New-York tribune., 1884-11-29
ELECTRICITY AS A MOTIVE POWER.
EXCELLENT RESULTS EXPECTED.
THE EXPERIMENTS TO BE MADE on THE ELEVATED
ROADS AND THE BRIDGE.

THE EXPERIMENTS TO BE MADE on THE ELEVATED
ROADS AND THE BRIDGE.
That electricity can be successfully applied as
motor for prOpeling cars In this city Is accepted as
a fixed fact by Cyrus W. Field and the gentlemen
associated with him who have Just formed COM
pany for the purpose of combining the usefulness
of the various inventions now under patent Tor
accomplishing this purpose; Mr.. Field said to
II have not the least doubt about the electric
motor and its usefulness for propslllne cars. lhe
wears in Berlin under the Siemen's patent. which s
one of the patents controlled by this combination
into which we entered last night at meeting held
at the residence of T. N. Dickerson. Another
Of Ireland This thing is not an expert.
ment Edeon had railroad orersted by
Mepo Park. Then stephen d. Field. my nephew,
had one working successfully under his patent at
Thompson, the greatest electrician ~ the werld,
who was here last suni,ner, examined the elevated
railroads theronghly and sad ecerLciiy could he
applied IN running them without difficulty, We
will try Il first on the Seeondsave hne probably
within aiSy daya Assoon a. tho aystem spefipoird,
under the different patents which the company eon-
trolls, and Of each Of whiohi II empowered 10 take
tho best points II viii DO extended 90 tho other
eievated roads A ! SAID at tho recent meeting of
the shareholders OF the Manhattan Railway Com
pany, already IN Europe short llnes OF railway are
run by electricity and We have the highest
authority in the worM-that OF SIR
William Thompson--for saying that nothing
tricity as u motive power than an IRON track
raised in the air, whose elevation furnishes he best
possible facility for insulation. Tho use OF elec.
tricty in place of steam, it is estimated would
effect very great reduction In the expense OF oper-
ating our roads while tho removal or the heavy
engines, making the passage OF the trains almost
nJlseless, would bring this system of'rapid transit
as near perfection are likely to attain III our
days.
Coming down in a car one day with +. \. Dcker-
son, the able patent lawyer who represents the
Daft motor told him that the best way to intro
duce electricity motor was for us TO form a
company to which ali the pate ats should be made
over and have their relative values aScertained ~
a csmmsson, an d the several amounts thus ascer-
tanned paid To the owners. This has now been
agreed to, and the company Will be able To utillZo
the best features OF each motor"
The New-Ysrk and Brooklyn Bridge railroad il 10
be used for the purpose of testing an electric motor
Ii is considered one of the ,est roads Ter practical
experiments that could be thus utilized III this
vicinity. Some of Its grades are so steep that II
PEELED there will remain no doubt that il can he
used to advantage on railroads III New-lork City.
G. [. Martlu chef engineer aud superintendent or
the Bridge Wednesday answered the inquiries OF "a
TRIBUNE reporter on this point. by saying:
The Daft Electric Light Company has obtained
permission to make an experiment with an electric
motor on the tracks of the Bridge railway That
company is to furnish the motor and pay all the ex
penses Incident to the trial. which is to be made
under the direction of the Bridge authorities. lt
will be made the night time, between l and !
o'clock i'll the morning when there are no trsns
with travel OH the Bridge. IL VIII be about two
months before the motor VIII be ready Tor the
eY pertinent. The Daft Electric Light Company has
already spent $4,000 IN preparing for 1t. Tho
company has great confidence that 1t will prove
perfect success Of course know nothing about
that but will give them every facility to make it
50. greatly hope that some electro motor WIN be
perfected that will solve the rapid transit problem.
/ think electricity thus applied IS the coming
power, and like to he'll it along all can."