Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-09-17
TESTING THE DAFT MOTOR.
Running at the Rate of twenty MILES
au Hour
from the New York Times.

FROM the New York Times,
A test OF the practical working ca
p%acities of the new Daft electric motor
was made on the tracks of the Ninth
Avenue Elevated Railroad between
Fourteenth and Fftieth streets last
evening. Soon after traffic on the
road had ceased for the day, Mr.. DAT.
and his assistants went 10 work on the
motor at the Fourteenth Street Station
and spent nearly two hours in wrap
ping what looked like pieces of tape
line about various parts Of the me-
chanlsm. AT 9 o'clock the motor was
attached 10 two passenger cars Of the
Ninth avenue line, and when these
cars Were lighted a crowd Of people
pushed up the steps lead ug to both
sides of the station and demanded to
be given a ride. A c0lored man, with
a very broad smile, kept guard, how
ever, and permitted a few inventors
and persons directly interested in the
invention to enter.
An hour was spent ia putting the
final touches 10 the motor anI IN see-
ing chat the switches were IN proper
condition, Then the engineer In the
motor threw over q lever and let a
wheel down upon the steel rail in the
middle Of the track. A blaze like q
big flash Of lightning lii up the neigh
b0rhood.
shes there, all right, said one Of
the young men IN the cab, thereby
meaning That the electric curreHt was
in working order.
Then let her 20, said Mr.. Daft.
There was g whizziug sound, IS if
an iron brush was revolving against
g steel bar, Lud a shower Of sparks fell
into the street below. A blaze Of blue
fire flashed out from under the motor,
and the car began TO move up the
track. The train was on tho center
track, which was in tho circuit for
only a short distance, aud up at Fiji
tecntB street the motor came to a
stand still. To get the cara back to
the circuit "A big cable was run from
the motor back along the track to the
first rail containing electricity, and
with this impromptu circuit TO work or
the motor ran back in a blaze of blue
fire and a shower OF red sparks. a
half hour was used up ia switching
to and fro, and at 1890 O'Clock the
tram backed down upon the outside
up track and pulled out for the end
Of the line at Fitch street. IL rum
bled out OF the station ut a lively gait
and went bowling up the road TO the
yCciferOus cheers of acfowd Of people
on the sidewalks The drivo-wheels
Of the motor we're reflected in the
mammoth proportions on the fronts
OF the buildings, an IN nearly every
house the people, startled at seeing q
fierce blue glare dancing across their
windows, thrust out their heads and
stared like q lot OF country people at
the annual circus. One bewildereG
barkeeper in a saloon ran out and
chased the train up the street until
compelled TO stop for breath. The
car borses seemed puzzled 1t the fierce
blue glare, aud in most cases turned
square across the pavement until the
train went past.
On the up grades between Thirtieth
and Forty-second streets the train
went slowly. for the reason that the
in the generating room was
moi running at mor than three.quar-
ter speed. On a level the train buzz
zed along at The rate Of twreniy miles
an hour. At Fiftieth street the mo
tor YVES attached to the other end OF
the car. and the run back was begun.
The speed for most Of the distance
was about ~ miles an hour. The run
10 Fourteenth ~.eet was made in six
and a half minutes. Mr.. Daft, the
inventor; Ii. M. Hawkesworth, the
manager Of the company, and James
K. Wright, one Of tho Directors, ex-
pressed themselves as satisfied with
the test. Other tests will be made
from time to time during the next
few days.
LNaaeraax,f Dab mid Hhtuar naw