
He said that Eo promises would be made
that could not be kept. and that ne would
offer none until ne had better assurances
that he would be able to fulfill them
Running All Cars Possible.
The Transit Company is running every
car on these lines that the power it has
can possibly HANDLE said Mir. du Point.
and it is doing everything possible TO
hurry the completion of facilities for in
creasing Its power. but when it will be
possible to make the service what il ought
to be is hard to tell.
The new power-house was promised us
last July. and il is not completed yet l
said several weeks ago that 1 thought it
would be ready for US by February Is. ard
since then-1 have seen nothing that would
Indicate that it Will be finished before that
TO US as it is to the public. for It is our
wish to carry all the people We AN and as
quickly as We can"
MI. du Point would not discuss the pres
ent schedule or the new one that is to be
IN effect when the powe--Eouse is completed:
in fact, he was reiuctant to talk of the
matter at all and refused positively TO
make any statement to the public
From another official it was learned that
the ccmpSny has a large number OF extra
cars in the barns which Will be put IN OPP
GRAFTON when the additional power is TO be
had. This means that the service will be
improved materially, but the relief is some
time OF.
Through the present cold sQap the Tran
sit Company has had very little trouble
with the movement OF its cars. The tracks
have beel Kept clear and there have been
lev SAasS
Considerable complaint is made about
the heating Of the old cars. which are
equipped Only with stoves The trainmen
try TO make the passengers comfortable.
but the open condition OF the cars and
the lack of proper heating facilities make
the coaches little less severe than outside
Heavy hauling of coal through the streets
since the change il the weather has caused
delay to the running Of cars. Transfers
use the car tracks in preference to the
sides of the streets, r frequently long
waits are necessary before the tracks can
be cleared Several times yesterday diff
ferent lines were tied up for several min
utes by collisions with wagons. and the
breakdown OF vehicles on the right-of-way.
Since the posting Of the city ordinances
in the cars regulating their running. the
trainEen are following the rules with pre-
cision that in some cases proves very an
Laying. One of the provisions is that the
cars shall stop at. every crossing where
there are passengers waiting Yesterday
there were several delays n the cars
when released instead Of running through
to catch up with their time with the pas
sengers tina they had aboard. as has been
the custom. stopped at all OF the crossings.
leaving the cars following to come along
empty. The passengers protested. but the
trainmen wouid point to the notices in the
cars. which made no provision for making
up lost time. and said that they were forced
to comply with the Law.
Patrons of the railroad are not promised
any better service than they are now re-
ceiving soon. and il the weather gets worse
they are sure to have less accommodation.
That is the situation as the railroad OIL
Gals present it.