Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1889-09-05
TWO HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR
rhi. Ia tho Speed of The New Railway.

This 1a the Spaeo OF iue Ne" Ahi""S
David G. Weems, Of Baltimore, is the
inventor Of new rapid transit electric
railway system, which promises to resolu
tionize the carrying OF mail and express
He has been interviewed on the suhJec'
of his new inv atipn at his hume III
Laurel, Maryland, and has now given the
following interesting details Of the plan
The railway has two rails, very much
like any other railway, bur It Is inciosed
here in sort Of lattice work aud there
b. barbed wire fence which stretches
along on both sides. But tie queerest
thing about this railroad is what travels
on it.
A NOVEL FEATURE.
Mr.. Weems, standing in the do'r OF
shed, touches button, when out 81 Inc
shed crawls an iron plated thing, about
two and a half feet square aud twenty
feet long, pointed at oneend. Ii Is Oh
wheels and looks very heavy and clumsy.
No sooner have you begun to lock it over
and wonder whether it is torpedo or a
rock crusher than it disappears Il goes
cd like a flash. Apparently nothing
touches it, nothing rropcls i. But i
goes. A little rumble, a dark streak
going around the curve Of the circular
railway, and it is hidden behind clnmp
Of trees. Mr.. Wecms still stands with
his hand On the button, watching peacli
showing in an automatic device over
piece Of ruled paper. AT the hall ne
exclaimed, and a moment or two iater
"Oue mile |" Then "a mile and halt!'
and in a few seconds more the long,
black thing on wheels whizzas By. You
take ont your watch and time it. In
little less than minute it reappears.
In another minute it whizzea by one
more, Az it goes round aud round 1t Is
like nothing 50 much as big shuttle
moving in circle with inconceiyable
rapidity. The track is exactly two miles
10 circumference.
1--WE are not running very fast now,
MI, Weems says toni, 1,4O0 revolution:
Of our dynomo. This gives US speed
Of exactly two miles minute. Ou1
machines develop up to 10000 reyo'u
tions equal to mere than four miles
minute for twenty four hours without
stopping. On frs..clsss track, reason
ably straight and without too man,
steep grades, wo can easily develop !
continuous speed OF three or four miles
minute. In fact there is practically N
limit to the speed. our power can produce
The only question is how much spec
tho tracks and cars are able to staud
The trock we are now using is oil curv
and full Of heavy grades
The success of.this remarkable railHa
hss been SO thoroughly assured by actus
demonstration that Chicago may now be
gin looking forward to the receipt Of ma
from New YORK in four or Eve hours.
PRospEcrs FOR THEFUTURE.
"Within very lew years." said MI
Weems, "thre will be a double trac
electric railway from New York t
Chicago, about 900 miles long. Th
track will have a twelve inch gauge an
will DO inclosed in network Of barbe
wire. The wires Of whichsthis fence
made will be used for telegraph, tell
phone and automatic signals. Overhea
will be space for carrying huudre
commercial telegraph wires. Tn trac
i 50 light aud the rolling stock SO easil
carried that at very small additional co
the road can be elevated through tow,
and cities, and wherever it may
necessary to obviate heavy grade
Through this protected way trains tv
and halt feet wide and about the saa
height will be run at the speed Of 20
miles an hour. No eneinemen, co
ductors or brakemen accompany the trail
whose movements are controlled cast
and absolutely from the power station
Ut these stations there will b, one
New York, one in Chicago, and seven
the lii Q about 100 miles apart. The
loHr stations will require capacity
about 800 horsepower each, AID a,
practical engineer can compute the 60
ofmsiniaining them. 1t is really ifihn
considering the efficiency developed.
water power can be had for some Of Il
stations, even If Eve or ten miles fro
the track, it will be utilized, power beir
transmitted by wire. Iu operation trail
Of four or Eve cars will be ruD, mot
car and three or four others. The ca
are 30 telescoped together as to for
unbroken surfaces, top, bottom and side
and the rear car, as well as the first
m