The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-31
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.
MEETING OF MEN INTERESTED ~
LIGHTNING" TRAINS.
The Method Of Operation Explaines md
Its Economy Demonstrated -ssa.
cf speed and How Regulated
Lines In Operation.
[New York Mail and Exnress. |


~Tbe meeting held at my fathers residence
he other evening was for the purpose OF ar
| angling a test of electricity as motive
,owor on the elevated railways, and others
will bs hell very SOON" said Mr. Il N. Dick
.Ison, Jr, the patent lawyer, In his Office.
who were presentP
"Cyrus w. Field, David Dudley Field,
Row. DIR. Henry NJ. Field and MIR. Stephen
}. Field, representing the Field Electrtc
ailway; Mr.. Charles II. Coster, Of Drexel
Morgan d Co., reTresentinS the Ellison
Electric railway; Mr.. Charles Hoelzen, rep
esenting the Slemens Electric railway
dessrs. X w. ami III. NJ Hawksworth,
representing the Daft Electric railway; Col.
= M. Hazarl, representing the Bentley
Snight Electric railway; AMI Col Ham,.
General manager Of the Manhattan rail-
oad."
What win be the method OF procedursfs
1T Is proposed TO make test of electricity
~ motive power on tho Second avenue Inns
,f elevated railroad, AMI for that purpose
central ill will b. laid the whole length of
no hne from Chatham square to Harlem
| oridgo.'
"What Is the exact method OF operating
railroads by electricity"
"A stationary engine Is used for the gener-
alton OF electricity, and tho baildings In
which the dynanos Of the electric light COM
panies arc operated give an idea Of what the
promises will be where electricity ~ generated
to move the elevated trains. Power for the
1ynamos can be obtained at first from one Of
The companies, which make business Ut fur
nishing steam power to those who require IL.
When tina nav. system b permanently
that will be needed for wfoie rr,-.s----
"How does the electricity move a trainr
"From the dynamos the electricity will bon
conducted 10 the central rail by large wire.
The third rail is to 10 twenty pounds
heavi that tho rail now used ON tho ele-
vatel railroads, and Is known as a seventy--
lound rail The wire connecting IL with the
iynamos will need to DO an equally, good
conductor. You are aware that electricity
aas q strong ten lency tn return TO its SOU
9y the nearest conductor. IL is this facsE
which gives tho secret OF tho operation of
-airoad trains by electricity. The CURRENT
which passes ovsr the central rail has =
strong tendency toward the outer rails ~
conductors by which it may return to tho
"y-,..aas which generated II, and the cleo
mechanism OF their m )tors, fscs osa ss1.,,;..ss
| it to move train as 1t fiows from tht 2,r-
| trail rail through the motor TO tho out =,
| ais by means Of tlSe wheels of the nioA3
| The central rail will be insulated, and prob
| ably there will be glass 10 separate It from
| tho wooden ties, but tn, out rails do not
nesd insulation. In fact, they are better
without II might be possible to apply eloc-
tricity without third rail, sending ths cur
rent over ono of the rails now In use ani
permitting It to return over the other rail- or
through the ground"
"Wil it be cheaper than steamP
~ unhesitatingly answer yes to that qu0s-
tion.n said Mr. Dickerson. LET me convince
you that IL is So The averago eievated rail-
road locomotive consumes fifteen pounds OF
coal per hour for every horsepower 10 fur
nshes, while stationary engine Of tho best
class requires about two, or at the most only
two and one-fourth pounds of coal per hour
for every horsepower IL furnishes. Now,
allowing tho maximum OF waste I'm trans
mission, etc, ami every horsepower Of cleo
tricity when applet to the motor drawing .
train will represent only four and one-half
pounds OF coal This being so, there u . sav-
Ing OF ten and one-half pounds OF coal On
every horsepower In usin2 electricity in
stead Of steam"
"Will it bs safer sse
"The regulation OF tho
Be los difficult W
power than wi
| "The trail
control
might h.
electricity
eau unhes.t-.
move more
win be less no
smoke and dust
at d by the public.
"How about the sp
limit to the speel obta.
lawyer. The S.einensos
railroad about nine miles lon,
they are soon TO extend IL to
II Is a surface road, and theref'
run only seven mijcs an
have a line nine miles h
Causeway, in Ireland, o
twenty miles and over
Baron Rothschild int
ON the Siemens plan
know what rate OF ~
The Bentley knight
about two and one-ha
NOT say what speed thy
be possible to run the elevA
swiftly or very slowly, as may beN
4