The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-05
I'll DAFT
A Practical Test of 1t on q New York Elevated
Railway.
New York Times.

y llitS
AT o CLOCK the motor was attached to two
passenger cars of the Ninth-avenue line, and
when these cars were lighted a crowd of people
pushed up the steps leading to both sides of the
station and demanded to be given q ride. A
colored man, with a very broad smile. kept
guard, however, and permitted only a few in
ventors and persons directly interested in the
invention to enter.
An hour was spent in putting the final touches
to the motor and in seeing that the switches
were in proper condition. Then the engineer in
the motor threw over a lever and let a wheel
down upon the steel rail in the Lliddle of tie
track. A blaze like a big fash of lightning lit
up the neighborhood.
shes there, all right" said one of the young
men in the cab, thereby meaning that the cleo
trio circuit was IN working order.
Then let her CO. said Mr.. Daft.
Ihere was a whlZzing sound, as If an iron
orusn was revolving against a steel bar, and q
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 the center track, which was
In the circuit for only a short distance, and up
at Fifteenth street the motor came to a stand
still. 10 get the cars 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 lmpromptu circuit TO work on the
motor ran back in a blaze of blue fire and a
shower of red sparks. A half hour was used up
IN switching to and fro, and at 1890 o'clock the
train backed down upon the outside up track and
pulled out for the end of the line on Fiftieth
street. 1t rumbled out of the station at a lively
gate and went bowling up the road to the vocif-
erous cheers of a crowd of people on the side
walks. The drive-wheels of the motor we're re-
Elected in mammoth proportions on the fronts Of
the buildings, and in nearly every house the
people, startled at seeing a fierce blue glare
dancing across their windows, thrust out their
heads and stared like a lot of country people at
the annual circus. One bewildered barkeepep
in a saloon ran out and chased the train up the
street until compelled to stop for breath. The
car horses seemed puzzled at the fierce blue
glare, and in most cases turned square acrosc
the pavement until the train went past.
On the up grade between Thirtieth and Forty
second streets the train went slowly, for the
reason that the engine in the generating room
was not running at more than three quarters
speed. On a level the train buzzed along at the
rate of twenty miles an hour. At Fiftieth street
the motor was attached to the other end of the
car, and the run back was begun. The speed
for most Of the distance was about twenty-five
miles an hour. The run to Fourteenth street
was made in six and o half minutes. Mr.. Daft,
the inventor; II. NJ. Hawkeswortbb the manager
of the company. and James K. Wright, one Of
the directors, expressed themselves as satisfied
with the test. Other tests will be made from
time to time during the next few days.