THE KANSAS CITY CABLE RAILWAY. 469 
the east side of the waiting-room a continuous span, without intermediate supports, 
■of one hundred and eighty-five feet, is made, which crosses over and above the 
railway tracks that enter Union Depot. This span is supported at Union Avenue 
upon wrought iron columns, and the opposite end at Bluff Street upon a stone 
pier. The summit of the road and bluff is attained at Penn Street 189 feet above 
Union Avenue, or 166 feet above the track level at waiting-room. 
From the centre of the main span mentioned the road begins to ascend the 
bluff on an inclination of 19 feet in 100 feet for a distance of 753 feet; from this 
point, which is the west line of Jefferson Street, the road continues on an ascend- 
ing grade of about 12 feet in 100 feet for a distance of about 300 feet, to the sum- 
mit of the bluff at Penn Street, 166 feet above the track -level at station referred 
to. From this street the road descends on an inclination of 11. 5 feet in 100 feet, 
-distance 300 feet to the engine house, the external dimension being 90x144 feet. 
The main floor is 141 feet above track-level at Union Avenue and 57 feet above 
the next lowest point in road at Main Street. 
The basement of engine house is divided into three rooms, the east room as 
a boiler room, having six steel boilers, and also coal vaults. In the middle room 
are placed two 250-horse power engines and all the driving machinery, and ten- 
sion apparatus. The west room will be used as a machine and repair shop. The 
•driving machinery is arranged upon a large cast-iron girder bed-plate with two 
sets of driving-drums, around which the cables pass in propelling cars, either 
pair of drums can be put in motion at pleasure by means of a patent screw-clutch, 
which throws the drums into or out of gear. One pair of drums imparts motion 
to one cable while the other pair remains idle and the cable motionless. 
If the cable in motion becomes damaged by accident, it is immediately 
stopped and the other drums thrown into gear, thus giving motion to the dupli- 
cate table. Another feature not the least interesting is a little stationary engine 
fixed to the bed-plate of the driving machinery, of sufficient power to move slowly 
either sets of drums and cables without the additional load of cars gripping the 
cable. One set of drums being in motion thus, propelling cars on the street, the 
little engine is put in motion and the other cable not in use moves slowly into 
the house and is carefully inspected and all defects repaired, at will. 
On all other roads this inspection must be done between 12 o'clock midnight 
and 5 o'clock next morning, as the cables move too rapidly while propelling cars 
to be inspected, and if inspected during the daytime travel would be stopped. 
This illustrates the advantage of duplicate cables over the single-cable system. 
The main floor of the engine house, on a level with the street grade, is used 
as storage for cars ; the next story as a paint and carpenter shop, etc. In front of 
the engine house the whole roadway of the street is carried on wrought iron x 
beams placed proper distances apart for strength and arched between, upon 
which the paving is placed, there being large vaults beneath the roadway con- 
taining machinery pertaining to the road. There are two curves in the road. 
The changing of cars from one track to the other will be done by gravity, thus 
dispensing with turn-tables. 
