The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-24
MAKING AIR POWER USEFUL.
Neither Horses Nor Noise on the Second
Avenue Lfne-Cars From Harlem 70
the city Hall at the rate ofForty Miles
an HOur.


Avenue Line-Cars Prom Harlem 20
the City Hall at the rate of Forty Miles
an HOur.
New York SUM-
While Professor Edison is working out
bis phonaughtograph, and studying the
effects therefrom, the Second avenue rail-
road have been perfecting a means of
obyiating the difficulties of the Metropoli-
tan elevated road. A month or two ago
the officers OF the Second avenue company
successfully experimental with a car made
under the auspices of the Pneumatic Engine
Tram~ay company. The system is based on
the fact that atmospheric air is capable of
being compressed into very small compass
and giving reservoir of energy represent
ing the mechanical force employed in
COMPRISING it. This being liberated
and applied to an improved engine,
the force can be used as a motive
power and be under the perfect command
| of even an experienced driver after few
trials. So satisfactory were the results of
the experiments that in few weeks half
dozen cars will be running in Second ave-
nue. from Ninety-slxth to One Hundred and
/ Twenty-ninth street without visible means
of motion.
The car used for the experimental trips last
! April has been remodeled, and will start
| again with passengers regularly next Mon
day. As fast as possible the whole line of
railroad will be supplied with rapid transit
at a speed of 40 miles an hour, if necessary,
/ from Harlem TO the city hall. The old cars
will be utilized, and the horse service and
| the dangers attendant on steam done away
with at a small cost aud great saving
At Kerrs machine shop, Fifty-ftth street
and First avenue, is working model OF the
car. The foreman of the shop, in answer to
an inquiry, said: Robert Hsrdie, of Glas-
Cow, and John James, of Edinburg, are now
employed by the company on utilization
! NJ no or of
York met these two engineers in
Glasgow. last year, and on his rep
resentatiOns they came TO this
country. They intended to give Scotland
! the benefit OF their compressed air service
| but America will first reap the advantages
In December last they built their first car at
! the depot of the Second avenue railway
company, and it was announced v,rs sue
cessful'
"Does it make much noise intrarsiL?' was
asked.
Very little" was the answer. 1T is
comparatively noiseless. II the MetropOli.
tan line were TO run these carriages on their
road tue doctors and the Sixth avenue
residents would not have much TO COM
plain Of Besides, each has its own
motor, and as the Elevated runs three car
riages and an engine seventy-fye per cent.
of the noise would be at once obviated by
one car running at a time. That is, of
=
from each was equal to what is on the
Metropolitan now. Cars then could be
easily run one at a time every half minute
instead of every three minutes. The pneu-
matte force has never been used TO carry
passengers by wholesale before 1t has,
however, been found of great service in
England BY a tubular application the
general post Office, London. transmits its
mail bags from place to place. These heavy
weights are shot along tubes on the principle
of air guns. Often one or two persons have
safely ventured to be transported by this
means"
will you explain the workings?" was the
Taking a small tin model in his hand, the
engineer pointed out two long compressed
air receivers of steel that are placed under
the seats of the car, and six for filling under
the end platforms The eighth" he said,
"are connected cylinders and are fixed in
side of iron frames between the wheels of
the car. These are connected by an engine
situated beneath the car, between the crank
axles and wheels. The air is pumped inside
the receiver by rubber hose at
tached to a COMPRISING engine at
the depots A new 500-horse power en-
CINE, especially made for the purpose, will
take about minute to give each car its sup
ply of motive power. This will be less time
than is often taken to change horses The
driver stands in the same position as at
present 10 work the starting, reversing and
breaking gear that is of the old locomotive.
style. II is lever, and can be handled by
any one and not nee ssarilv an engineer
In running down an incline the engine is
transformed INTO an air pump and creates
new power"
VIII there be any pecuniary savIng?'
Considerable. Mr.. HardIe, the chief
engineer, has calculated from published
statistics that the present cost of horse
shoeing feed, harness repairing, stable
expenses. and replacing of horses alone
mount up in NEW York to over two millions
of dollars per annum. To run a two horse
street car ii costs on an average, all told,
$1,000 "A day. To run the 800 horse cars
now used costs nearly So 000, 900. The en-
tire expenses of the pneumatic system
would be little over 50, 600, COO The total
saving would be somewhere about So, 500, OC0.
1t has been calculated that the pneumatic
system can be worked at least 80 per cent.
cheaper than steam.'
What other advantages will there be in
the proposed methOd2"
Very many. Animals would not be ex-
cited on the road by the wbistling and
putting OF the steam cars. The guys, pill
lars aud other parapbernalia of the ele-
vailed road would be needless. Where
these now exist they could be utilized, as
of hot steam or blazing cinders 20 set
awnings on fire. Ii would do away with
the aroma OF morse TdllroSCS aoC coal gas
with the sulphurlc vaporS. The terrible
catalogue OF diseases cited ny the physicians
as probable to result from the noise of the
Metropolitan would be entirely oSvlatcd.
After all. 30 per cent saving on horse power
and 30 on steam would be the most import
ant advantage TO be derived flonl-tbe pneG-
matte tramway system"
How 20 Tame woman.
Detroit Free Press