The Washington herald., 1909-08-01

accommodate $4,000 persons. those at
$1,000 Long Beach 10000, and
other beach towns 2QOoO. and they are
well filled.
EIecric Lines Make City.
''The electric lines have practically
made the city and surrounding towns
what they are. and they are responsible
for the development OF the pleasure
beaches, Los Angeles lies about twenty
miles from the ocean and the electric
lines practically monopllze the beach and
suburban traffic. The electric lines are
all controlled by the Hartman and Hun
tington interests, who control the South
ern Pacific Railroad, and the steam roads
make no effort 70 hold this short haul
pleasure traffic, as II Is impossible for
them 10 handle it as efficiently and as
economically as the electric roads.
Los Angeles and the surrounding
towns lie IN a fertile valley. surrounded
by mountains. and constitute the garden
Of Southern California The entire dis
trict is cut up into small fruit farms and
is dotted with thriving villages. Excep-
tionRlly fond OF outdoor life, a large pro-
portion Of the business people Of the city
live IN the surrounding villages. and this
has been made possible by the remark
able rapid transit facilities offered by the
interurban roads.
Rates on the interurbau lines are low
as compared with the steam roads. While
the latter charge about 3 IA cents a mile
for local one-wey rates, the electric lines
as a rule get 81 cents for one-way local
rates, 11-2 cents on round trip tickets.
about la cents on special excursions.
and In some cases less than J cent on
commuter business.
Character OF Traffic.
The trafnc on these lines Is totally DIFF
ferent from that OF Eastern lines. II
Is not the steady current OF commercial
travel made possible by greit manufac-
turing and industrial developments. but II
IS the ceaseless rush Of a never-ending
stream OF pleasure seekers who spend a
few days or weeks and perhaps never
return; or. II they catch the coast
fever" as thousands Of them do. they
return and Join the pleasure loving local
population. who as a rule have made
their pile elsewhere. and who find
maximum health and pleasure posslbili-
ties IN this climate Of perpetual spring"
There are no long hauls and no interline
traffic. The longest line is that reaching
Balboa and Newport Beach. on the Coast.
a trip Of about forty miles, while the
most distant inland point IS the city OF
Santa Ana, thirty-seven miles.
The beach traffic Is the heart Of the
whole business. The Pacific Electric
system touches Newport Beach Hunting
ton Beach, Long Beach, and San Pedro,
the latter a port for Pacific Coast steam
ers and Catalina Island. a famous ocean
resort; while the Los Angeles-Pacific
reaches RedondO. Venice, Santa Monica,
Port Los Angeles. and other steamer
ports and beaches. The lines Of these
companies parallel the ocean front for
a distance OF fifty miles, and II Is the
chief aim OF the three companies, which
although owned by allied interests. are
In strict competition with each other 70
give the best and fastest service 70 the
beaches.
spend Money TO save Time.
Many millions have been spent IN
gaining a few minutes for the beach
trains. Practically all Of the main lines
are doubled tracked. which accounts in
a measure fer the large mileage IN this
district, and the Pacific Electric Com
pany finding even this measure made
quate. built a four-track entrance for its
lines leading 10 the south. This entrances
Is wholly on private right-of-way, ex-
tending from the village Of Watts lead
Ing junction point ten miles south OF the
city, 20 within one and a half miles Of
the terminal station. At the north end
OF the double track the lines take Two
different streets, so that there are four
tracks 20 the station.
On the four-track section the two outer
tracks are used exclusively by through
express trains which make no stops until
they get beyond the four-track junction
All crossings on the four-uack sections
and the beach lines are protected by very
complete systems Of interlOcking plants
and semaphore signals so that even
sl0w-doWns are not necessary. On its
san Pedro line, the Pacific Electric Com
pany built q double track pile trestle
nearly two miles long across an arm OF
the bay, thus avoiding a detOur and saw
ing possibly ten minutes IN its running
time 70 the coast steamers.
The Los Angeles Pacific Company has
two double track main lines TO its beaches
west Of the city with numerous double
track branches forming alternate routes.
In order 10 improve It's running time by
fifteen minutes and cut out grades on It's
northern division 70 Hollywood and Sher-
man. It Is Just completing two tunnels
through a ridge OF hills. One Of these Is
so feet long and the other 574 feet long
both built for double track.
To Build Five-miIe Tunnel.
a stm more remarkable undertaking
e. -, Fr, f1 v-ru q
mile tunnel and subway 70 extend from
the heart Of the city to the village OF
Vineyard. a Junction OF two lines on the
southern division. It is announced that q
Sl5,OOO.OO0 bond issue will be floated tC
take care Of this project. Four tracks
viii be laid in the subway. which VIII cut
through the ranges or hills west OF the
business district OF the city. Trains viii
dip below ground at the rear Of the pres
ent HiI street station, and viii not emerge
until well out of the residence district. Il
Is also announced that ten-story Office
building. with extensive train shed, viii
be erected on and adjoining the site OF
the present small station. This four
track tunnel entrance Will enable the
company 10 build UP an independent local
business and win shorten the running
time to Ocean Park Venice, and Redondo
By about twenty minutes"
Mr.. Davis goes on 10 show that the ma
jor part OF the traffic OF these railroads
Is what he terms created traffic. The
beach resorts, bands Of music. excursions,
gala days. and much money spent in ad-
vertising are resorted 10 to attract people
10 the cars and keep them moving from
point 20 point The facts stated IN this
connection are largely for the traffic man,
but they go far 70 show that the city Of