The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-04
MICHIGAN
LOWRY LOANED A CAR
How They Do Things at the 500 In a
....~s....s Real Emergency. .. .

How They Do Things at the 500 In q
20. -s.sss Real Emergency. ,.. 90.
SAULT STE MARIE. MICH.-For q
month, IN anticipation of the power canal
opening the TRANSIT. Marys Traction
company made strenuous efforts to get the
contractors, who were building their cars,
to ship q car in time for the celebration
Although the contract time for delivery
OF cars had EXPIRED yet, owing to the
great press OF work all over the country,
the car contractors were unable to furnish
the car. @G#E
Attempts were made to secure a car
from carbuilders all over the country. IT
was however, found impossible to obtain
a car In time. It was then decided by
the chief engineer OF the traction com
pany. G. w. Chance. to make some efforts
outside car builders, so that the public
would not be disappointed. Two or three
them Thomas Lowry president of the
Twin City Rapid Transit company of Min
neapolis, who replied:
&C. w. Chance, G. r. TRANSIT. Marys
Traction Company: Telegram received on
return yesterday. Also send telegram this
morning. Will gladly lend car but fear
1t cannot reach you In time. Our cars are
forty-four feet long, flat cars thirty -four
feet long. VIII take two fiat cars for car
and third for trucks. Car weighs thirty
tons. Is your track all ready and do you
want car fully equipped for running. viii
take up twenty-four hours to load after
delivery OF fiat cars and you probably
longer to set it up after arrival besides
th1rty-six hours between here and 500
Have you necessary machinery to load
and put on truck. Answer quick and will
do best possible.
Thomas Lowry
In answer to this telegram Mr.. Chance
Of the traction company telegraphed as
follows:
Thomas Lowry, President Twin City
Rapid Transit Company, Minneapolis
Mimi: Many thanks. Send car. Think
better send one good man along to con-
meet UP. &c. w. Chance"
This telegram was sent Tuesday after
noon. Orders were given at once by Mr.
Lowry to load the car, and It left Mime
apolis Wednesday morning at $3.50. spe.
ctal precautions were taken by Mr.. Lowry
railroad officials being notified all along
the line to rush this car through. 1t came
through on a special mixed passenger anc
freight train, running on passenger tin1e
most Of the way. and arrived at the Soc
at 4:40 Thursday afternoon. The same
night the car was switched over to the
Algoma Iron Works in the Canadian 500
unloaded from the fiat cars, mounted OF
it's trucks, electric connections made, anc
the car returned to the American Sot
on It's own trucks across the international
bridge and transferred. to the Traction
company's tracks early Friday morning.
Decorators were immediately put tt
work on the car, and It was ready To-
running Friday forenoon.
The TRANSIT Marys Traction conpan.
| was thus enabled to present to the citizens
| of the 500, for their inspection and use
one Of the finest cars built in the United
| States. The car Is forty-two feet long
will seat hfty-on people, has four G. E
! sixty-seven motors, 1k-6 controller, no
water heating, and is Thoroughly modern
| in all its fittings, being just turned GU
by the Twin City Rapid Transit compan!
at it's shops in Minneapolis, and never hav
ing been in reimbursement on Its tr1a
| trip-before being sent to the 500.
| The car was handsomely decorated o.
the outside and inside, with red and orang
bunting, in addition to the stars AM
stripes festooned on the inside.
The first trip that the car made, on tn
25th, was to take a party of the director
of the Consolidated Lake Superior Powe
company and invited guests from tn
| powerhouse to the Country club, ut l1ttl
after 4 o'clock. On the return OF tn
directors and invited guests to the power
house, the public was given general IN
vitation to ride, and the car made seVera
| trips and carried many people.