The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-11-27
PROGRESS IN STREET CAR CON.
STRucTioN.

An interesting and instructive pro-
cession In New York on Thursday
moved from the Seventh avenue car
barns TO the battery and back again.
says the Christian Science Monitor.
II was composed of surface street cars
Iof almost every pattern introduced
since the beginning of street railways.
This mode of urban transportation. it
might be well to remember, original
ed in New YORK. John Stephenson hav-
ling made the innovation In 1881.
Previous TO that time the popular
conveyance was the omnibus, and this
continued in common use long after
ward. In fact 1t has never gone out
completely: its motive power has
4 been changed from horse to electric
Eity. but 1t is still taking care OF much
OF the traffic in London, Paris. Berlin,
Vienna and other great European
cities, and it holds MS own on two or
three routes IN New York.
The street railway car. or the tram.
as it is called abroad. would have
made greater Roadway had it not been
the more frequent the delays. and
while the horse remained the motive
! power. the more free and agile bus
was able to claim very fair share of
the city traffic. Numerous efforts
were made to tighten the horse car
To this end, the 'sbohtaii.' pattern
; into existence. It held ten Or twelve
, passengers, who entered from the
. rear and paid their fares to the driv
!. er. In this vehicle ,the first expert
, ments were made with nicklein-the
slot automatic collectors. The bob
tall was quite popular for time II
some OF the larger western cities. Il
never came into anything like gener
al use in the east, and we understand
: If was not shown in the New York pro
cession.
What was shown. as q vehicle rep
resenting the early street cars, was :
, tweNe-passsHgsr box.hke coastruc
ton. with four wheels. From this {
Jump was at once made TO the single
truck electric. familiar wherever tbs
e trolley had been introduced fifteen IL
/ twenty years ago 1t had a capacity
+ OF twenty-eight passengers This car
b used 10 rock, it will be recalled. ana
5 was rather unsteady when running a
n a high speed. The next in lire wa.
s the larger. heavier. smootheF-runnins
s donoie-truck car, holding 1hirty-sil
passengers. This was followed bv n.
single-deck stepiess car, q type tha
has been in service on Broadway fol
the last six months: and then cam,
the double-decker of the same gener
al pattern. The last car in the pro
esssion was one that has never re
. been regularly operated This is
! low-level. centsr-entrance, storage
J battery steel car, and il is designed {,
Z take the place OF horse cars whereye
they still run In the metropolis. Il Il
built, as may be seen. to overcome III;
o objection TO the pole and overhea,
s wire
I Not all the types of street car wer,
s IN this parade, IN fact some of IN,
y most unusual varieties OF the horse
drawn pattern we're 10 be toaad cnl.
o IL the once remote towns OF the vest
y Denver may stsil have the lire Of
s which the animal, after drawing IN
q car up the hill. tOog place on pia,
form provided for the purpose an,
rode down hill in state There wer'
cars for htll-clinbing IN some OF III
t, western cities az which the from
/, wheels we're smaller than the rear
g this being the means OF insaring
$ level interior
r Great progress has been made i
{ street car construction and street CO
5 propulsion dlring the last twent,
wears. great progress a. shawn h