St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-11
WANTS AN ELECTRIC TEST.
Col. Barr Makes Such a PROPOSE
ton to MayOr smith.

WANTS AN ELECTRIC TEST.
Col. Barr Makes Such PROPOSE
ton to Mayor smith.
Col. Barr, vice president of the st.
Paul City Railway company, has written
a letter to Mayor Smith in relation to
electric power on the street railway, as
proposed by the new ordinance. The
letter is as follows:
have taken the liberty of addressing
! you, as the chief executive and repre-
sentative of the city of st. Paul, on the
very important subject of the adapta-
ton Of electricity as motor power for
street transportation. The want Of
some other power other than animal is
and has been felt for long time, not
| only here, but elsewhere. This want
has been the occasion of large eXpendi-
| lures of mOuey in experimenting with
devices of different kinds.
Electricity has been and is in use to-
day, with its enemies and friends pretty
evenly divided. and has made many
| rapid strides towards perfection within
the last few months. But to my mind it
is yet very grave question, and one that
should not be decided without careful
consideration. The average electrician
will tell you that there is no longer any
question as to its adaptability and COM
mercial value, but we must all be
guided to certain extent by the fact
that this same electrician is interested
in the disposal of his wares at profit,
the evidence of which is that there are
several electric supply companies in the
field. We have the Thomson Houston,
Sprague, Daft, BentlyKnight, Short,
and several others, most of them differ
ing only in minor parts, either of which
has no hesitancy in ''Sitting down" on
his neighbor, and declaring that he
alone has the only and proper SYSTEM:
For your information [ desire to
quote from an electrician of reputation
and authority:
Next to the safety of electricity as the mo-
tive power for street cars, the reliability and
certainty or continuous operation is Of the
greatest Importance to both the public and
street railway owners. To be successful an
electrical railway must be able to operate its
cars at all times with equal facility, in all
kinds of weather, during severe cold as In
heat; through the rain and snow as during
the sunshine; when the track is covered with
mud, snow and ice, as well as when clean;
under the most unfavorable circumstances,
as we'll as the most favorable.
In the first place. the circuit must pass
from the troly wire above down through the
contact must be provided at all times be-
tween the wheels and rails, or the circuit will
cease to pass through the motor, and the car
will stop. 1t is well known to street railway
managers that it is utterly impossible to keep
track clean and free from mud. except in
dry weather during the summer. IN winter
the rails become covered with snow, ice and
frozen mud. Sometimes the wheels do not
come in metallic contact with the rails for a
hundred yards al a stretch. Even during
dry weather, with only thin layer of dust
on the rails this system is troubled by par
tial breaking of the circuit or contact be-
tween the wheels and the rails, as is
shown by the continual sparkling and
flashing under the wheels, which is
so we'll shown at night in the cities
of Richmond, Va, Dayton, O., Pittsburg, Pa,
and other places where these roads have
been in operation during the summer. When
motors are run in parallel. one great source,
not only of DELAY but Of expense. is the con-
tinual burning out OF the armature- Hun
dreds of armatures have been destroyed, and
as soon as the armature coils burn the car
must stop, and then be pulled to the repair
shop to have 5000 spent on 1t before it is
ready for service. Look at the history of
roads in Montgomery, Ala; Thomson
(Houston); Richmond, Va. (Sprague) or
one armature per week is lost. with only five
cars in the city. On the Sd day of August
last every car on the Salem, Mass, road
(Sprague) was taken off the road for repairs,
and trat1lC enUlrely suspended.
could go on quoting from this au-
thor. but desist, and only quote what l
have to show that this, like all QueS-
lions. has two sides.
The necessary ''salt'' must also be
taken with this authors criticisms, for
the reason that he is advocating the use
of electricity by another system; and
had the time or desire, think his ''sys-
tenn" could be punctured to about the
same extent. Having taken consider
able interest In watching the progress
of electricity as motive power, feel
that it IS my duty, not only to the COM
pany | represent, but to the public to
whom we look for patronage. to make
the attempt to lay this question before
you in as short and terSe form as posi-
BILE.
Would it not be better for both the
company and the public toput ourselves
in such shape as may be necessary to
make complete practical test of this
question, and ascertain whether we
have made mistake before cucumber
ing all the streets with what might
prove to be useless device and a nui-
Sance?
1t has only been short time since
the city council of Minneapolis sent
their committee on streets to visit the
different parts of the country and look
over the question of street tranSpOrta-
ton by the different methods. AS | I'M
derstand it, they arrived at the con-
clusion that while electricity seemed to
be doing fairly we'll, they did not
think enough of it to recommend that
anything more than thorough test be
| made, and that some one line should be
set apart for that purpose.
say without reserve that the time
! has arrived when the question should
be solved in practical way, but [ do
| not believe toat it would be good BUSH
ness policy for either the st. Paul City
Railway company or the public to enter
upon a scheme SO large as this and
cover the whole city with something of
which we have no positive knowledge,
and no information to be had excepting
from those who have the goods for sale.
In conclusion | will say that the St.
Paul Oily Railway company stands ready
to make this practice test, and is ready
to do so and leave the public say wheth-
er it is a success or not, and whether it
shall be extended to all lines in the city
upon which 1t is practical to operate.
Mayor Smith was absent from the city
and his views of the proposition could
not be obtained. Col. Barr said last
night:
ut looks a little foolish to invest $780,
| 900 in an electric plant before careful
practical test is made. 1t will cost fully
| $4,000 to make the test, but it is worth
| while. / do not care which present line
| is used for the purpose, but perhaps the
| West Seventh would be the best"