Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-09-13
A MARVELLOUS INVENTION.
a New Sort of Railway That Is Cheap.
Fast and Safe Beyond Comparison.

D
Fast and Safe Beyond Comparison.
A press view took place yesterday
of the so called "Chemin de Fer Glis-
sant," or Slide Railway" on the Es-
planade des Invaides, within the ex-
hibition. The new invention is a sin
gularly original contrivance for en-
abling trains to run, by means OF
water power. at a speed hitherto un-
dreamed of. Arriving there without
any intimation as TO what a sliding
railway might be, l at first mistook it
for an overgrown switchback. with
the humps smoothed away.
The train consisted of four carriages
affording room for about a hundred
passengers. The carriages had no
wheels, being supported at the corners
by blocks of iron of a size somewhat
larger than a brick, which rested upon
double line of iron girders In the
middle of the line at regular intervals
jutted out irregularly shaped pillars
the use of which was not yet appar
ent. Having taken our seats and the
signal being given, we glided along
gently for the space of few yards
when suddenly we gathered speed /;
two or three tugs were felt and we
were flying on at pace OF an ordinary
train. but rs smoothly as a boat on a
river There was clicking noise on
the rails, but this, | was assured, was
due TO a defect in the construction
of the slides. and would be remedied.
The absence Of any vibration, shaking
or tail motion" was wonderful. a
slight jerk there was at regular inter
walls; but then, again, was told that
it was due merely 20 the shortness Of
the course and the inability to get up
a proper pace. In hydraulic train
travelling at full speed, that is TO say
at the rate of 140 TO 200 kilometers, or
81 To l24 miles an hour, there would
be almost no consciousness Of motion.
The journey down the length OF the
Esplanade only occupied few sec
onds.
Upon our safe return Mr.. Pilter,
chairman Of the company which owns
the invention, gave full account Of
it. 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
hydraulic carriages have no wheels,
these being replaced by hollow slides
fitting upon flat and wide rail, and
grooved on the inner surface When
It is desired to get the carriage in mo-
ton water is forced into the slide or
skate Of the carriage from a reservoir
by compressed air, and seeking TO es-
cape, it spreads over the under sur
face Of the slide, which it raises for
about a nails thickness above the rail.
The slides thus resting, not on the
rails, but on a film of water, are in a
perfectly mobile condition; in fact,
the pressure of the forefinger is sutti-
cient to displace a carriage thus sup
ported. The propelling force is sup
piled by the pillars, which stand at reg
ular intervals on the line between the
rails. Running underneath every
carriage is an iron rack, about six
inches wide, fitted with paddles.
Now as the foremost carriage passes
in front of the pillar tap on the lat
ter is opened automatically, and a
stream Of water at high pressure is dl-
rected 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 thus
being continuous. The force develop
ed is almost incredible. There is
some splashing on the rails at the
start; but this diminishes 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 al
most instantaneously.
A water train running at over 100
miles an hour could, | was told, be
pulled up within thirty yards, could
climb up gradients of sixteen inches in
the yard. descend them with equal
safety, and run on curves Of forty
four yards radius. This system would
seem peculiarly adapted for elevated
railways in cities. being light, noise
less smooth. without smoke, fast and
thoroughly under command. The
danger of running off the rails is re-
duced to minimum, tie center OF
gravity of the carriages being scarce
ly more than a couple of feet from
the rails. The cost of a metropolitan
system would only be third of one on
the old plan, while in the open coun-
try its cost would be somewhat higher
than the ordinary railway; but NJ.
Barre tells me the expense would be III
France an average Of $4,000 a mile.
Where no natural water supply IS
available, a propelling machine every
twelve miles or so would be sufficient
TO keep the trains going a: full speed.
The consumption of coal per pasSen-
ger would be One-tenth only Of the
usual quantity.
The importance of this may be real
lied by considering the statement that
the Paris-Lyons company alone has
an annual coal bill of two millions
sterling. Nevertheless, it would be
rash to predict the general introduction
OF the water system on railways. One
objection, for instance, that occurs to
me is its apparent unsuitabllity FOR
goods traffic. NJ Persil, the manager
Of the "Chemins de Fer Glissants, be-
lieves it will all but do away with the
locomotive engine. With respect 10
England, he believes that the disad.
vantage of the present slow method OF
crossing the channel will become so
apparent that all opposition TO the tun-
mel will vanish. Il am ready, he
said, with enthusiasm, ito wager any
sum that when the tunnel is made and
our system mas a trial people will go
from London To Paris in two hours. -
London Daily News.
A Boom In Tombstone.
- IL 4.