Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-05
From Our Regular Correspondcnt.l
Our European Letter.
LONDON, Eng, March q, 1888,

LONDON, Eng, March Il, 1882.
The electrical exhibition at the crystal
palace is now in full swing. The science,
tho results OF which are exhibited at
Sydcnham, is one which, much as it has
done already, is still comparatively speak
ing in its infancy; but it is growing
toward maturity with u rapidity which
lew if any other sciences have equaled.
WHAT electricity will accomplish 1t is Inn
possible to predict. The advance which
has been made during the past two or
three years has only served to show even
those who have studied it most deeply
their real ignorance Of the extent to which
the power they are now using may be
developed. There seems to be nc limit TO
the future of electricity. Telegraphy has
proved what it can do in the way of inter-
communication; yet even the telegraph
seems in a fair way 10 be superseded by
the telephone. As for electric lighting
great as is the progress which has been
made, IT affords no conception of what
may yet be done. One thing is certain
that electricity will supply the light OF the
future, while there is good reason TO
believe that as motive power it may
ere long supersede anything we at present
possess.
Tho first application OF electricity to the
driving Of tramway cars in this country
was made on Saturday at the works of
the North Metropolitan tramways compa-
ny, Leytonstonc. The car employed was
one which has been the subject of similar
experiment in France. 1t was fitted with
large number of Faure accumulators
ranged under the seats and communicating
with n motor underneath, which, in Its
turn, by means of pinion wheels, acted
upon the wheels of the car. The accumu-
lators having been charged at dynamo
machine in the company's yard. a num-
Der of ladies and gentlemen who had been
invited TO witness the experiment mounted
the car and had a few runs with it up and
down Il quarter of mile of tramway in
Union roads, to the amazement of the
inhabitants, who, for the first time in
their lives, saw u tramcar full OF people
travelling ut the rate Of seven or eight
miles an hour without any visible motive
power. AS proving the applicability Of
electric force to locomotion, the expert.
ment was an undoubIed success.
The accumulators, which weighed ton
and half, exertcd, with one charging, q
force equal to that Of twenty-five horses
for one hour-that is to say. five horses
for five hours, and so on. In other words
the car would have run with its full mum
Der of passengers for half a day, with an.
ample allowance for waste Of energy.
Tho objection to this system as at pres
eut carried out rests on two grounds
first, that the car with its load of accumu
lators weighs rs much rs five tons; and
secondly, that the pinion wheels make q
loud grinding noise. such as seriously to
incommode the public. Both these defects
the promoters hope to be able to remedy
by attaching the motor which is practical
lp u dynamo machine reversed, direct to
the axle, Fthus dispensing with pinion
wheels and reducing friction. The attach.
ment of the motor direct to tho axle
would neccssitato in the case of tramcars
the use OF driving wheels small enough
to make large number of revolutions per
minute with n low ratio of progression.
In the case of railway trains it would
enable very high rate of speed to be
probably one hundred miles IN
hour--with driving wheels of moderate
size.
The promoters arc sanguine enough tC
believe that at no distant day they may be
able to introduce electric cabs and omni.
buses guided like velocipedes. All
vehicles driven by electricity would, Of
course. with little additional expendi.
ture of force, be lighted by the same
means. 1t only remains to add, with
reference 10 the electric tramcar, that il
can be worked, started, stopped and
reversed, by the moving of small switch
handle, and that the promoters calcula te
upon being able to work tramways with
electricity at one.half the cost of horse
power
Although England patched up a shabby
sort of peace with the Beers after suffering
defeat tho native antagonists do not APP.
pear to mind them; and we have just