The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-23
A Novelty In Locomotion,
CARS WITHOUT WHEELS GLIDING OVER A
REVOLVING TRACK.

[From the Jersey City Times, February Al
The demand for quick transit in New
York city has brought out many ingenious
inventions. The latest is that Of General
Imboden, of Richmond, Virginia, which
can scarcely be described without illustra-
tions. The structure or carryingway is to
be a wire suspension bridge, running the
whole length of the city, supported by
iron columns one hundred feet apart,
twenty-five feet high, resting upon granite
pedestals on the line of the curhstones on
both sides of the street. A light ornamen-
tai iron arch springs from the top of these
columns, and spanning the street, supports
the iron piers over which the wire cables
are stretched.
One of these cables is over the axis Of
the street, the other two are halfway be-
tween this and the supporting columns.
Immediately under these cables and at
tached to them, are the glides to which the
tracks are suspended--ono for the down
trains, and the other for the trains going
up town. The track or roadway is the
most striking novelty of the invention. 1t
is composed of pairs Of rollers similar to
car-wheels, secured upon suitable axle,
which revolves upon ordinary friction
rollers. This rotary track has its wheels
ten feet apart, and under it the cars are
suspended by rails thirty-two feet long,
that glide over the rollers with perfect
freedom and safety. Six strong elliptic
springs connect these rails with the cars,
and will insure motion almost as soft as
the undulatons of a boat.
The motive power is supplied by sta
tionary engines, located in buildings or
under the streets. These engines are. one
mile apart, and propel an endless wire
cable or chain around light horizontal
drums, sixteen feet in diameter. The at
tachment to the car is so simple that boy
ten years old can work it, and the cable is
SO constructed as not to be liable to get
out of order or break but If such an &C
cident should occur, new cable being
ready, can be put in 10 few minutes.
The cars are intended to be thirty feet
long and ten feet wide, divided into three
compartments and seating comfortably for
ty-two passengers each. They may run
singly or ID traips, aud safely at the rate
Of thirty mics 40 hour The stations it
is proposed To locate at about equal dis
tances Of halt u.ile apart; aud spanning
cross streets, theys vii obstruct no bust
ness place. Has bottom Of the cars will
swing sixteen fee above the surface Of the
street, thus iog al the stages and
wagons passing under them. Gen. limbo
den claims that the operation Of the road
will be almost uoiseless and not likely Il
frighten horses.
The whole structure is light, gracelu
and ornamental, aud does not obstruct the
street any more than telegraph poles
which, by the way, as we'll as lamp posts
may all be dispensed with alang the line
and this structure used Instead, Superio
cheapness, speed, safety and capacity ar
claimed for this novelty, as well as that j
will require the minimum amount o
power and can never be a nuisance to foo
passengers nor to the occupants OF house
along the line. 1t in no wise resemble
the two other elevated railways in Ne'
York.