New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-27
Especial Correspondence Of the Republican,
CENTENNIAL NOTES.
PHILADELPHIA, August %, 1876.

L kCPOOsOA
CENTENNIAL NOTES.
PHILADELPHIA, August %, 1876.
Unfortunately the day selected a. tria
day for the reduced entrance fees was
rainy one, and can hardly be called fail
trial, as hundreds who would have taken
advantage of it were compelled to stay
at home. The entire number of admissions
was over 10000. Of this number Sc, AIS
were cash and $500 tree. The cash admis
sions on the previous Saturday we're only
S.l4S, showing that the receipts were CON
siderably increased even at the reduced rate
OF twenty-five cents on rainy day.
Steinway's piano works on Long Island
sent over an excursion of about 1000 per
sons. The children were increased three
fold, and there is much complaint from
them that only school children are allo wed
to enter under the twenty-five cent rule.
There is no reason tor the commissioners to
feel dissatisfied with the first experiment.
The receipts were increased, and if the re-
naming Saturdays are made half-fare DAYS,
it will enable twice the number of persons
to visit the exposition, pay the commission
ers and please the people.
The proposition to adopt new mo tive
power for street railways has been acted
upon by the Market Street line, they havin &
for the last three weeks used the DUNN
engine. 1t has become general favor ite,
and will eventually succeed horse power {.
1 send you the following description of its
merits:
The Baldwin car was built last Novem-
Der, in the Baldwin works in this city. The
car iQowned by the firm and was first run
last fall on the West End railway. 1t wa
then taken to Brooklyn, and was used there
during the winter. It is of ordinary size,
sixteen feet long. The two cylinders, each
six inches in diameter, with a ten.inch
stroke, are beneath the car. The upright
boiler stands as if in the doorway of an or
dinaly horse car, half within and half with
ont. The valves and levers are in front, the
front platform being not unlike those of or
binary cars. The inner half of the boil or
projecting into the car, occupies little 70 ON
and is covered with mirrors; and by the
unobserving they might be regarded as
ornamental features of the car. To be
shut off from the chatter of horses and the
shouts of drivers is decided improvement
in street Car travel. The much fea red
smoke nuisance is entirely avoided by the
use of anthracite COAL and the noise usually
proceeding from locomotive is prevented
by noiseless exhaust, an original device
perfected by the Baldwin Works. The
noise which it was feared would frighte
women, children and horses, has been
shown to be ohimers, and, in response to
numerous requests of those living on the
line of the road, the cars have been pro-
vided with bells to warn people from the
track. The temperature, too, can be
greatly improved in cold weather by the
heat of the boiler. The average cost of the
$1,000. Eight horses day are required for
each car, which have combined value of
$l0S0, and four sets of harness at $50
make the entire cost 5000. The stea m
cars, ready for use, can be built for abo ut
$500. The horse cars last, on an average
about ten years; the self-propelling ma
chine as long or longer: aud when it is con
sidered that the average life of the
car horse is only about three years
it will be seen that. as regards first cost,
the steam cars have a decided advantage.
When comparison of current running ex.
penses is made, the practical superiority OF
the steam car is still more apparent. The
car now running on Market street consumes
about 500 pounds of anthracite coal a day,
worth 81 IS. The daily expense of feeding
and care for eight horses in the stables of
the West Philadelphia Railroad Company
is 81 40, or a yearly difference in favor of
the steamer of $l0O3 IS. No account is here
taken of the stables, etc. The number of
men required for running the steam car is the
same as that for the horse cara condu ct
or and q driver. The superintendent of
the Baldwin works says that the car now
in use in Market street has been run " it'll
out difficulty twenty miles an hour. The
president of the West Philadelphia Railway
Company is much pleased, and an easy sol u
ton Of problem that has engaged the mind
of many people for years appears to ha We
b sen reached. The Baldwin steamer is at
tracing attention in other cities, and one of
them has been ordered by the Citizens,
Passenger Railway Company of Baltimore.
Some Cuban gentlemen here have q steam
motor, constructed on the same principle,
to be used in drawing cars in the stree is of
Havana.
Attendance has increased wonde rfully.
and the international rowing matches are
many enthusiastic visito rs.
ANXIOUS.
The New York Democracy Embarras ed.
The New York Herald of the twenty fifth
in discussing, editorially, the political 81 tua
ton in that State, says that it will p uzzle
the Democratic State Convention at Sara
toga this week to find candidate for Gov
ernor who is as strong in his own party as
Morgan is in the Republican party. The
Herald considers that there are only two
eliQiblo candidates. L;eutenant GOvernor