CABLE TRAMWAYS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 October 1882, Page 2

CABLE TRAMWAYS.

■ A citizen of the United: States,; who haß recently returned to that country from a lengthened visit to Australia, writes as follows in' a private 'letter from San 'Francisco,, under data July -,2oth:—" San Francisco has very much improved jinoe I wos last; here,,but jb not so populated as Melbourne, the numbers, according to the last bensip. being 234,000 .: Melbourne is far ahead of San- Francisco in •straits md pavement}, and taking everythibj" into, consideration, it is a mora beautiful city, having drainage: vLtrust .that ; when yon get street railroads you will adopt' the cable system. It is without doubt the most perfect, moat comfortable, and most: ornamental mode of locomotion for' cities that modern skill has yet derived.! Lines using'running cables' are the' best paying m ;; the" end"- How"convenient'."it would be to have this ■'. system in operation in siich thoroughfares as Bourke-street; Collins-street, Flinders-street, ; and the St Hilda road. Mr Scott, an engineer m the. service of the Government of New South Wales, is ii> San Francisco. He is inspecting the various lines of street railroads, and making himself acquainted with the working of the cable system. He has been directed, I am informed, by his Government to procure plans and spaci- , fic'atiohs, with the view of replacing the barharous tramway system in operation |'in Sydney with one more in accord with | modem usage. Thero are numerous American capitalists here who would only be too clad of the. chance to construct a cable-road iu Melbourne," The system referred Id was first introduced into San Faancisco for hauling Iramcars up and down Btreets which were too steep for horses, and is similar to that, in use on theßoslyn tramway-line, Dunedin. | The cables have since been extended to level (Streets in Ataerioan towns, but we'bave : not yet reached that pitch of enterprise in the Australian Colonies. The cables are kept in constant motion by stationary