The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-16


The test Of the compresscd-air motor
unyS being constructed by President WORK
ri Inc Peoples Passenger Railway Comoi.
ration. viii occur on the Germantown enc
~ The Fourth and Eighth within the next
Ter DAYS. The most sanguine expectations
nrc INDUCED in by Mr.. Work and his di-
rcctors as to the result Of the experiment.
II Is held that it will prove saving IN tiie
cost Of running strcct-cars oil NJ least -
per cent .,,or
xyhat Ia known as the MeksrsH system OF
compassionate propulsion or tract'oh, tne
,nvenfion deriving lis name from the pa
fcp,eo. a Frenchman, who, in common
With n number Of capitalists IN his own
country. Is part Of a company holding all
rights for the introduction OF The system
into nse In other countries. The place IN
which the first practical working OF the
sys,em went into effect was Nantes,
T;yance. and the time about three years ago.
II was then an experiment, but succcedeo
ca well that the tramway companies IN that
CITY adopted ii exclusively and have used u
with satisfaction ever since. AiterWard II
was introduced on the tramway lines o.
Vantage, In England, where 1t also proved
satisfactory and has now entirely super
ceded animal power. AT present num-
her ~ cars are being constructed for use
ON all the lines of the London street Tram
way Company I'm the English metropolis. A
co,nany has been formed in that country,
as n sort of auxiliary TO the French
company. for the purpose OF entering
into contracts with the street railway
companies for the use OF the motor at
charge for each ear OF twelve cents per
mile This. il is held, will net the COM
many profit of 33 per cent, rs careful
estimates OF expenses, based on actuai eX-
perienee, have demonstrated that the cost
OF traction by this system Is eight cents per
mile. The cars will run with one charge
of compressed air for ten miles. Inc
cost Mt Nantes, France, OF the traction by
compressed air in the year 1889, ac-
cording to the official report, was
nine and one-hali cents mile. Compare
sons made between this report and the
reports of the cost of running the principal
two-horse railways OF Paris by animal
power show big difference. The cost OF
The running OF cars by horses on the Tram
way Nord. OF Paris. i'm 1880, was fourteen
cents per mile. The cost Of the same kind
of power on the Tramway sud was four
teen and one half cents per mile. The cost
OF traction by dummy steam-englnes III
Paris during 1880 was sixteen and three
quarter cents per mile.
THE FoRERUNNER OF CHEAP RATES.
President Work says the question OF the
reduction OF fares on the lines which his
combination controls depends entirely
upon their ability to find q method OF pro-
pilsion that will bring the running eX
penses below their present cost. Animal
power is always costly, and especially so,
he saws. in a season when feed is dear,
like the present time. II the compressed
air motor dccs a., that is claimcd for it,
the solution Of the cheap-iare problem
as aheadv .. iand. The motor which
will be run rs on experiment by the
Peoples Line will weigh from i've TO SIX
tons. The working arrangements, machine
nv and all, are hidden from sight. Below
the floor of the ear are placed transversely
ten cylindrical reservoirs, constructed OF
steel plates, for the retention OF the con-
messed air. Seven OF these are united into
one system, called the "battcry," and the
remaining three are united into second
system, called the "reservoir." The CO.
pacity Of the battery is G7.s1 cubic feet
and that OF the reservoir 3l.0S cubic
feet making total OF $3.50 cubic
feet, Both the battery and reservoir will
be charged at the principal station with air
compressed TO thirty atmospheres. The
driying-whees will be about feet 4inches
In diameter, while the hind wheels viii be
about . feet G inches in diameter. The
bearings will be external to the wheels, and
outside these bearings on the driying-aXle
wfll be the cranks, with counterbalances
forged on, and return cranks with double
pins TO work the link motions for the side
valves. The cylinders are placed hori-
zontally In front OF the driving-wheels, and
are 81 inches in diameter by l04 inches
stroke.
HEATING THE AIR.
The engines, with all their gearing, are
in wrought-iron cases, with doors 10 open
mt the sides. In front OF the car, standing
vertically through the divers platform, Is
a small reservoir charged with water at
temperature OF 800 degrees Fahrenheit,
which gives pressure Of 70 pounds to the
square inch. The air in passing fromthe bat
terry or from the reservoir, rs the case may
be, to the engines, is made to traverse the
water In the reservoir, thus becoming
heated TO It's temperature before it reaches
the cylinders, in which it Is expanded by
the action Of the ordinary link motion.
The construction OF the motor and the
placing IL on the road is under the general
supervision Of Colonel Gowen, an English
man, who represents the French company
in this country, and who will shortly in
troduce the motors for the purpose OF eX-
pertinent on one Of the street railways OF
Boston. Philadelphia Times, 18th.
49,