The daily gazette., 1880-06-09
EDISON'S LATEST.

AN ELECTRIC RAILROAD ON WHICH
ONE CAN TRAVEL SAFELY FORTY
MILES AN HoUR-PRoGREss OF THE
GOLD TAILINGs md OTHER PRO-
JECTs.
From the N. Y. Herald.
Edison has at least proved that he
Gun utilize the electric current for
railroad purposes. A Herald reporter
went to Menlo Park yesterday to wit
ness trial of the new motor on the
three-quarter mile railroad. As a
precaution against unforeseen accident
the member Of the press selected a
seat as near as possible to the inventor
because it would be only natural that
that was the safest one in ca. the
train should jump the track. At a
signal from Edison Mr.. Bachelor
moved the lever attached to the switch
and off we went. The riding was
very enjoyable for the first 500 yards
or so, when suddenly a most horrible
curve was reached, round which the
motor with its car attached spun at a
rather uncomfortable gait. Then
came series of serpentine curves that
were enough ro frighten anybody, but
there was no slowing up. On the con-
trary, more power was put on, until it
seemed that the whole party were GO
ing to be shaken from their seats
The line was located in the worst pos
sible positions by Edison, in order that
the "beauties" of his invention would
be readily seen by any one on the car.
Some of the curves are as sharp as
those used on the surface roads round
street corners in New York, so the
reader can imagine how pleasant it
was to go round them at the rate of
about forty miles an hour. The
strangest part of the programme was
the easy manner of controlling the
motor, it being stopped within fifty
feet, although going at high speed
1t ran up against the hevy grade as
easily as on the level track and was as
powerful at the end of the track as in
the station, where the electric current
first reaches the rail.
After the first trial the reporter was
invited to ride on the motor without
having the car attached, so that the
speed would be increased. Three
went on this trip-one at the switch,
another at the brake and the reporter
holding on for dear life. At the word
go the machine shot off like a bullet
and it was only by holding on firmly
that ones seat could be kept. AS the
curves were struck the motor rocked
fearfully in fact it was as hard to
keep your seat on it as on an unbroken
mustang when he sets his mind on the
"bucking" process of dismounting
you. The time made was 80 seconds
from the station to the end of the track
on the first trial, and 42 on the second
trial. The motor has an electric head
light which is burning continuously
and which has very pretty effect in
the night time. OF the gold-fnding
process very little can be said except
that the samples OF tailings sent to
Menlo Park have proved very rich in
many instances. Edison's agent, Mr..
Mclaughlin, will return from Cali
fornia in June. He has located the
position of the sheds near Oroville and
has built several undercurrents along
the line of the sluices in that vicinity
for The purpose of concentrating the
auriferos sands. Men are hard at
work fixing up the large factory, sit
uated south of the railroad, for the
purpose of manufacturing electric
lamps in large quantity. Edison says
it will take at least two months to fin
ish it, and then he will turn out all the
lamps necessary for his exhibition,
which will take place about September.
He will then light six miles of streets,
the lamps being eighty feet apart, and
will run his train over three-mile
road, all the power being obtained from
the sixteen dynamo machines now in
position.