Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-25
SAYS IRON WAS UNFIT best IN THE COUNTRY
Workman on Collapsed Build New Signal System for Dis
ina Contradicts Contractor. trct Street Car Lines.
EMPLOYEES WERE AFRAID SOON TO BE IN OPERATION
Sagged Switches at Junction Points to Be
Before Was Worked From Towers
TESTIMONY NOT IN ACCORD RED LIGHTS UNDER TRACKS
Him Go AheadW ventC
Work Union
SOON TO BE IN OPERATION
Switches at Junction Points to Be
Worked From Towers.
RED LIGHTS UNDER TRACKS
These Will Give Warning and Pre-
vent Collisions-Plans for
Union Station Plaza. =,

Inc COnlrOl OF the SWITCHES al i've mn
portant functions from towers. by means
of electricity. and the regulation OF the
movements Of the cars by signal lights
beneath the surface of the streets-th!s
is plan Of the local street railways l.
is to he carried out as a part Of the ex-
tensive Improvements in connection with
the Union station service.
The saving of time and money and ths
prevention of confusion and consequent
benefit to the public using the cars are
some of the things that are expected TO
result from this innovation. 1t is a long
step ahead of anything now In use in this
country. AS it will represent the very
latest advance in street railway construc-
ton. it Is certain to attract the attention.
of street railway engineers all over the
land and reflect credit upon the local
companies.
The engineers OF the local street rail-
ways, particularly W. b. Upton, consult
ing engineer in charge of the vast i'm
provements now being carried out Jointly
by the two companies. have had many
knotty problems to tackle, and not the
least has been the one OF properly pro-
viding for the handling of cars at the
junction points. At the corner OF Della
ware avenue and street northwest,
where cars running in half dozen differ
ent directions will meet and where q
perfect network of tracks and switches
has already been constructed, the problem
was the hardest.
Difficulties Now Overcome.
The impra cticability, at least the diff
ficulties in the way of controlling these
switches and gnaling the ears by means
of switchmen and flagmen stationed at the
crossing at once suggested the plan OF
electric control. At first this was secuted
by some of the railway officials on the
ground that it was new and untried as
applied to street railways They. or
course, recognized that it had proved 10
be a complete success in steam railroad
ing, and in fact, necessity. ii was an
entirely different proposition in street rail-
reading, however IN their opinion
These objections, however, have heen
overcome by the engineers. who have
demonstrated the feasibility of the plan.
figured upon the cost and prepared the
drawings for the towers. etc.
The matter of obtaining the permits for
the construction of the towers is yet 10 %
concluded, but it Is not believed that inc
District government will have any obJec.
ton to a plan that seems likely 10 ne Oh
incalculable benefit to the public. Inc en-
tire matter will probably be decided TINS
afternoon when there will be confer
ence of the railroad officials and consuit-
ing engineers. and the views or the DiS-
trict Commissioners will be made known.
AS already intimated, the most I'M
portant of the switch towers is to be
located at the corner of Delaware ave-
ME and G street northeast Here the
Capitol and Lincoln Park cars or mo
Washington Railway and Electric Com.
pany will cross. as VIII also the NOUN.
Pleasant and probably one or two otner
lines of the Capital Traction Company.
The tower will be located on the SIDE
walk back of the curb line. FROM ~ tne
operator OF the switch levers VIII oe
able to see at glance all the cars 1hsl
are approaching the junction.
Red Lights on Tracks.
Through heavy glass windows in tho
street the motormen at night Will see
red lights on this track as their cars
near the junction. This Will mean thal
they must slow down or stop completely.
AS soon as they see the red lights chahse
to green they will know that the switches
are set right for them, and VIII give ti;1
call for the conductors bell to proceed
The daylight signaling system Is not en-
tirelv worked out, but IT VIII he just as
adequate, and will, it is said, I'm no way
interfere with the general trafiic on the
streets.
Two more towers Will be located on tre
Union station plaza, one on the east anu
the other on the west side. here also
there will be a great many tracks ana
many crossings and switches VIII De ne
essary The advantage of not haNlhs
swift chmen and fiagmen running anoul
at these points is very apparent -
pointed out by the railroad men,
The other two towers will be at the next
important junction points under the new
arransement-that Is. at North tapiloi
street and Massachusetts avenue, ana at
1st and B streets southeast Al me
former place the lines that Will cross one
another are the Brookland, the 18th ana
D streets and the Capitol branches or
the Washington Railway and Electric
Comnany and the several branches OF
the Capital Traction Company. which mas
not vet decided upon the routes of lts
cars to and from the Union station.
Connecting the Lines.
At 1st and B streets southeast the lines
of the two companies will again cross A
double track is to be built jointly from
that point northward 10 East Capltoi
street. The Washington Railway ana
Electric Company will build branch
from the Anacostia line at 1st and ID
streets southeast to list and 3 streets
southeast These new tracks, II VIII
easily he seen will connect the Anacostla
line with the Lincoln Park line at East
CanitoI street and the navy yard cars
of the Capital Traction Company with INC
same company's Mount Pheasant cars at
Isl and b streets northeast, at the same
time giving all of these lines direct access
m the Union station by way of LIST street.
EVERYTHING points to the time Wheh
Washington will have the most complete
and up-to-date system of street car oper-
alton in the country, il not In the world
Every day brings the time or the com"
pletion of the work nearer with pouna.
The Washington Railway and Electric
n