The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-16
THE ELECTRIC MOTOR.
IT IS BECOMING A FORCE IN ALMOST
EVERY INDUSTRY.
Six Millions Invested in the Manufacture
Of Electric Motors Successful Rail-
road Electricity Ia n Flour Miii-The
secret Of Progress.

| road Electricity Ia n Flour MiIi-The
secret OF Progress.
There are now about $4,000, 900 invested
in the manufacture Of electric motors Ia
| the United States and this large invest
ment has nearly all been made within tho
last three or four years 1t represents
either the independcIG, investment Of com
panies engaged in the exclusive manufac-
| ture Of motors. or an increase in the capt
talization Of companies that manufacture
+ electric light appliances, and find the con
struction of electric motors good 0uXil-
larry industry Some Of these companies
employ many hundred men sometimes APP
| preaching thousand; and they turn out
motors almost innumerable each year.
These motors are Of all sizes from
one half horse power for driving sewing
machines and such other light work, up
70 several hundred horse power, for heavy
work They are becoming driving force
in almost every industry, end can be utu-
lied in localities where the cost OF obtain
ing fuel would almost equal their oporat-
ing expenses
Our readers have already been made
familiar with the names OF some OF the
towns and cities in the United States.
nearly fifty In all, that hove adopted. or
arc preparing to adopt the electric motor
for street railway traction IN preference
TO horses or cables Tho systems in use
in some of these places are very extended
that OF Montgomery, Ala, counting about
fifteen miles of road ami transporting
over a million passengers annually Flee
tric roads many miles in length are also
operated I'm some Of the California cities.
most notlceably San Diego and los
Angeles
4 SUCCESSFUL RAILROAD
Recently road twelve miles long was
opened la Richmond Va, represented by
J its managers. in letter published in The
! Electrical Review 20 bee Il road OF peculiar
| difficulty in operating on account Of the
sharp curves and difficult grades Some
| OF these grades reach he maximum ever
! overcome by motors depending on the al.
| hcsiyeness of their wheels 20 the tracks
and in the length there are mo- less than
| seventeen curves around right angled cor.
ners. Yet the managers write with th'
! utmost enthusiasm Of the successful
! operation Of the road in every particu
| lar The cars OF the road. described a. OF
| a very elegant pattern, are not only pro
| PEELED by electricity. but they are Lighted
by electricity which naturally follows
and when the cold weather comes they
are TO be heated by electricity, In accord
ance with system not yet generally
introduced but for which patents have
been obtained
Another field where the utility Of the
electric motor Is soon TO be illustrated ou
a large scale il found In the mining dis
tict of Butte county. Cal Among the
BIZ Bend mountains, maldnga horseshoe
curve about 4, dozen miles in extent runs
the Feather river At the upper end ot
the curve dam, built entirely across the
river. will throw the water into q tunnel
several miles IN length which emptles into
the Dark canyon the waters Of the canyon
in turn omptyinQ into the river at the
lower end OF the horseshoe. water
wheel aud electrical generators are 10 be
located ia the canyon one mile. or a mile
and half from its mouth, and from
these generators will proceed al electri-
cal conductor. which. crossing over the
mountains TO the dam, will follow the
shore OF the river around the entire horse
shoe. and return to the starting point
length estimating the entire distance.
aud al points here and there along
Tie route ace 10 be located cleo
inc motors. numbering fourteen N
all These motors will supply the power
for all the pumping hauling and hosting
demanded in the operations OF mining
after the water has been drawn from the
bed Of the stream The cost Of operating
the motor can be easily estimated. II will
take a man 10 tend the water wheel. and
another man 10 look after the conductor
aud keep il la order. ana this, plus the
interest on the plant, which will not BE-
considerable, will represent tho entirc
outlay
They are building a new capitol at T.
peka. Ia Kansas That might bea matter
VI no particular concern In New YORK
where men have learned TO be weary o.
the very word capitol Bat this Kansas
capitol is ~ be built by electricity. There
nre four electric motors at work on the
building lifting the bricks. stones and
mortar up TO their places. aud handling
the stones again into position on the walls
They are said to DO their work admirably
ELECTRICITY IN A MILL.
Away out IN Laramie, Wy J., tueIe -
q company known as tio Laramie Milling
and Elevator company This company
has mill capable o. producing 100 bar
rels Of -four day. and the only visible
.ource Of power Is seen in couple OF
little eccentncally shaped iron cases down
m one corner Of the roller floor. But
those cases aro twenty-five horse power
electric motors The manage Of tho com
pany. under the recent date OF April 3
dives d glowing account of their perform
saces Among their points Of excellence
he refers 20 their uniform rate Of speed.
the ease with which power can be placed
where It is wanted. obviating the neces
sity for long lines of shatting or still
more Objectionable belts; the economy Of
room for power plant the saving Of from
80 70 80 per cent. in insurance rates, aud
the saving Oh first cost Of plant. The
motors. be says. require very little etten
ton aud give better service with vary
ing loads than any other power that could
DE- adopted.
The chief secret Of the rapH advance OF
this new mechanical agent Is found tn tho
reyibiiity of its resources. Electricity u