Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-09-26
Special contracts will be made with yearly ~
Vertisers,
Experiments In Electricity.

Many attempts have been made to apply tho
motive power obtained ftom electricity to the
working Of locomotives, bu! no satisfactory re-
suit Vas obtaioed. However, stop forward
has been mlde in this direction in Bsrio with
apparent su:c,ss. There aIe two lines Of rails
laid do.n, which. as il a psrroT gauge lioe,
returo lotto themselves IL rlly shaped curve.
The length Is about 800 mstres. 10 ths mid
die is an isoIsted third line, consisting of 90
upright continuous iron plate.
The locomotive carries two rollers, with
which it stands 10 connection with che isolated
middle llo". The cssea,!.l portion Of the loc).
motive Is lJrned By an e'eo;ro dyaamical ma
chine, one pole Of which is connected With the
middle iiue. AID tie other With the pair of
er rails, through tho outer wheels. Simi.
srly tho machine Whi,h produces the current
stands 10 the machine rom 10 c)nuscticn
through one poo wi Ii tn, middle loo and
hrough the ostc' p1ie with ths ou.sr pair Of
rails.
Whoo, thereitr', the dyn,mical macains 10
The loom o!i9o is on the railway, the electric
current produced 10 tho machine soon runs
through it aud CAUSES It to rotate and to impart
ITS rotary uotiCp 10 the wheels of the ocomo
i've, and the latter eooliluas to move uotil the
current is Interrupted. Even au impeIf.cs
state Of isolation oa the part Of the rails does
aot effect tho scion Of the wacbioe.
When the lcc)no i've is nloTing, is conduct
ipg wires form much better conductors than
he damp earth. 1t tn, current ia Interrupt.
cd, the damp ground is DOT q sufficient cjo.
iuc:or 10 keep the dyoamo- -a!ectric. action
eoiug. The magnetism OF the ma,hines pro-
!u,iog the currena cousequ usltiy disapp ,ars.
aud the result is that ths sub lrdioate slrsam
hroush the earth is also interru ptsd
geeat advinsave il possessed by the trans
mission of electric ioic,, from tue fact that the
locomotive, whether rloyng slowly or quickly.
always works Up 10 i.s full po~er-aa effsos
which has hitherto been az uns)iVed problem
II mt obaEIcs.
When the machine thst gives thu power has
10 do much woik, aud 50 gosS slowly, the oouu
ter currents it produces are also rrespondingly
weak, eod the Conductors thereby undergo an
Increase ID strength 70 similar extont. By
this meaus tho ecctro sgaetsn nud. CORES
pondiog to this, tho attractive power Of tho
machine arc increased.
The Gyaam, cleo ric loco notiga has the fut-
;htr advantage that il o4rliss ia itself the
poRer which Gao &c employed as braks, 10
,smnoh rs ecc1mes l.sc / ths prim ary or curt
iCuI tlOou%lJS IL iOu'US HucE IU31te5 uUlc
rsp'dy than thn &C c.ual N .ohirc.
10 judging cf the pertornacc, OF the electric
ccomoli7e in the Berlin exhibition it must be
rcmembc!ed sA,! il Vas DOT Constructed for the
purpose to wh:cA * bus bcca applisd-lhat is.
to lrJpel Tho tGrco elegant l,tIe Messenger
carriages which are at ached to it. Eloa car
riage holds ifom eighteen to twenty persons,
sod all tarec are drawn in from one to tw,
uioutes round the circular railway, 800 metre,
10 leDgtt.
The Iooonotiv1 was originally mads for the
purpcs, of drawing up Goals Gu! Of the pit.
Nevertheless, its performances a:c very re-
mstkab;e, aud reader it c?rtaia that there ara
macy claes in which eleouic lo,om ,tivas m1y
DO employed with advantage. The question OF
the extcat TO which eiec;ro-dyDanlc locomo
tives msy possibly BE- cnp!oyct is ss y,t diti
cult to decide.
Apart from the qlcstioo Of the possibility oil
a suti ,cnt isolation, i, dep2als the o)alns-
tive RS ssnco Of the rails. According to D..
SIcnen's views. this req lis.tc o. lIog railway,
may be parly satisfied Dy se!tog uo iron tim,
to time neR primary d'nsm olecrio MI
chiocs. wbi,h would naia,siu the neo:s,,ry
elc,trc tension hetween the Eidi!, and tn,
enter rails - GaH1nnuis Messen1pr