The San Francisco call., 1905-02-19
OFFICIALS TOUR
STREET ROADS
Manager Chapman Treats the
Supervisors to Trip of
Inspection of Car Lines
STEAM ROAD is CLOSED
Old Track on Picturesque
Route to the Cliff Must
Yield to Trolley Power

pers, Booth, Connor, Rea, Mcclellan,
t5ent, Payot and Hooks were the guests
or the United Railroads yesterday.
General Manager Chapman, General
counsel Ford and Master Mechanic
Bodler entertaining them with ride
over as much of the system as could
De covered with a day and with
luncheon at the Cliff House.
lighting, water supply and street.
car service are the three utilities that
should claim the most attention from
the Board of Supervisors because OF
the vital Importance to the peo-
PIE, explained General Ford The
united Railroads wishes to have you
familiar with it's properties and with
the streetcar business. We wish to
nave your control over us directed as
lntellieently as possible. We hope you
VIII make thorough investigation OF
our system, and we are ready 10 meet
you at any time for frank considera-
tlon OF what we ought to do in the in
terest of public service. We also wish to
be dealt fairly with and intelligently
nat there might be. a better under
standing of things between US and
that the relations of the company and
the city might be those of good will
we have invited you on this excursion
to-day 10 inspect our properties and
see what we are doing.
PoWer-houses, car barns and repair
SHOPS We're visited. AT the Valencia
street power house the Supervisors ar
rived just Aas the machinery had shut
down that a broken strand in the
Hayes-street cable might be repaired.
breaking of strands RS the bane Of
cable service. ValenciaJ Hayes, Cas-
tro, Haight and Market streets were
at standstill during the interval re-
quired by the almost frantic work of
a large force to splice wire rope.
IMPROVE CROSSINGS.
Stops were made to explain the
crossing improvements, by which the
Jolting of the cars at intersections of
tracks is reduced 20 a minimum. The
company has already expended S250.0
for this work. In the way of figures,
it was further stated that over $500, 900
has already been expended for modern
cars, snch as those operated on Ellis
street. IT is the purpose to use this
pattern of cars ON all the electric lines.
They are the most approved. and, be-
sides, uniformity is All important fac
tor in economy.
Repair stocks in the amount of
$50O,0O0 must be kept on hand with the
great diversity of cars in use at the
present time. When all the cars are OF
the same make the uniformity of re-
pair materials will obviate the neces-
s1ty of so large an amount of capital
for them. The repair work for the
company, excluding reconstruction, ag-
gregates about $50, 900 a month. 1t is
expected that the new repair shop at
San Jose and Ocean avenues will be
built during the. present year. 1t will
cost about s500,000. All the work will
be done there, and the shops in various
parts of the city will be closed
The company now has a bituminouS
paving plant of its own at the Valen-
cia-street house and the experiment al
ready shows saving of money. Pri-
vate contractors would seem to be
making large profits.
LAST RIDE ON STEAM ROAD.
The Supervisors were treated to the
last ride over the steam road to the
Cliff House The old cars and locomo-
tiyes that have seen service for seven
teen years on the picturesque line will
now be relegated to the bone-yard, yes
terday's/ being their last trip. The
road was originally started by Adolph
Sutro, but he gave up the undertaking
at the tunnel. The Ferries and Cliff
House Company took the job off his
hands and cut the hole through the
HILL The company planned for double
tracks, but failed in this, however, on
dSCouHI VI WdSllOulS. NOW the On1leQ
Railroads is tearing down the hill be-
cause the tunnel would not suffice and
the roadbed has been widened along
the route for double tracks on which
trolley cars are to take the place of
steam. 1t is expected to have the new
line running in two months. 1t will
connect with the Sutro line at its power
house, and there will therefore be
loop service to the ocean.
Other trips will probably be taken in
the future because the Supervisors did
not see half of the company's system.
One car of the United Railroads, if it
covered the distance that all the 45O
cars travel, could make seven trips
to the moon in month and it is
therefore apparent that the system
cannot be inspected in one day.
There was much jocular discussion of
the proposed construction of an electric
line on Market street, with the poles in
the center of the thoroughfare. Man /
ager Chapman suggested the idea of an
overhead landing at the ferry depot !
that could be connected with the upper
floor of the ferry building. 1t was re-
ceived with much favor by the Super
visors.
More Streets to Be Repaired.