Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-05
A MARVELLOUS INVENTION.
A New Railway That Ii Cheap, Fast
and Safe.

special dispatch from Paris to the London
Daily Ne,os says: "a press view took place yes
terday Of the so-called 'Chemin de Fer Glissant
or Slide Railway, OH the Esplanades des Inva-
lides, within the exhibition. The new inven-
ton is a singularly original continuance for en-
abling trains to run, by means Of water power,
at a speed hitherto undreamed Of. Arriving
there without any intimation to what slid
ing railway might be. 1 at first mistook it for
an overgrown switchback, with the humps
smoothed away.
1.-The train consisted of four carriages az
fording room for about hundred passengers
The carriages had no wheels, being supported
at the corners by blocks of iron of size some
what larger than q brick, which rested upon
double line Of iron Orders. In the middle of
the line at regular intervals jutted out irregu-
larly-shaped pillars, the use Of which was not
yet apparent. Having taken our seats, and
the signal being given, we glided along very
gently for the space of a few yards, when sud-
denly We gathered speed; two or three tugs
were felt and We were flying on at the pace of
an ordinary train, but as smoothly as a boat on
q river. There was q clicking noise on the rails,
but this, was assured, was due to defect in
the construction of the slides, and would be
remedied. The absence of any vibration,
n
slight jerk there was at regular intervals; but
then. again, was told that it was due merely
to the shortness of the course and the inability
to get up proper pace. In hydraulic
train travelling at full speed, that is to say at
the rate of 140 to 200 Kilometres, or 81 to 124
miles an hour, there would be almost no con-
sciOusness of motion. The journey down the
length of the Esplanade only occupied few
seconds.
upon our safe return Mr. Pilter, chairman
Al. L ~ Al
q full account OF 1T. The sliding railway was
invented in 1868, by an engineer named Girard
who was killed in the Franco-German war, and
it has been improved to its present state by one
Of his assistant engineers, NJ. Barre.
'As has already been mentioned, the ny
draulic carriages have no wheels, these being
replaced by hollow slides fitting upon a fiat
and wide rail, and grooved ON the inner sur
face. When it is desired to set the carriage
in motion water is forced into the slide or
skate of the carriage from a reservoir by COM
pressed air. and seeking to escape, it spreads
over the under surface of the slide, which it
raises for about a nails thickness above the
rails. The slides thus resting not on the rails,
but on film OF water, are in perfectly mobile
condition; in fact the pressure of the fore
finger Is sufficient to displace a carriage thus
supported. The propeIling force is supplied
by the pillars which stand at regular intervals
on the line between the rails. Running under
meath every carriage Is an iron rack, about 6
inches wide, fitted with paddles.
Now as the foremost carriage passes in front
OF the pillar tap on the latter is opened
automatically, and a stream of water at high
pressure is directed on the paddles. This
drives the train on, and by the time the last
carriage has gone past the tap (Which then
closes the foremost one is in front of the next
tap, the waters action being thus continuous
The force developed is almost Incredible. There
is some splashing on the rails at the start; but
this diminlshes the faster the train goes. To
stop the train the small stream of water that
feeds the slides is turned off, and the latter
coming in contact with the rails the resulting
friction stops the carriage almost instantly.
"A water train running at over 100 miles an
hour could, L was told, be pulled up
within 80 yards, could climb up gradients
Of 16 inches in the yard, descend them
with equal safety, and run on curves
of A yards radius. This system would
seem peculiarly adapted for elevated railways
in cities, being light, noiseless, smooth without
smoke, fast and thoroughly under command
The danger Of running off the rails is reduced
to minimum, the center Of gravity of the car
riages being scarcely more than q couple Of
feet from the rails. The cost of metropolitan
system would only be third of one on the old
plan, while In the open country its cost would
be somewhat higher than the ordinary railway,
but NJ. Barre tells me the expense would be in
France an average of ca, 900 mile. Where no
natural water supply is available propelling
machine every IL miles or 10 would be sufi-
cient to keep trains going at full speed. The
consumption OF coal per passenger would be
one-tenth only of the usual quantity.
''The importance of this may be realized by
considering the statement that the Paris-Lyons
company alone has an annual coal bill of two
million sterling. Nevertheless, it would be
rash to predict the general introduction of the
water system on railways. One objection, for in
stance, that occurs TO me is its apparent I'M
suitability for goods traffic. NJ. Persil, the
manager of the 'Chemins de Fer Glissants.
believes it will all but do away with the loco
motive engine. With respect to England, he
believes that the disadvantage of tue present
slow method Of crossing the channel will be-
come SO apparent that all opposition to the
tunnel will vanish. i am ready he said with
enthusiasm, TO wager any sum that when the
tunnel is made and our system has a trial peo-
pie will 60 from London to Paris in two
hours"