
City - New York, NY - Broadway cable railroad 1891 - Side by Side

by Mike Savad
Title
City - New York, NY - Broadway cable railroad 1891 - Side by Side
Artist
Mike Savad
Medium
Photograph - Hdr Photography
Description
Hand colored photo from 1891, Sept 16
Original title: Construction of the cable road on Broadway
Photographer: Langill, C. C.
Location: Broadway & East 14th St, NY
A few of those buildings can still be seen today, like the Lincoln Building on the right with its cheerful yellow awnings. The statue of Lincoln, however, has been moved elsewhere. On the left, there are a few other surviving structures. It makes me curious if the pipes shown in the pictures are still there, quietly carrying utilities over the years.
The Broadway Cable Railroad, established in 1891, introduced a unique streetcar system that operated for about a decade. Differing from conventional tracks, it relied on a continuously moving long cable. The train's gripper would securely attach to the cable, allowing for a respectable speed of 30mph. However, a notable drawback was the absence of brakes, except for releasing the cable, which occasionally resulted in passengers being jolted during sharp turns, leading to a notorious section known as "dead man's turn."
This cable system spanned from Bowling Green, situated at the southern tip of Manhattan, and extended uptown to 36th Street. Its installation required street excavation and, in some cases, the repositioning of pipes. The records available mainly document the excavation process, capturing city residents in photographs and showcasing the industrious spirit of the urban population.
The manual labor involved intricate operations performed by hand, delicately adjusting pipes using shims, wedges, and posts. The pipes encompassed various utilities, including gas, water, drainage, and electrical conduits.
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July 1st, 2023
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