, 1874-04-11
STREET L0C0M0Tl0N.
An Invention that Threatens to Super.
sede Horse-Cars.
ID Description of tho One.Ieail fI1lc~
vatod Railway. :
An Experimental Trial To-day.

y
Tracy, md extending from jackson streot to
van 1'fon, has croated IN unlimited amount Of
speculation on the part Of. pasaers-by. During
that period Of time, gang Of workncn quietly
but bteaaily pursued thoir work, and, although
thoy woro unusually uucommunloatiyo on the
aabjoot, 1t gradually leaked cut that tho trostlo-
work and tho prismoidhl mass of timber nailed
to tho top thereof was nothing mora or lass than
tue bod on which to lay tho track. Of aepocinon
saotion Of -:
= ELEVATED STREET CAR RAILWAY.
For those who havo not soon the traok IS at
present completed, tho following description will
convoy an idea Of ita appearance:
All round tho lot, which measures 400 feet In
length By 70 In depth, run the trestles, nude Of
Q By pine slsnbors, 10 fcot In length, tho lower
3 feet Of which aro embodied in tho earth, leav-
ing 10 feet clear standing above ground. Tho
by croea.ttinbaf and i,rhcoB, &iio tho oar:t1 ns
thoir baso has boen thoroughly tanped.. Tho
track which runs along the top Of these trestlos
ie made simply Of lumber Of tho oon1monest
"cull II 1-iuch boards, ,nailed through with ten
ponny nails. Those boards aro laId with 1ointa
80 brokan as to form ono continuous, aold and
immensely strong chord or string Of timber. By
tho placing Of wido boards in tho centro
sides side thIs chord Or track assumes % tho prismatio
or pyramidal shhpo. Upon the apox Of this
prism is spiked a hoavy plate or bar Of iron,
which is rolled into fanges to prevent what
days Of strap-rafI. Tho prism is 4 inchos high
iu the contro and 2 feet wide at tho baso. Tho
iron shoe. or rail ia ~ inches In width aud X
Of all inch In thickness. 30 much of tho nnturs
took the trouble to examine tho track, but for
tho additional Information THE TRIBUNE re-
porter, who waB sont to write up
THE NEW ERA M nA1LRoAnrNo, .
was obliged to call upon AIr, John Fitch, at
tho oillco in tho Pacific Hotel, which that gentle-
mnn was occupying in conjunction with Mr.
Grow, tho inventor. Both gonttemen woro found
to be enthusiastic bolsevotH IN tho now idea, aud
itore. III: Fitch was evidently well pleaaod at
tho myRti0oation which tho trestle-work and
track Ind caused to tho numbers vino viatted 1t
every day, mud their ingonloua Buggeations az to
tho purpoBe to which It would DO nEtimately ap-
piled, Flo thinks that like crowd doubtless ct
such inorodu1ous people assembled on tho dock
OF North River, Now York City, to witnoss tho
wheozing. pufling,. painting Olcrmont, nobort
Fultons first steamboat, which, with wind md
tide favorable. could attain . speed Of four
miles rer hour, and finds comfort in. the rolec-
tion TINT the spinning -jonnyof Richard Ark
wright called forth at first the hearty contempt
OF tho spitaisiod weavera.
e. THE TRACK,
as It at present atands, Is q solid, handsome
structure aurmountod BY complete miniature
road-locomotivo, Weighing 4 tons, With "a
pasHengor-coach attached, foot In Width,
2 tons in weight, and With q capaoty Of scat; scat;
interest partiea who visit tho now experiment to
know that the Same engine and coach have d.
ready been In successful operation IN philadel-
phia during tho past ninety days, upon, u track
tho Philadelphia track 1t has run distance Of
over 1000 miles, and it was thcre TINT Mr. Fitch
first SAW it and nade up his mind that 1t was just
the thing for the City Of Chicago.
wffN
of the prismoidal railroad Ia Mr. Emmo Grew, an
Ohio gentleman, but rccontly resident OF the
State OF Alabama, whore ho porfeetad tho idea
which he originated in tho former State. 1t waB
while riding velooipoda TINT tho idea struck
him that ho could mako ono-rail railroad If
only he could fit eide whoels to insure q steady
bnfance. Ha Roon devised raiBod priHmoid
track, on The sloping stdos q which The stie-
weight would be borne on tho top rail. The
oNE-RA1L RAILROAD
has often boou heard OF, but no record ut tue
Washington Patent oiilce shows anything like
formation OF whoela Which run upon 1t. Ona OF
the greatest advantages to bo derived from the
track is tho exceedingly sharp curves round
hs S IN II" rso
s7>I foot, and it is tho. intention Of h1r.
Fitch to send the engine anl coach round thcBo
g. s rate 81 from vo to ~ aon ta miles ous
sary, while tho cars keep an exact lovol, and
there is no noise OF grooming and grinding wheol-
dauges. It fB the
Of the inventor and Air. Fitch, aud Of many who
have examined the track and tile engino and
cars whiohrun on 1t, that 1t is O physical impos.
aibility for the car to bo thrown oil the track.
So that those who attend at rracy's block thiH
afternoon, whom they SEQ tho locomotive and
coach rushing through mil-alr On d aingle track,
need not pct In the slightest bit alarmed for the
consequences.
" Az q proof OF how deeply in earuaat Arr, Fitch
come
oH1cAao INSTITUTION,
lie purchased cargo OF suitable lumber yester=
day which ia now beng conveyed by the illinois
morning he will begin the laying Of track q
mite in longth. extending from Stony leland ay-
onue, along the aonth eud Of South Park to the
property of John aud T. ]. Fitch, which may DO
raiiroad, extending from South Chicago to the
north end OF Wabash avenue, It IL the inton-
tion to have this rond under way
within ninety dags,z and ready for running
through tho city will bo elevated on elegant iron
pillars, IL feet apart while tho track
will bo constructed in as light and airy style as
will be consistent with strength. At . diHtauco
Of every four Or five blocks spiral staircase will
convoy passengers to q comfortable, waiting
room, where they will await the arrival OF tloir
car, Which, aa tho cara will run by a Timetable
they can calculate to q nicoty. Thoro ia no
doubt thut linu Of this kind would present
MANY ADVANTAGES
over tho atroet-car gyBtom. It would not spoil
tho roadway; it would run faster; thoro would be
none Of the potty annoyances of stopping at
every atreet-cornor to lot in o aow-moving bulk
Of humanity whose presonco In utreot.car al
single fare is . fraud upon the Company and
MI unpunishable breach Of tho cs1lelty-to-a
mal, ordinance; no iteration OF whistles, shroks
and oatha at tardy wagons in front or at crosa.
streets.
hlr. Fitch says that whom his road ia finished
ho will run from the oity-litnita to Lake street
in fifteen minutes. charging only Q 5-cont faro,
II no accompliBhoa this, the
uI!TIMHrE SUCCESS
good it will accomplish III Ohioago beyond oom-
pute, 1t Is but fair to atate that the bulk Of the
many who hayo called upon tho office OF the
promoters Of tho now enterprise haya regarded
It rs a y9ry llkoy ylooting project, mud have only
loeomotiye wiIl be put in motion, aud tue praott-
eabiiity OF tho limo fully aet forth. III connoc-
}ior, ~,