New-York tribune., 1877-06-23
SUBSTITUTES FOR HORSES.

The Sixth Avenue r lilrold Company is said
to be arranging to substitute steam for horse
Uower with some of its cars; the lhld
Avenue CompIny has made application foi the
privilree of trying this experiment; the Second
and Eighth Avenue Companies are reported as
bent on similar quest. A committee OF Alder
men has reported flvoraby on the project, and
elcl railroad company that wants to may put
five stean-cars on It's route. MeanWhle
many people are becoming nervous. They
are sure that an increase ID the number OF street
accidents viii ensue upon those avenues and 1t
Is certainly to DE admitted that the number OF
people-especiaIly of clilnren-whO are manned
or killed by our present street-carS Is quite
sufficient Of the actual number of these occur
rences it is difficult to obtain exact statistics,
as probably not tithe of them ever come
before the law coults; but Judging fIom
the frequency with winch patients thus
ijrred are brought 90 the hospitals, the
street-clr accident is an everyd day affair in this
city, Whether there will be an addition to
this unknown quantity Of accidents when
steam is substituted for horses cannot be
guessed in advance. For long while the
new machines Will be far more carefully
managed than our h0rse-cars now are, because
the public Will be more critically Observant OF
the steam-driven cOnveyances. AL the acci-
dents that occur with them will attract at
tentinn and at least a newspaper record for
several months, until their novelty has worn
away. AS almost all accidents result from
carelessness, and as the careesSness with the
new contriyances will be less than the average,
the probability is that the accidents will be
fewer.
II is scarcely worth while to worry much
about the co sequences Of this project in adj
vance of its execution. To pr0pel cars on street
railroads there have been great variety OF
motors invented; some operated through c0iled
springs wound by steam power at tn sta
tions; some with compressed air enginrs, the
air beng furnished at the starting places:
some by cutchilg endless ropes that were
driven by stationary engines In Paris, mOdl-
fled success has been attained by the substitu-
tion OF ammonia for steam IN engines of pc
culiar cons ructiOn, AMI the experiment is not
vet abandoned The freless eneine," which
was fnlly d ribed about two ,ars ago in
TIE TRIBUNE, had long lease OF life COM
pared with its rivals, and there are still hopes
of its success in New-Orle ms, and also in
PARIS. For several months these engines were
in operation between New-Orleans and Il
suburb They took in at the end stations Il
large quantity of water heated considerably
above its boiling point, from which steam was
given oil during the trip. Arrangements were
made for testing this c0ntrivance on one of
the Brooklyn horse-car routes, but the expert
mental engine explod ID before an attempt
h. h,a, do In hIin \ N
The direct use of the steanl-engine with
street-cars has had numerous trials. Better
fortune is said to have attended this expert
ment in Philadelphia than elsewhere, bus the
attempt is vet too recent for full determina-
ton as to its proltableness In this city Il ear
so driven was tried on the Beeclcr-st. route
with alleged success in mounting steep inclines
and turning short corners; but it never was
heard of afterward. In Brooklyn such ear
was run for several weeks early last year, and
seemed to attract passengers; but il too was
withdrawn afCer n subsequent trial III Pnia-
delphia. In Great Britain bill has been
recently introduced into Parliament by Sir
Charles Addclley to license and regulate the
use of steam upon tramways. The speed to
be permitted is 3 miles per hour i'll ci,ies and
II il the country, and the engine with
its car must have brake-power that can
stop it within its own length when going
at that speed. Noise, steam, and gases
are to be suppressed. a ear which has been
exhibited in London was brought within these
requirements; its tire-box was ut one end the
engine was IA horizontal one, and lay beneath
the floor of the ear. The chief argument IN
favor of the bill in Parliament is that the
measure is one of humanity to horses. 1t is