. The street railway review . Co., of which the leading spirit was Mr. NehemiahHolmes, father of Messrs. W. H. and C. F. Holmes, now presi-dent and general manager, respectively, of the Metropolitan com-pany. The first cable line was commenced in the fall of 1882,and in June, 1S85, was opened for travel from the Union Depot,over the viaduct, to Eighth St. and Woodland Ave. This enter-prise was one of the boldest engineering feats of recent times andits successful completion was due to the inventive skill and per-sonal efforts of Mr. Robert Gillham, who early in 1878 conceivedthe scheme of a ca
. The street railway review . Co., of which the leading spirit was Mr. NehemiahHolmes, father of Messrs. W. H. and C. F. Holmes, now presi-dent and general manager, respectively, of the Metropolitan com-pany. The first cable line was commenced in the fall of 1882,and in June, 1S85, was opened for travel from the Union Depot,over the viaduct, to Eighth St. and Woodland Ave. This enter-prise was one of the boldest engineering feats of recent times andits successful completion was due to the inventive skill and per-sonal efforts of Mr. Robert Gillham, who early in 1878 conceivedthe scheme of a cable railway to connect the Union Depot in theWest Bottoms with the city proper on the cliffs above. The onlymeans of making the trip at that time was by rickety bob-tail carsnominally operated by mule power, which was usually reinforced,however, by the combined efforts of the passengers on the up line was barely earning enough to feed the mules. Mr. Gill-ham spent four years in attempting to interest capital in his. F. HOLMES,(ieneral Manat^er. experimental purposes. The power house was a frame dwellingnear 39th St. and Broadway, and the generator was driven by anold portable threshing machine engine that had been purchasedfrom a junk dealer. The 2,000-lb. motor was placed on the frontplatiorm without counterweight on the other end, and must hav»made the little i6-ft. car look as though it was trying to plough ahole in the ground. Possibly the idea was suggested to the earlystockholders who were furnishing the capital that it was trying todig its own grave. The motor armature revolved constantly andthe car was started and stopped by throwing the armature shaftinto or out of gear with the axles. There were about 30 gearwheels. These experiments did little more than prove that cars run by electricity from an overhead trolley, but this was atremendous step. Mr. Henry continued in his work and was soonable to demonstrate his ability to construct an electr
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Keywords: ., book, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectstreetrailroads
