SPECIAL COMMITTEES, 1888.

STREET-RAILWAY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE,

C. C. WOODWORTH, Sec., Rochester City and Brighton R. R. Co., Rochester, N. Y.

R. DUDLEY FRAYSER, Sec., Memphis City Ry. Co., Memphis, Tenn.

A. C. Moss, Sec. and Treas., Sandusky St. R. R. Co., Sandusky, O.

C. DENSMORE WYMAN, Vice-Pres., Central Park, North and East River R. R. Co., New York, N. Y.

V. CRONYN, Pres., London St. R. R. Co., London, Ontario.

CONDITIONS NECESSARY ΤΟ THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF THE CABLE POWER.

WILLIAM D. HENRY, Sec. and Treas., Missouri R. R. Co., St. Louis, Mo.

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF CAR HOUSE AND STABLES. C. DENSMORE WYMAN, Vice-Pres., Central Park, North and East River R. R. Co., New York, N. Y.

PROGRESS OF ELECTRIC MOTIVE POWER.

CALVIN A. RICHARDS, Gen. Man., West End St. Ry. Co., Boston, Mass.

STREET-RAILWAY TAXATION.

WINFIELD SMITH, Pres., Cream City R. R. Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES.

The President: The Chair is informed that the Committee in charge of the paper regarding Street-Railway Mutual Fire Insurance is not quite ready to report, but will report at a later stage of the Convention. We will, therefore, now listen to the paper on “The Conditions Necessary to the Financial Success of the Cable Power," by Mr. William D. Henry, of St. Louis, the Committee.

LETTER FROM MR. WM. D. HENRY, THE COMMITTEE ON THE CABLE POWER,

The following letter was read by the Secretary:

ST. LOUIS, October 13, 1888.

To the Officers and Members of the American Street-Railway Association, Gentlemen-I very much regret that my engagements render it impossible for me to be present at our Annual Meeting in Washington. I take pleasure, however, in introducing to you Mr. W. Bartlett, of this city, Civil Engineer

of the Missouri Railroad Company, who is fully accredited as its representative, and to whose valued assistance your Committee is in a large measure indebted for the information contained in the report.

Wishing you a successful and beneficial meeting, I remain,

Yours fraternally,

WM. D. HENRY.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF THE CABLE

POWER.

The Secretary read the report, as follows:

TO THE AMERICAN STREET-RAILWAY ASSOCIATION,

Gentlemen-I beg leave to submit the following report upon the subject of "The Conditions Necessary to the Financial Success of the Cable Power."

Experience in the construction and operation of cable roads for passenger traffic since 1873, when the first practical application was made of the system in San Francisco, has suggested that the conditions necessary to the financial success of the cable are :

Ist. Volume of business;

2d. Engineering and mechanical construction.

VOLUME OF BUSINESS.

There is a very wide difference in opinions as well as statistics concerning the first. Thus, Mr. J. L. Wilcutt writes from San Francisco that "the number of cars run and passengers carried before the cable could be adopted with profit is affected by so many conditions, such as cost of plant, expense of operating, etc., that the question cannot be answered intelligently."

The Grand Avenue Cable Line, of Kansas City, reports that 4,000 passengers per mile per day are necessary before cabling a horse line.

The Minneapolis Street Railway Company places the travel at 3,000 to 4,000 passengers per day per mile of double track.

Mr. H. H. Windsor, of the Chicago City Railway, says: "As a rule and under ordinary circumstances, it is not advisable, from a pecuniary standpoint, to build and operate a cable line where it is intended to operate the cars less often than once in ten minutes; but beyond that figure the economical advantages of the system improve in greater ratio than the increase in service."

Of the six cable lines first constructed in San Francisco, two being converted from horse car lines, the Mayor of that city states: "These roads pay dividends from 8 to 24 per cent. per annum. The Market Street Cable Railway Company issued bonds for $300,000, bearing interest at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum. They are now selling at 12 per cent. premium. After paying interest on these bonds there is left a handsome dividend."

We might extend the record of like opinions and statements indefinitely, and with few exceptional cases they all trend in the same general direction— that the cable is a financial success when constructed and operated under

favorable conditions. These conditions obtained: Ist, in the conversion of horse lines into cable lines, where the former carried any considerable number of passengers per day, say 10,000 over 2 miles of double track; 2d, in case of cable lines originally chartered as such, where the location was through well populated districts, or which from natural advantages would become desirable as residence districts and were of rapid growth; and 3d, in those cases where on account of steep grades other motors were at a great disadvantage or impracticable.

It is generally conceded that under these conditions not only is the cable a success, but the traffic increases very considerably; the ratio of operating expenses to gross receipts is largely reduced as compared with horse lines; and as a rule the service rendered the public is better, and more favorably received than that given by other motors.

The reports received are unanimous as to the increase in value of property contiguous to newly-constructed cable lines, and the rapid filling up and improvement of unsettled portions of cities. This increase in the value of real estate, after the construction of cable roads in San Francisco is stated "to be from 8 to 40 per cent.; in Chicago, from 25 to 100 per cent.; in Cincinnati, at 100 per cent."

The increase in business is unquestionably due in a great measure to the uniform and generally high rate of speed adopted, varying from seven to fourteen miles per hour. Cars moving along the streets at this speed, with little noise and with no apparent motive power, seem to possess a fascination for the public which is not noticeable in other motors, hence the inducement for the many who ride solely for pleasure.

ENGINEERING AND MECHANICAL CONSTruction.

