Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-30
New Motive Power for Street Cars.


From the N. o. Picayune. July l0.l
Quite large number Of persons were
drawn together yesterday evening to wit
ness the trial Of the car Of the Pneumstic
Propelling Company, which has been in.
preparation for some time at the stables
of the Tchoupitoulas street Railroad, be-
tween Jackson and Phillip streets. En-
tering the stables some time before the
hour announced for, the trial, we were
fortunate enough to make the acquaint.
ance Of the inventor Of the new method
Of applying compressed air to the purpose
Of propelling street cars, Mr.. G. w. Way.
lie. He is the inventor Of Waylie's cele-
brated cotton tie, and several other valu-
able inventions. In recent tour through
Europe he paid particular attention to all
the pneumatic railways, and determined
to make an improvement thereon.
The present apparatus for compressing
the air, the tanks or cylinders for con-
tanning the air, the car truck, etc., are all
extremely rough, being merely designed
to prove the practicability of his theory.
The little four,horse power engine
which was used yesterday was scarcely
powerful enough to compress eighty
pounds of air to the square inch into the
large iron cylinders that we're placed
upon car truck for experimental pur-
poses. In front Of the truck, about where
the driver stands, was very neat little
engine that took up but small space, and
was readily managed by one person. 1t
being impossible to get much greater
pressure than eighty pounds with the
small engine, the experiment was made
with thai, the truck moving rapidly along,
Notwithstanding the cumbersome iron
cylinders and large crowd upon it, thus
demonstrating the entire feasibility of
Mr.. Waylie's idea. In conversation with
the inventor, we ELECTED, in substance,
the following general ideas:
In the car station there is to be an or
dinary steam engine of about sixty
horse power, which is to be used for the
purpose of comprising air into the two
reservoirs, which are to be made of paper
and placed on the top of the cars. On
each car there is to be small engine
operated by the air in the reservoir, in
the same manner as steam, and giving
the same amount of power as was re-
quired to compress the air. The great
difficulty which has been encountered, of
radiating the heat in COMPRISING air,
has been overcome by a most ingenious
invention of Mr.. Waylie, which renders
the use of compressed air perfectly prac-
ticable. fat
The engines to be used on the cars can
be managed by man of ordinary intel
ligence, and the cars started and stopped
much more readily than where animals
are used the brakes can be applied at
once, and the engine reversed if neces'
sary to stop suddenly. Each car on
starting will have three hundred pounds
pressure Of compressed air, which will
be amply sufficient to run it eight or ten
miles, and the air exhausted from the en-
CINE can be used for ventilsting pur.
poses, as escaping after having been
compressed almost without heat, it natu-
rally absorbs the heat from the surround.
ing atmosphere, thereby producing cold.
Thirty pounds of pressure will be more
than equivalent to the power of one mule.
When this system is adopted in New
Orleaps-and we think there can be no
doubt that it will ultimately supercede all
other prevailing systems both here and
elsewhere--it will cause at least 5000
mules that are in daily use now in the
cars TO be sent into the country, thereby
giving cheap animals to the planters,
who will make them producers of grain
instead of being consumers alone. lp
New York there are some 10000 animals
employed in the various car lines, and
all these with thousands Of others will
ultimately 60 to making crops.
Each car by this process can be run
about seven dollars cheaper per diem
than at present, there will be less danger
of accidents, and more uniform rate of
speed can be maintained.
We learn that Mr.. Waylie has secured
the patent right for this invention, and
that stock company has already been
formed for placing this power upon cars
now drawn by animals No change will
be necessary in the construction of the
present cars