The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-08-31
>rw MOOR POWERS ioR STREET
RAILWAY.

Same ton years agp tlecnunlry, enl more
particularly the Lorlhcrn cities. we're much
inconycnionctd by the "epi2ooty, species
OF influenza that 80 largely prevailed
among the hor'os and mules. Street car
, lines were stopped in their regular run.
nng' and the Inconvenience 10 travellers
and losses to the railway stockholders were
50 serious that the attention Of inventive
minds was directed to some mo.
tive power more reliable than the
horse and mule. Among the novelties
proposed there were three that seemed best
adapted as substitutes, viz the steam en-
ne, the electric engine and the cable mo-
tr. The first came somewhat into use, but
/ e noise, smoke, its horse frightening aspect
&C 1t produced made IL Objectionable to
Tricky populated cities. The second worked
well enough, but the expense was large
ly in excess Of the animal power previously
employed Tho cable road for some cause
never Obtained much Roadway. But now
II appears that we are TO have both the lat
ter for probable general adoption. A Mn.
THOMAS, OF Cincinnati has invented
a motor, which he claims and
proves by tests in the presence of
experts furnishes the required amount of
efficiency at minimum of cost rs com
pared with other traction forces The
electric current, as We understand his in.
vention, is applied from a stationary gen.
orator to two copper wires laid between the
ordinary rails a few inches apart, and
trile higher than the rails, the wires to be
protected by an iron tube to which they
will he attached by proper insulators. In
previous attempts the rails themselves were
used as conductors, but contact with rain,
dew or other moisture or even persons
crossing destroyed their efficiency. Mr..
THOMAS meotor has five wheels, the two
forward ones being simply an iron truck
merely as supports The power necessary
is obtained from n stionary engine, and
the length Of road operated, Mn.
THOMAS says, would only be limited
by the sizo OF the conducting wire
necessary to overcome the resistance found
In long distance and the number of en-
gincs operated simultaneously For in.
star &c, on road, say, Of ten miles in length,
ten motors of ten horsepower each, would
be used then the power of the generator
necessary would bo one hundred horse. pow.
er, though In practice one Of, say, one nun.
drcd and fifty should be used, that there
may be surplus of power for emergencies
ana the necessary loss In transmission.
The crossing Of tracks and the necessary
changes in switches, which have been found
very serious obstacles by SLEMENs and Epl.
son, are overcome by Mr.. THOMAS by the
use OF flexible cables at those points, which,
passing under and over one another furnish
the needed connections without the least
interference or difficulty. Besides tho fur
nlshing oipower to the motor, the conduct.
ing wire may DO rs well at the Same time
used for supplying electric lights, either to
points along the road or to the train
or both. In Philadelphia, the new
Gable road j. now In operation
: The principle OF this system consists of an
endless cable running at the rate of six
miles al hour through gastric n tubes
which ara sunk few feet below the surfao,
OF the road bed. The car is attached to or
detached from this cable at the pleasure OF
the operator The power which keeps th,
rope in motion is an immense steam engin,
: atone OF tho termini of the road. Through
slit In the roadway passes a shank noi
SHAFT OF wrought steel, connecting the cal
/. with an attachment which grips" tn,
, cable. The tubes forming the continuous
tunnel are about a foot in diameter, eight
feet long, and weigh about 1900 pounds
AT each end they rest on solid iron lounda
!. tlons, where they are firmly connected witt
each other, and attached to each en-,
. by heavy cross-bcams to the sleeper, o,
which the steel rails rest The "grip" A
4 the bottom OF tho shat which passe
, through the slit TO the tunnel, Is so arrange,
g that 10y ou appliance ON the car above, nm,
worked by the operator, it can catch holt
at various degrees of tightncss. When
start is made the grip" wheel In the hand
: OF the operator Is turned just enough /
give it slipping hold until il goes ut fu,
y speed. The operator stands ut the from
Is end OF the car, whore he can sec everythin
I; before him, Cruciblc steel wire IL the ml
terial of which the endless cable is con
posed and has strands OF nineteen wires eacl
n Each wire Is ,Nia inch in diameter, has
lie tension strength OF 10000 pounds u,
- square inch used and Is capable of ben,
Ing and kno,ting over itself with
r. out fracture, The cable
n. supplied with sufficient power to keep a
10 tho cars on the line moving at the san,
Mt time. Perpendicular guide wheels Al
rs fixed thirty'twc feet apart in the centre
IN the tubes, thus keeping the cable alway
al accurately adjusted, Where there is A tur
ora grade tho cable is kept in place b
grcoved pullcys extending down from N
NJ roof of the tunnel, and so constructed Az
IL clear the grip and shat rs they como alon,
w The rate ofspeed At,ainablc by this syste,
IA sreadily six miles per hour. Beyond n
Nv practical good working of these system
W. lies the important QUESTION, the solving ia
w. tor, what is the cosi'n IL they are onl
cuuallv cnlpienl In sn,a.l ..c,,.. "a. A,