[PRCo] Re: Amazing 1906 Cable Car Movie Taken prior to Earthquake

Tue Feb 2 13:17:07 EST 2010

Mr.Dietrich;

It was not uncommon for people to jump aboard as the
car was manually pushed by the operator and conductor
from the turntable to the track;  people were intent on securing
prime riding positions on the running board weren't they.
Otherwise cables stopped at 'stops' like all other transit.
The occasional regular rider knew how to enter or exit a 
very slow moving car but all would have trouble on a car
moving 9-mph.  Following the cable rebuild in the 1980s
psgrs. were forbidden to board until the car was off the
turntable and stopped on the track;  the former practice
took a toll on the operators.

Perception of events is just that - perception - and often well
out of tune with reality.  Watch most any old railfan silent movies
and they shall be similar to this cable movie in many ways.
One can't discern speed nor can stopping and restarting be
positively identified and this is true with both silent and sound
movies.  So called rules of the road were being written in those
days.  What appears to be a close call in the movie may reveal
more than ample room in person.  Tracks often were the easiest
place for a buggy in days of mud streets.

As I have mentioned before the lowest common denominator in
all experiences in life is 'people' and people are people are people
regardless of location or time.  The situations are very similar 
throughout time it is just the 'hardware' that changes from chariot
to buggy to horsecar to cable to electric car to auto etc.

As with other cities SF had horsecars, steam dummies and other
forms of transport.  Cables started in 1873;  there were a variety
of companies in the business weren't there.  Mr.Smallwood says
this on pg.17 of his book:  "The Omnibus Cable Company went the
distinction of building the last cable lines in San Francisco;  they
were, it is worthy to note, short-lived--for they were constructed
on the eve of the birth of electric traction."

The first electric line in 1891 was the forerunner of the San Mateo
Interurban.  1893 saw the first large consolidation of rwys;  Market
St.Rwy Co. took over all but the Interurban and the Sutter, Geary,
California, and Union cable lines.  MSR firm believer in electric
trolley cars - all from pg.21

United RR took over MSR and other private concerns in 1902.
A few private companies still existed.  158-miles of the 226-single
track miles were electric, 52-miles cable, 12-miles steam, and
4-miles horse.  Conversion to electric proceeded at a fast pace
but the SF Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in 1891
(apparently pushed by Merchants) to keep electric wires off
Market Street.  This act was actually for the whole downtown SF
but it was amended in 1892 to allow electric on side streets.
This from pg.39.

The 1906 disaster completely destroyed the winding machinery
for the Market and Sutter Streets cables.  The Powell cable system
was laid waste.  The trolley car system saw some damage but
no where near the extent of the cable systems.

This allowed a 'temporary' permit to string overhead on market
as cable tracks were considerably twisted.  It was 9-days after
the quake when the first service resumed on Fillmore.  Jan-1907
saw very limited Powell cable operation.  These 2-paragraphs
from pg.41.

Nothing is specifically mentioned about salvaged rail / track.
One photos on pg.43 'suggests' totally new rail and track at
least in this location on Market.

Pg.46 mentions that between 1908-1912 improvements were
made including heavier rail.  First electric cars were light, sometimes
converted cable cars but otherwise about the same size;
later cars were considerably more heavy.  The first cars on the
new Muni in 1912 were in the vicinity of 40,000--50,000# 
weren't they.

 Phil

________________________________
From: BobDietrich <bob.dietrich1 at verizon.net>
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Sent: Tue, February 2, 2010 6:35:19 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fwd: Amazing 1906 Cable Car Movie Taken prior to Earthquake

When I was here in the 60's the cable car didn't stop for passengers.
People just hopped on and off.  It got a little dicey when 50 people were
vying for 40 spots on the running board.

I did notice that the car in the other direction seemed to stop for the lady
in the long dress at the end of the video.  It was probably done at the
discretion of the cable yanker.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of
Schneider Fred
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 8:00 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fwd: Amazing 1906 Cable Car Movie Taken prior to
Earthquake

You are the second person, Bob,

who told me the same thing.   My friend Bruce Bente, who was sent a  
private copy came back the same way.   He wondered, however, how  
people got on because it didn't stop.   I suggested it was a charter  
for the cameraman.

But it is true ... they all understood exactly what 9 miles per hour  
or 13 feet per second is.

Fred

On Feb 1, 2010, at 4:47 PM, BobDietrich wrote:

> There were two absolutes in those days - the speed of the cable car  
> and
> where it was going.  It appears that everyone had those figured out  
> to the
> foot.  I wonder what kind of rig they had on that cable car to  
> record the
> action.  Everyone was watching, or performing for, the camera.  I  
> liked the
> kid riding his bile IN the cable opening.
>
> Bob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of
> Schneider Fred
> Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 4:19 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Cc: Skip Gatermann
> Subject: [PRCo] Fwd: Amazing 1906 Cable Car Movie Taken prior to  
> Earthquake
>
> Yes, guys, I know it isn't Pittsburgh.   Let's broaden the horizons a
> little.   This is a great film strip that Skip Gaterman, a retired
> St. Louis school teacher, found on the internet.
>   Whether or not this was only a few days before the April 18, 1906
> earthquake, it was before the earthquake.   Most of the cable lines
> were never restored after the tremblor.  It was cheaper to hang wires
> over the streets and bond the rail joints.
> Furthermore, by 1907 we were into the era of much more powerful
> interpole traction motors.
>
> I think the most amazing aspect of this film is not the cables but
> how the antics of motorists were choreographed.   Compared to the way
> we drive today according to rules, one would think they were all high
> on something.
>
> And before you shun this ... remember that Pittsburgh also had cables
> on Butler St., Liberty Avenue, Center and Herron and Fifth Avenue.
>
> Click and enjoy.
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Skip Gatermann <biker4 at sbcglobal.net>
>
> Subject: Amazing 1906 Cable Car Movie Taken prior to Earthquake
>
> http://www.flixxy.com/san-francisco-1905-historical-footage.htm
>
> The earthquake aftermath in 1906
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH4F91oARtE
>
>
>
>
> Other inclines:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T3SC_HhWEk
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZC4B90_yQ
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihkdSIBP_t4&feature=fvw
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o__Xh5UcPig&feature=related