The New York herald., 1879-09-04
DRIVEN BY AIR.
THE PROGRESS OF THE PNEUMATIC MOTOR
TRIAL ON SECOND AVENUE

The fROGRESS OF THE fSLuMAIiC MOIOh-
A TRIAL ON SECOND AVENUE.
number Of prominent street railroad officials
met yesterday morning at 127th street and Second
avenue in response to an invitation issued by tho
secretary of the Pneumatic Tramway Engine Com
pany to take ride in one of their cars ana Judge
ior themselves to the merits of compressed air
q practical motor. Mr.. Henry Harley the general
agent of the road. hand and received tho
visitors After passing half hour in the depot in
specting the composite cars and tho machinery by
which they worked. the attention of the party
was directed to the operation of charging tho motor
with air. This formerly took about twelve min
utes. but large tank has lately been added to the
plant that is always kept filled with air. and with
its assistance the motor is now charged in about
four minutes. Among those present were Mr. Steph
enson. the well known car builder; MIR. Green. pres
ident of the Fortysecond and Grand Street Railroad
Mr.. Foshay. president of tire Broadway and Seventh
Avenue Railroad; President Thorn. of the Second
Avenue Railroad; Mr.. j. s. Riggs of tho Charleston
City Railroad Colonel Wyatt. Of Richmond; Mr..
Lamson, OF San Francisco; Mr.. Daniel Owens. city
contractor; Mr.. Charles Macdonald engineer OF the
Coney Island pier and number Of others moro or
less interested in street railroads.
Several trips were made up and down the road.
running between the Second depot at Ninety
sixth street and the depot of the Pneumatic Motor
one of the composite that have beon running
regularly this road for some two months past.
They have about one-thrd greater seating capacity
than the ordinary street and run very easily,
taking into consideration the wretched condition
Of the track. caused by tho work on the elevated
road now in progress. Tho car was under the most
perfect control and was started and stopped with
put any Of the jolts SO often experienced in tho
horse and steam On one trip up to the Second
avenue depot compressed air beat steam. as tho
motor arrived at Ninetysixth street before the
elevated train Third avenue which started at the
same time. During that trip the motor had to make
four sudden stops order to avoid obstacles in tho
way. Tho economy is enormous the expense Of
operating the motor will be only onefourth Of tho
present rate Of horse power. This makes the ques-
ton OF the OF compressed air of the utmost i'm
portance to the stockholders in the city railroads.
ECONOMY SYSTEM.
dummy motor is now being completed in the
companys works at the request of some of tho
street railroads that have in view the substitution Of
compressed air for horse power. The dummy would
enable them to utilize their present rolling stock
and could be placed on the road for about what it
costs to keep car in horseHesh saving amount
ing to almost twenty of their capital stock
would be obtained by saving the expense of horse
ming street cars by compressed air and horse power
appeared to DO subject of special interest the
horse car officials who were present.
TRAVEL DOOMED.
The HKRAID reporter met Mr.. George II. Reynolds.
engineer of the Delamater Iron Works, and had talk
with him that resulted as follows:
what Is your opinion as to the practical utility
Of the pneumatic motor?"
II am satisfied that tho days of horse car traffic
arc numbered, and thoroughly indorse the report
made ON this invention by General Herman Haupt,
formerly chief engineer and general superintendent
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad gneer Of the Hoosac
Tunnel ana ono OF tho leading engineers OF the
country"
what is the difference in the cost of running cars
by horses and by compressed ar?
"The motor costs one and o half cents per mile.
about quarter OF the cost of horse power
"What distance will motor run with one charge
OF airY
"Sixteen miles. with a largo surplus lefr."
Talking with Mr.. Harley, that gentleman expressed
ject. although he added. ~ did not think much
OF the motor until my friend, General Haupt
pressed himself SO strongly on the question" Mr.:
Harley believes that in three years time compressed
air motors will be running every surface aud
elevated ROAD in this city
SUIT TO PREVENT THE USE OF STEAM AND CON-
PRESSED AIR MOTORS ON SURFACE ROADS,
The right Of the city horse car railroad companies
to their roads propelled by steam or COM
pressed air is to be tested in suit brought by Will
liam g. Won Dwingels against the Third Avenue Rail-
road Company In the complaint 1t is alleged Mr.
Dwingels was in July last driving o wagon through
Third avenue. when his horse took fright ut tho
corner OF Twenty fifth street at a car OF the
Third Avenue Railroad Company. propelled by
steam compressed air, which then passing,
and that in consequence he was thrown from the
vohicle and severely injured. Mr. Alfred Stecklor,
his counsel, has begun suit in the Court Of COM
mon Pleas for $4,000 damages. claiming that in
ming such cars the company has violated its char
ter. The company, 1t is stated. bases its right
such by virtue OF ordinance passed by tho
Board OF Aldermen in May last 1t is contended that
this ordinance however, only permitted the company
to uso steam motors rs an experiment and not per-
. manently. Should the case be decided against the
company Mr.. Steckler says he shall apply to the
State Attorney General to issue writ OF quo war
ranto to annul tho charter Of the company.