Chicago Elevated Terminal Railway Company

"The subject of "elevated railway terminals” is one to which I have given much stody during the last ten years and the company of which I am president is about to construct an elevated terminal railway with accommodations for 10 or 12 trunk lines in the southern division of the city. It is proposed that the elevated tracks of the Chicago Elevated Terminal Railway company shall be carried upon an iron or steel structure through the more thickly populated portion of the city, and upon brick or stone arches at points where that construction can be used to better advantage,' as practiced in Philadelphia, Jersey City and in London and other European cities. The heaviest ongines running at the highest rate of speed can enter the city at from 40 to 50 miles per hour if desired. It is also proposed to construct in connection with the elevated railway and terminal system inclosed freight yards at street grade, but in no case crossing a street with any tracks at grade, using hydraulic lifts for the transfer of freight cars from the elevated tracks to the inclosed yards on the street level.

This plan will practically abolish the use of switch engines within the city. It is purposed to construct at the most convenient points freight houses eight stories high, arranged to handle separately incoming and outgoing freight for the exclusive use of the several railroads using the elevated terminals of this company. There will be connected with each freight house six hydraulic elevators for team purposes, so that & truck coming to the depot with a load of freight may be driven upon the platform of the elevator, which will be an inclosed cage, and elevated to the floor 88asigned to that particular class of freight.

The elevated terminal at the Broad street station in London covers about 11 acres. The upper level of this elevated freight terminal is used as a switching yard for the receipt and delivery of the freight cars that are lowered to the street level some 25 feet below by means of powerful hydraulic lifts that will hoist a car in 20 seconds. Including all delays in placing and transferring the cars the capacity of each elevator is from 45 to 50 cars per hour. In Paris there is a similar system of freight terminals equipped with hydraulic lifts. It may be remarked that the freight terminals are worked to their foll capacity only during the night.

The North London railway at the Broad street station has a road only 12 miles long, but operates trains from other lines and occupies a position similar to the Chicago & Western Indiana railway. Over 1,500 trains per day are handled by this line in this Broad street station. The Union passenger station of our company will not have less than 12 and probably 14 tracks, with combination transfer and turntables operated by both electric and hydraulic power. Recent practice upon the elevated roads in New York and at several of the more prominent London stations has demonstrated the fact that with a system of elevated and unobstructed tracks as is now proposed full-length 81 press and suburban passenger trains can be dispatched from this Union station at intervals not to exceed three to five minutes.

Some objection has been made to a system of elevated terminals because it was alleged that manufacturers along the elevated road would be deprived of service and could not receive in or load out of their premises cars loaded with merchandise. The contrary has been found to be the fact. One of the great advantages to be obtained by the industries to be located opon the elevated railway lines of this company in or Dear the city of Chicago will be that instead of occupying a very large surface area with side tracks and switches, and having to wait for switching to be done by the railroad company, hydraulic capstans will be placed at different points of the industries and the cars will be raised or lowered on a hydraulic elevator from the elevated railway tracks to the level desired. The industries can also use the capstans to do their switching without the assistance of a locomotive or switch gang. Power for the capstans will be furnished from the central hydraulic station of the railroad company."