Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-04
AN ELECTRIC RAILROAD,
Prof Daft's Singular Line in New j. r-
sey---Supplying Motive Power.

A company has been formed in this
city to furnish electric motive power to
any and every one who may have a
wheel to turn. The machine it pro-
poses tou Sc is the electric motor of
Prof. Louis Daft.
About one mile west of Greenville,
n. j., nesting in a grove of trees, is q
small frame house OF four rooms. and
under its shingled roof was found the
wizard of Newark bay. Jumping from
his drawing board an with energy that
he might have drawn from one of his
own motors, he said in CHEEKY tones:
Come, take \ ride.
"Ampere, named from the distin-
guished electrician, was brought out
from 4 neighboring shed. saddled and
bridled, and the wizard and his guest
got aboard. '.All ready, he cried. and
touching a lever, and giving Il quarter
revolution TO n three-inch crank, the
engine started. The track, from its
appearance, might have been built OF
the debris of the first governmental rail
road in America. The rails were
old, and worn, and rusty; they were
up here. down yonder; q succession of
bumps and hollows; they were on 4
heavy grade and the one curve of for
ty-tive degrees was like turning the
corner of 4 fence. How in the world
any four wheels ever managed to follow
such track is wonder, but Am
pere" whirled along it, back and
forth. without a groan and was us do
Gle and quiet as n Shetland pony. The
engine would sweep along to within
an inch Of the ends of the rails and
stop instantly when on the verge Of 90
inc over.
The power that moved tho engine
came from 4 generator IN the factory,
through q mile of wire, which might rs
well have been ten or twenty-five miles
long. The power was transmitted 10
the engine by means of small iron
rail IN the middle of the track. The
mile wire was attached to the rail. and
the current flowed through it, pro tuc-
ing power enough to move ''Ampere'
and standard gauge passenger coach
containing seVenty-fve passengers up
a seventy foot grade, and yet barefoot
ed children play upon the track I'M
harmed. O
In the factory close by small motor
that occupies less room than u sewing
machine operates the saws, planners and
drills of y wood working shop, and a
still smaller one in another room pro-
| Guces 900 revolutions u minute in u
! thirty-siX-inch fan, and drives Il cur
rent of air through the building that
would turn windmill. Prof Daft
would in al cases show the harmless
ness of his machines by divertino the
current of electricity operating the ma
chine into his own person, and even by
closing the circuit with his tongue; this
notwithstanding the flash of light the
opening of the circuit produced.
"What is your plan for applying
your motor to domestic use," he was
asked.
1--WE shall build central stations, at
which we shall generate sufficient pow
er to supply every demand within q IA
dius of two and half miles. We will
carry as much of that power into your
house as you want, and measure it out
to you, and we will carry it in a way
that will afford you no Inconvenience,
taking no room and being absolutely
safe. We will give you motor of any
capacity; it will occupy only one-tifth
the room of any other; will always be
ready for instant use, is clearly, re-
quires no engineer, and will take care
of itself. You start and stop it by a
quarter turn of q three-inch crank. .
~. Y. Tribune.