The New York herald., 1868-11-18

platforms being inteposcd to raise the from the
foo. OF one incline to the head OF tho next In other
words. the car runs down hill all the way being ele
waited to the top Of the succeeding hill when the bot
tom OF the FIRST Is reached. The cevating platforms
are to be operated by compressed air. which lifts a
piston-head working perpendicuary in an upright
cylinder the platform being attached directly To the
piston-rod and kept in its proper place by guides
The ar is compressed at the end Of the route by sta
tionary engine operating powerful air pumps, which
force the compressed air into large iron boiler or
receiver. To this receiver is attached an ordinary
steam pipe of say two inches In diameter, which
runs the entire length OF the road and provided
with the necessary branch pipes and valves to con-
compressed air to them as. required The
pressure throughout the length OF the pipe
receiver To weigh ana
hold forty passengers the total weight to be raised
would be about $500 pounds. Now, II the diameter
Of the cylinder of each elevator should be twenty
inches the number Of square inches contained In the
pstonhead would be nearly 400, and, with ntty
force would be nearly 10000 pounds, or more than
twice the force required. This would insure rapid
patons oIdne loaded cars could be elevated at
speed equal to one foot per second OF time That
car Will descend an inclined plane BY Its own
gravity is undoubtcd, and that this mode OF progress
sion Is superior to others on many accounts (where
u can be practically used, can scarcely DO qucs-
toned. The points TO be determined in this connec
ton are-what grade does the incline requireY and
can that grade be obtained without starting from an
elevation which would render the whole plan i'm
practicabeY After high degree OF momentum has
been once obtained by the car very slight descent
win suffice to keep up its speed bur In order to 90.
grade must be considerably greater. This can be
provided for by regulating the grade Of the inclines
grade OF sixty feet to the mile, and reducing the
scale nearly dead level at the end OF the section
however, be removed by using some mechanical
means Of starting the car quickly and to effect this
the following ls proposed by the iIventor:--Aftera
ring on The end OF It, into hook fastahed on the
under part OF the car; this rope runs along the track
some fifty feet then over loose pulley, aud TO 1t is
attached an iron weight OF say LOCO pounds, which
is suspended from 1t, sliding down oiled guides TO
the ground The brakes being loosened, the I'M
medlately starts forward down the incline, its speed
accelerated by the steady dead weight or 100
& ne pUwer t % ss nnag Msg. ~ 1bs
| the ring slides OF the hook tits direction being
| changed) and the car proceeds rapidly alone on
| its descent, The weight Is Immediately hoiHted
again into position by the descending platform for
succeeding car. To effect an Immediate descent Of
cylinders, after the compressed ar has been let out
| may be exhausted by having second pipe running
e nre cm oi ro rS which ,e ap h.a een "a
| moved by an air pump, worked by the same engine
which operates the compressing pumps. by thus
an exhaustive force Of about eight pounds TO the
square inch could easily he obtained which would
suck the platform down instantly with weight OF
air upon 1t OF over 5000 pounds, In addi-
tlon to the actual weight OF the PLATFORM This
would insure the immediate ascent OF the 1000
pound weight, ready to DO attached 10 the sue
| ceeding car at the summit Of the plane by using
psae or Of sver move Claimed st cars
follow each other as rapidly as one in IN eyery two
minutes with perfect safety. On the Erie Railroad
| q grade OF thirty feet to the mile will az
quire speed 50 great as , to require an On
Is therefore probable, that should proper OF
starting the car be adopted It VIII be found that
ming down almost to level will be ample. In order
| to show what elevation would be necessary, ana
what would be the4fadlai descent o. grade for such
tons are supposed TO be one mile long aud the low
est point OF the track 12h feet above the street.
10 42 feet 70 the miles the second 200 feet NJ
low fall OF feet, equal to 28,s feet 70 the mile;
on the third 1000 feet allow fall OF - feet equal
TO ls feet to the mile; on the fourth 1000 feet al
low ~ feet, equal 10 13z feet TO the mile; on the
%s s9w Sne ms @ g. feet EQUAL sSs e %
feet; elevation above street, 2x feet; total eleva-
tion Of highest point, sa feet; Of lowest point ~.
locate the stations which situated at the end a
the sections, one-half mile apart instead OF one
same grade can bc retained and st the total fall
reduced TO one-half OF twenty0ne feet, viz.:Half
%s fees sss ss rsas @ iS ans I e% ee'son @ to s0Gys
. feet; Of lowest point, i2%. The cost
from a. feet to iax feet Will Of course be very much
less than building at elevation Of from % feet
to I2lS feet Tie route should be selected line
AZ free as possible from differences In elevation, OF
n the surface lies III short, wavy lines two points
preper distances for stations and ordinary dcpres-
sions elevations between those points would not
then be so important. Should however, the road
be built on the streets fronting the two rivers u
level would be obtained all around the island, or
nearly So The structure need not be built 20 mas
sively IN at first glance might appear 10 be neces
sary. where locomotive power or traction ropes
used, the Jar resistance, wear and friction are very
track sa bsng true and Se oiled the friction Would
be but little and the weight TO be sustained small, ~
the cars proceed singy. In the construction OF che
road IL Is claimed that single line Of iron columns,
running on each side OF the street. and braced
transversely across the street by iron grid.
er and longitudlnary TO each other said
columns being thirty feet apart, would be sum
clently strong 70 hold up two tracks, ono running
street The columns to have broad nat bases resting
on solid masonry foundations, and TO have branches
ju.ting on into the earth, Just below the surface:
the columns could neither sink nor incline. Whether
this mode OF construction would be preferable TO lay.
ing the track on light trclls work on each sue OF
the street would be a question for the constructing
engineer after deciding upon the line OF the route.
Some simple means o. ,soad af be sdopea
although precautions OF this character woud almost
seem TO be unnecessary as inc roaa woua 9e IN, neay
sence OF ali force jerking or sudden starting would
make It difncult TO throw car on properly con.
water Contained in pipes running through them,
which may DO replcnished from tank Of the end oi
the route after each TRIP Passengers enter and
leave the car, after il has run down tho incline
10 the eevating platform, by staircase and gate
leading l2H feet up from the street; they arc
then elevated In the car 70 the head OF the incline.
IL seems hardly possible that any system could Do
devised by which cars could be run at anything Ike
the coat OF operating this road. IL n claimed that
but two men would be needed at each stopping
station one 20 take the and another to operate
the elevator: and each car would require but one
man 10 work the brakes, OF which there should be
two distinct sets. The cost Of operating the road
would therefore DO 80 small that the fare could be
nut e such Z low rate ~ 70 be within the means
Tor daily use Of the working classes, and stock
holders would receive the principal part OF the re-
ceipte instead Of having them absorbed In running
expenses. Tho inventor also claims that this mode
Of transit can be applied to suspension bridges, con-
each end Of the bridge being alone required TO oper
ste the road Passengers could in this way be car.
cost, Also that this system = wen adapted 70