The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-22
ORDERfOR STEEL
RAILS TO BE SENT
FORWARD AT Once
Rapid Transit Directors Authorize
Purchase Of Many Thou
sand Tons Of Material
DELIVERY UNEXPECTED
BEFORE ANOTHER YEAR
Delay, However, Will Not interfere
With Municipal Improvements.
In kaIakaua Avenue

Orders have been prepared and will
be mailed on the first outgoing boat,
calling for many thousand tons Of steel
rails for new street car tracks along
Kalakaua avenue. This action was
authorized at a meeting Of the direct.
ors of the Honolulu Rapid Transit and
Land company yesterday. But it was
stated by Secretary A. l.. Castle that
in all probability the company will be
unable to get all the steel it wants be.
fore September, 1917. ~. y
After the rails get here it will take
only six weeks to build the track.
Every steel mill in the country is sold
up to it's full capacity for months
ahead. Nevertheless, effort will be
made by the directors to have this or
der expedited, so as not to interfere
too much with the street improvement
plans recently authorized.
Paving viii Go Ahead
The track will be built in Couble.
track position on either side of the
makai or mauka side of the center of
wv "'NhhNb as NhC SuptINlsOTs htC1ut.
The delay in arrival Of steel will not
affect the paving contract. When the
supervisors and city engineer decide
just where the lines are to be located
the concrete pavement will be laid to
the edge of the track. The double
track space, eighteen feet wide, win be
filed with macadam, which can be
quickly removed when the rails arrive.
The specifications call for 1'rilby
rails weighing l22 pounds to the yard,
much heavier type than is ordinarily
used for street-railwaY construction, in
forty-fve foot lengths instead of the
thirty-foot lengths now in use.
Manager c. G. Ballentyne said that
the rails may be joint welded, as is Gus.
t"mary in many mainland street car
systems, but that is really for the di-
rectOrs to decide. This is merely a
possibility. Continuous rails make a
more comfortable and, smoother track
and diminish the necessity for repairs,
as there is no breaking down of the
sub-base under the hammer blows of
the car wheels at the joints where the
rails are butted. This welding of the
rails is easily accomplished if the nee.
essary welding outfit is at hand, but
there is none here and it would cost
rood deal to provide.
Ground Hard On Rails
- Mr.. Ballentyne said that the Kala-
kaua avenue section is very hard on
track. There is good deal of SILT in
the ground water, and this, with the
lime from the coral subbase of the
roadway and the leakage of current
through the rails, sets up electrolysis
of the steel. Rails have been replaced
during track repairs with the web com
pletely eaten out or rusted by electrical
leakage. This is one reason why ex.
ira heavy rails are being ordered for
Kalakaua avenue.
Mr.. Castle said the single track is to
be laid in double-track position 40 that
the company can dOuble-track the en-
tire Waikiki section should traffic con.
ditiOns in this popular seaside resi-
dcnoe and recreation district of Homo
lulu call for better accommodation for
the public.
Besides other routine business, the
directors voted the customary two per
cent quarterly dividend, payable Sep
temb"r 30 The disbursement will
amount to $4,000.