New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-27
ELECTRICITY ON RAILWAYS.

| One of the chief problems on which tn g in
ventive genius of the world is now expanding
it's resources is the application Of electricity to
railroad trt nsportation. For forty years exper-
| iments have been conducted with electric motors
| of all shapes sizes and degrees of completely !;
and there is now an excellent prospect for the
substitution of electricity for steam on railways
where either high or a low rate of mo ton is
required. AS many as $50 miles of electric
railway are in operation in Europe; cleo
trio cars have recently made the circuit of Paris
an engine designed 10y an electrician to take
the place Of the ordinary locomotive was the
most conspicuous triumph of American invent
i've skill at the Railway Exposition in Chicago
not long ago; and in the vicinity of Newly ork
active preparations are making by rival invent
ors and corporations to introduce electricity on
large seals as a safe, rapid and cheap motor.
The electric car which recently traversed
the streets of the French capital covered dis
lance of thirty miles in three hours. 1t was an
ordinary street car running IN the regular
tramways. The power was stored in Faure ac-
cumulatOrs placed under the seats and was
communicated to Siemens machine under the
floor. This machine, making 1920 revOlu-
tiuns a minute, brought the power to bear
upon the wheels by means of pulley, axle and
chains. The car was completely under the
operators control and could be stopped in
simultaneously. The highest velocity attained
did not exceed ten miles an hour on level
ground, but the inventor contended that a
much greater rate Of speed could DO obtained
ON rails especially adapted to the car. The
cost of operating the motor was estimated at
-
The Siemens electric railway system in
Berlin was operated on different principle.
The electric current was communicated
from the rails to the motor. The rails
we're insulated and the use of wire
was required overhead. The new Electric rail-
way recently opened on the Irish coast between
Portrush and the Giants Causeway Is a marked
improvement upon the Berlin experiment
This system brings into use a separate con-
Quoting rail carried at height of seventeen
inches from the ground on wooden posts. The
railway is operated at decreased cost in COM
parison with steam, and fair rate of speed is
easily secured. Experiments made last week,
however, with the Daft electric motor in
Greenvllle, n. j., give promise of greater re-
suits in the future. The electric current is
transmitted to the rails from stationary en-
giues as in the case of the Berlin railway, but
Is SO low in tension that there is no danger from
contact either to man Or beast. 1t is not even
necessary to insulate the rails. The current is
communicated from the wheels to the machin-
cry which operates the motor, and notwith-
standing the lack of Insulation, q high
rate of speed is practicable. If the statements
of these American electricians in regard to the
velocity, cost of working and general utility of
these motors are confirmed by practical expert
euce, great revolution in railway transporta-
ton and steam-car traffic cannot long be
deferred