ELECTRIC TRAMS

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 576, 21 November 1902, Page 3

ELECTRIC TRAMS

A lady correspondent of the Tunes gives the following description of the installation of the electric tram service in AucKiand Great excitement prevailed in t-iic Queen City of the ixortli on Monday, between the hour of one and two in tie day.. 'I he long-talkeu-of electric trains ' made their nr.st appearance. Kor months p a st the patient, people of Auckland trad wearily submitted to all sorts of discomforts wmie preparations were being made to replace the jaded tram-horses with the most modern motive power. "Vear in, year out, had the noble animals toiled in the carrying of people to and Iro, up and down the heavy grades—in tne coul wintry days and m the sweltering heat of summer. Kor the sake of the poor horses the change was welcomed ,aud for the sake of the people generally the improvement was hailed as a boon—a something tor which we might well meekly submit to much preliminary discomfort in the way of torn -up streets ami obstacles and impedimenta in every direction. At last came the fulfilment, of the promises made. The first appearance of the new electric cars created a great sensation. People flocked to Queen street, and remained there from noon as if they expected to ,see the Prince of Wales pass by. The opening of the Gisborne-Ormond railway was for the nonce relegated to the shade, and only the Mold celebration in the dim and distant future can beat it. Six smartcars, eacli filled with men, passed up the city in quick succession. The cars seemed a hit wobbly in the rounding of the Wellesley street corner, but- it was lovclv to see them smoothly gliding up the hill. They ieft their occupants at the Choral Ilall, where there was “ toasting ’- and speechifying, and where everybody expressed himself as very pleased with everyone else and in no way displeased with the good things provided for the auspicious occasion. The cars all came down the citv again, just for style—and it w.ys gran’. Beils rang, the light flashed from ‘bran-new hardware, horses shied, and everybody dashed out of the way, or with: more promptitude got into the line ot danger and had to be unceremoniously hustled aside. In addition to tho police officers on foot, a patrol of mounted constables was on duty to keep the intelligent British public from rushing into danger. The cars themselves are just like railway carnages, the seats being placed across, with a division down the centre, the door being at the end, leading on to the platform, which has an iron chain around each side, so that passengers will not be able to jump on or off- At present tho electric tram is a great novelty m Auckland, but it is already warmly appreciated, and in a week or two our civic dignitaries will be am a zed and will marvel that for so many years our proud city was content with the antiquated style of putting such heavy buidens on the poor, dumb animals, when the modern contrivances were so easily obtainable.

The British public uses up noatly 800 tons of cardboard yearly in the form of postcards. An auxiliary screw steamer now unload* mg at Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, utilises as a funnel one of its masts, which is rigged to carry tho usual complement of sails. Tho Boulogne to Paris mail express ou September 25 made a record, travelling at an average spued of 03 miles an hour. The boat was Into iu arriving from Folkestone, and so tho train could not start until 46 minutes after the correct startingtime. Tho engine-driver drove his engiue to mako up tao lost time, and arrived in Paris to tho minute. Tile record is believed to be tho host iu the world. The distance from Boulogne to Paris is 139 miles, and tho speed of 68 miles an hour averaged throughout tho journey beats all previous French records by a largo margin.