Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-21
THE STORAGE BATTERY.

The application Of electricity as a motive
power for street railways is rapidly in
ereasing. In our own city, but q few days
will elapse until the Wheeling Railway
Company will have the overhead system
in operation on Main street, from the sus-
pension bridge 10 the Belmont mill. In
few weeks hence the same system is ex-
pected to he introduced on the
Citizens Line. While the overhead
system of propelling cars b. electricity is
= great Improvement on the slow going
horsepower, it nevertheless has its Ohjec-
tious, and electricians have been constant
ly experimenting with the hope that some
simpler and better plan Of applying the
mysterious current might be evolved.
Many OF the larger Municipalities will Lot
permit the use OF the overhead wires for
obvious reasons, which has doubtless
greatly spurred the inventive genius of
the country in this direction. From the
following in the Age Of Steel il will bS seen
that the all desirable improvement in the
electrical motor is attained and that the
storage battery car will beyond question
supplant all other systems:
The Lindell street railway company have
formally adopted electricity as a motive
power, under a city ordinance authorizing
a change from horse power. For a year
past the company have been experimenting
with the storage battery system Of propul-
sion, the greater part of the time with the
Sprague motor and Julian battery. Lat
terly a combination Of the Brush motor
and Julian battery has been tried, and,
Judging from the results thus far achieved,
with marked success. Mr.. BAGNALL,
whose firm, Bagnall < DuttOn, operate the
Brush central station in this city, has d.
Iected the tests with the latter combina-
tion, and naturally feels somewhat elated
over their outcome. To q representative
of the Age Of Steel he remarked that,
so far as he was aware, the
best results on record had
been secured on the Lindeil line. The
highest amount Of exhaustion on curves on
grades, and on 3per cent. grades, had not
exceeded 40 amperes; and the average ex-
haustiOn was only % amperes. And these
figures are not merely those Of chance or
accident, since they are regularly repeated
in the scheduled trips of the single cleo
trical car to which they refer. This takes
its customary place every day in the turn
out from the stables, and run from 7:45 in
the morning till 3 O'Clock in the afternoon.
1t is then retired for changing, inasmuch
as no duplicate parts of its apparatus have
yet been secured, the operation lasting
about seven hours.
Last Sunday evening tie directors of the
road decided to pat their new motive
power to g severe test, By heavy loading,
Accordingly, sixty-fve men, the majority
heavy weights, four boys and q compile
meat Of ~sandbsgs were secured as pronis.
Cuous articles of transportation. The car
ran down town and hack without accident
and with almost airy ease. The highest
amOunt Of exhaustion occurred on the
curve and grade on Grand avenue, bat was
only 50 amperes. Reckoning the weight
of the car at twice that Of the ordinary
horse car, the load thus carried was the
equivalent of, say, lis passengers.
Is it too late for our local street railways
to revise thsir plans sufficiently to adopt
the storage battery to their systems pro-
viding it be a success? PROFESSIONALLY
the public would appreciate it, while the
7 esidents along the streets upon which the
cars run would hale with delight the re-
mOyal Of the uusightly poles, wires, trav-
elers, hangers and other u~nsightly para
phernalia that make no the cumbrous
ovarheaI oyofap. \