The best physical and mechanical conditions for the application of the cable are undoubtedly :

Straight, level lines;

Well-designed machinery, with reserve power for contingencies;

Location of machinery at termini of cables;

Terminal facilities for handling cars rapidly and safely;

Cables not exceeding 25,000 feet in length;

Grip devices which give the minimum wear on the ropes;

Rolling stock relatively light.

These conditions will probably give a minimum of operating expenses. Next to the level straight lines, follow straight lines with grades; then roads having heavy grades and curves.

In the absence of reliable data concerning the operating expenses of different roads, it may be assumed that their expenses are directly proportional to the characteristics of the roads. This, however, will serve only as a general guide in the construction of new roads; as we have, in one or two notable cases, found that the engineering and mechanical appliances which should contribute to the successful operation of the system, when unsuitably designed, have caused unnecessary expenditures of money.

As to the several details of the cable system, it goes without saying that the more perfect and suitable the design, the less will be the expense of operation.

ENGINES.

Concerning the engines, Mr. Hanscom, of San Francisco, says: "There is no difficulty in providing engines that will run at a uniform speed under all the changes or variations of work that may come upon them. The variations in power exerted by an engine under cable work are enormous and rapid. As shown by the indicator, changes range from 50 to 350 horse power in the space of a very few seconds, hence the necessity of having the best engines. There is another very important point in the selection of an engine, which is by no means so easily attained this is its economical size.

An engine too large for the work required means a continual waste in operating expense; an engine too small means expensive renewals and inefficiency.

In any proposed cable line the alignment, the curvature, grades, etc., should be thoroughly studied with reference to this point and the plant designed to suit the location. We do not deem it good engineering to design an engine to suit the general average of all the lines in the country."

Thus, from Mr. Hanscom's paper, if an engine were designed to suit the average conditions of all the cable roads in San Francisco, its power would be distributed as follows:

But, if we take the road which has the least per cent. of power expended in moving the cable, the "Geary Street," we shall have :

In this individual case the conditions are better, 49 per cent. being utilized for cars and passengers, as against 43 per cent. in the former case.

On the Olive street cable, St. Louis, Mo., these conditions are still better. Of the total power expended, we have:

For running engines, winding machinery and cables, 43.23 per cent.

Assuming that the winding machinery has been properly designed as to strength, speed, etc., the points for particular attention are the size of drums, the grooves in same, the journal-bearing surfaces and the gearing or method by which power is transmitted from engines to drum-shaft. The tendency of practice is toward large drums. The 10 or 12-foot drums formerly used are being discarded. The grooves wear very considerably, much to the detriment of the cables. With solid cast grooves, 10-foot drums should be turned down to uniform diameters not less than once in 8 to 10 months, with any considerable amount of work done. For driving drums would recommend that they be made

15 to 20 feet in diameter. The journal bearings on the driving drum shaft should be ample; preferably, twice the surface required in ordinary practice. It is essential that these bearings have the least possible wear.

The methods of transmitting power to the driving drum shaft now in use are: spur gearing, belts and cotton ropes. There is a wide difference of opinion among engineers as to which of these is the best. In spur gears, it is safe to avoid the V-shaped teeth. The gear in general use is the straight, cast tooth. It is cheap, and answers the purpose well. There is this objection to it, however, that, in case of any considerable injury to the teeth, the entire wheel must be replaced by a new one. It is also very noisy. The straight wooden gear has the advantage of being easily repaired in case of broken teeth, and is noiseless. It has thus far proved very efficient in cable service.

As to cotton rope transmission, there seems to be a lack of information in this country concerning its efficiency, which has worked against its adoption. It has been in use in England for many years, doing service in some of the largest plants in that country-transmitting as high as 2,500 horse power. Mr. A. G. Brown, in the "American Machinist," says that: "Cotton ropes are largely employed for main drivers, for running traveling cranes, and for intermediate driving of all descriptions, and seem to be growing in favor. There is loss of power, variously estimated at from 5 to 10 per cent., but the ropes run so noiselessly, take up so little room, and can be so easily led where needed, that their good qualities largely redeem this disadvantage. A small loss in power is due to the bending of the ropes around the pulleys, but the greater portion of the loss is occasioned by the wedging of the ropes in the grooves, and the strain required to loosen them. The angle between the sides of the grooves universally employed on rope pulleys in England is 45 degrees, this form having been shown by experience to be preferable to one which would allow slipping, as that not only destroys the rope, but occasions a still greater loss of power." This method has the advantage of being cheap, easily applied and renewed, noiseless, and safer in case of stranded cables bunching in the conduit causing abnormal strains on machinery and cables.

The apparatus for applying tension to the cable should be so adjusted, in combination with the number of wraps of cable on the drums, that there shall be no slipping of the cable under the maximum working load, and so as to allow the cables to slip on the drums in case of strands fouling in the conduit. cables should be allowed to slip on the drums before rupture takes place.

The

The device, usually called the "tension carriage," should have a travel of one per cent. of the length of the cable to allow for stretch of cable; should be accessibly located, with plenty of room around it, and should be designed for easy and rapid handling. It is frequently necessary to slack off" the cable from various causes, and this should be done in the least possible time. The carrying pulleys, main deflection sheaves, and all wheels which support, or in any manner affect, the cable, in and about the power house, should be as large in diameter as convenient handling and renewals will permit, and should be accurately set, and always well-lubricated. The cable should be deflected

from a straight

course as little as possible. This equally applies to all the carrying pulleys, crown sheaves, curve pulleys and depression sheaves on the en

tire line of the cable.