New-York tribune., 1885-01-02
ELECTRICIT2 on RAILROADS.
A VISIT TO THE DAFT WORKSHOPS.


WHAT THE INVENTOR OF THAT SYSTEM SAYS
! SOON To TIE TRIED on THE BRIDGE.
| A few days ago n TRIBUNE reporter crossed
TO New-Jerscy in search OF lightning He found II AT
Grcenve in the workshops OF Leo Daft Mr. DaIt Is an
Englishman, but has been in tie country lor so''o
twenty years Electricity has been his study since III
was mere boy and of the results of MS lapors
will soon be seen on the Brooklyn Bridge. The reporter
was shown through the 'lshops, and saw electricity
ot work in the most comp forms. Everything seemed
TO he charged with electricity and yet the sixty OF sc'
eny workneu employed seemed a. faniliar ana Oh "s
friendly terms with the Lia1t as If II had bceh eosS
infant TO tho reporter Mr.. Daft said in reply 10
inquiries
Te recent active revival OF the electric raroa qnes-
tion is snnv the result Of extended knowledge
in relation TO what has been actually accomplished ~
this dire, 'on the part OF those chehy h'o'cs'cu
Fort woycars techna experts ana those III" P"T'
tion 10 know the exact esnts obtained by WHAT can 10
LONGER he called experiments, have shown beyond caV
,o fcr li railrondiuc at least and without any I'm
movement on existing appliances electricity can jhuch
more than hold its lnst any competitive mo'Nc
mower The equivalent OF this has been SO lIequehu!
asserted within the last months that 1t almost AS
sumes the character OF plaudc but 1t cannot DE 100
often insisted upon until the public at large become fuy
aware of what il their ght know and pToat by
NATURALLY attention has Deen' mainly directed toward
the elevated railroads of late, not only because thcy
present the ideal conditions for successful cectric
railroad installation, ii because their able business
management has now become thoroughly alive to tho
fact that II merely accepting the inevitable In Offering
facilities for rcpct Of what has already been estau-
lshed elsewhere. Tho estimates recently published by
an eminent electrician do not by any means show
dangerously sangune temperament and are OF course nj
least approximately correct, though II seems TO me
rather unfortunate that prominent men should insist
upon the use Of electro motive forces which thorough
49,. I. Ii Of u1f 'ggfr
in Europe has shown to be dangerous beyond
question Perhaps thi, is loose way Of expressing it,
as the degree Nposute will necessarily vary the safe
limit by varying he resistance of the human body or in
other words within ain limits the danger i proper
tional to the flesh are, exposed TO the CONDUCTOR
touch of the fingers niyht produce merely a sharp
tngng sensation when the firm graspof the hand would
be fala The limit placed 10y British Board of Trade
after thorough invcs ;gation for ali necessarily eN
posed conductors IS 300 volts. and know u can DC
rcaydconstuicd Il at IN ccclromOtivc force OF even
500 volts with the current capasty OF any producer
having low into rnal resistance will fatal shock
sufficiently large OF conductor Is exposed 10
moist body when the slightest interruption OF the cur
rent
"If the high clectromotiye forces were all
solutely necessary for competition with other
motive powers. y ere would bo some reason
able excuse Tor employing them, but
they are not ana It could readily be shown that by the
employment of lrpouud conductor not necessarily
rail- Of ic..i current nav ',e mo- T',n
under aii conditions This conductor dos not dccrio-
ratcaui W. ny times longer than an ordinary rail
but small interest charge 10 h" cost of maintenance
the cDH~' 3hp '''i'e 'oN' n" "IpAt"tI5' IN t
to1. not ~ n'l the costly safeguards Wilch IrW
That hj.a electro motive force j. necessary whore
great powers have 10 be transferred oyer long |
Frenc cxperimens, undoubtedly trne hUi we are con-
siIeIing entirely different case aud am preparing
of HI. q f
rent. which believe viii Prove the coTcc'nca' Of M
ainattcro Of fact the machines which have shown c
highest efficiency IN thi- country have an 'crtr" motive
force less than 100 Ovots his Is clearly attributable TO
tie larger propo iion of acTc material which properly
constructed machines OF low tension contain. ana i'
eoua!.y truc q! Ike motor which Will be very shortly
1i o rated oi "a large scale showing that there T.
al necessity for employing dangerous currents
Ne.rr is it necessary for II, 10 wall for those halccn
days when may be able 10 take The next great stride
By producing electricity through more rational
CO.. and dispense entirely with the Of the com
pa.atlyciy Wastcful 81 ealn-eHg!nc.
THE WORK FOR THE BRIDGE.
eve rapidly pushing along the workfor the Brook
Ign Bridge and mc providing Giuch larger power than
Is ccceslry Tor She ordinary elevated railroad woTn or
der 20 s mount the heavy grades the Bridge. II VIII
prol1by c iroa 80 20 30 percent more re-
our, f.. slallr service on the elevated railroads But
we have ha enough experience large scale 10 know
that desired result be obtained IN entirely sat
lsi"cIy uinhGr ~ me & i TX. Won - n,,S 10 pe
placed "E the Bihgr, VIII Weigh hI'yslN ponnGS per
yard and have electrical resistance OF .oJGl ohm |
ihia prOtldG amp! liil'il lrecf
than is now found necessary This rail will be laid
to suit the pociar conditions Of the Bridge IN the
ter OF ncXbility and expansion. There is di-
Guilty whatever in running indefinite number Of trails
on the came track Gt the time aud with properly
cncrgyOf provided the aggregate
current dc.Edcd does exceed the capacity OF the
primary machines
About two years ago had many four
indcpcn lent MOI ,rs running the track ~
the same time In this manner. anl
tanning uniform nergy The little railroad installation
which IS on IL ~ay to NewOrlcans Will only have
.tfsf us anil hall
the speed 4, not exceed fifteen miles per hour, but the
local nuhOrtlc. Will decide that. II IL placed the
grounds as TO be eal convenience. and will probably
carry large number of passengers"
Before going the reportor given ride the orig
.nal - mpcr" The tTach about eighth OF mile in
lengh h. and hf curve sharp any the elevated
railroads There smoke. ashes. dust, and |.
The locomotive seemed 10 be under far better control than
those by steam power. The superiority Of electricity
over steam plainly apparent In this instance. How
ever the people OF NewYork and Brooklyn Will soon