New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-27
BEIDGE CARS WILL BE HEATED.
TIE TRUSTEES TO SELECT 4 SYSTEM TO-DAY-TIIAL
OF TIE MATHEsIUs GRIP POSTPONED.

TIE TRUSTEES TO SELECT ASYstEM TO-DAY-TEIAL
OF TnE MATHEsIUs GRIP POSTPONED.
The Bridge traffic on Christmas Day was e1-
ceedlngy small. Thirty-four hundred pedestrians
crossed but OF them did before the arrival
OF The Storm and 1920 persons used the unheated
ears Of the railway. The receipts from vehicles
amounted to s57. TRIBUNE reporter inquired OF
superintendent Martin yesterday when action would DO
taken by the trustees the question OF heating the
lie said that the president, Mr. Kingsley had Just In
formed him that the matter would be definitely settled
to-day.
BY tho way said Mr.. Martin " there was TO have
been another trial OF the Mathesus grip to day; but
though SIR Kingsley came here the inventor postponed
II. do not know positively why he did So but can
surme that he proposes to make a change In his ma
chine. Have you seen III MOI Come out and have a
look att" lie opened door which has been recently
made IN the wall OF his Office aud stepped out upon the
platform extension OF the Bridge depot the Brooklyn
side Then he led the way the tracks aud through
the snow until he came "A siding. lie stopped
under H. and the reporter followed him.
Now" said he this IA much more compact and neat
looking than the Pano grip and II appearance were tho
consideration this would get the prize all the others
It's principle is combination OF the San Francisco and
Paine grips my opinion It Is inferior 10 both. The
Paine grip consists OF shcayes discs furnished with
grooves OF rubber and leather between which the cable
reyolvcs until the contact Is close that revolution OF
the shcavcs ceases and the cable Is gpped In the San
Francisco grip two blocks three feet long or
less grooyed inside and lined with brass These blocks
obong In shape aud placed one over the other
y an automatic process cable is lifted up and placed
Oh the lower block aud then powerful lever presses the
upper block down IT, Then the cable il gipped. The
grip ia powerful and has tendency to strand
tho cable this is remeded by another automatic
cess which throws the cable Oh the grip whenever
sirandng occurs
"Now eau show you lucdly the Mathesus grip. IL
consists as you see OF two metal blocks face OBJ
long shape but rounded at the corners. These are
grooyed all the way round AMI In these grooves string
OF brass dies resembling teeth in shape reyoyes through
the action OF the cable the shcayes do In the Paine
grip When the brake presses these blocks together
the cable rattles round these dies and they finally come
close together that revolution ceases ana hS cable Is
have exceedingly sharp, and the consequence
Ia that there r. considerable friction IA the Sa1e is
much harder than the brass, the latter suffers ana thc
amount Of brass filings deposited at the starting point Is
startling And this is Just what Mr.; Mahoslgs proposes
alter He Il TO make his dies Of hardened cast
iron In my opinion this viii materially Increase inc
possibility OF srandlng which on the Bridge would De
very different matter from the same thing IN san ffai-
cisco Our cable Is not confined and there s IN TINS grp
much harder TO do than In tho san Francisco Grip pc
the strand would be attached to one OF tue des OF
the grip Tho cable would he thrown on the whcel on
which Is supportcd the car might be dragge from the
rails. aud dashed against these wheels ana AGAINST he
Tie rods OF the Bridge upon which the rails rest lhe
cable would go whrng ON at tle ray D. te lv9 1 a
hour, while the would he battered to pieces ana an
the people III II klllcu OF
low. The dcsderatum which Paine sought In his grip
was something that would not strand for lhe ,comPIe
vented the confinement of the cable He Utilities the
OF the Bridge for the purpose OF protecting th9
lives Of the passengers The faculty Of letting go and
taking up the cable something unnecessary, LOT
which he never tried All he wanted was TIE faculty OF
letting go, and the Bridge itself arranged the balance
Obviously tho cable roads OF SAN Francisco, where
stoppages are made at every street crossng Tue c9e
must be let go and picked up repeatedly Nothing In the
history Of mechanics h ingenious than the method
by which cable road there another But Tue
conditions here are totally different. and Paine made
grip for tho Bridge. think tho Matheslus grip INFERIOR
Others and II he Introduces dies OF metal as nara as
the cable shall think IL dangerous In the exueme'