New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-24
ELECTRIC TRACTION.
PROGRESS MADE IN A DECADE:
SUCCESSFUL TRIALS IN NEw.yoRK cIrY-com
PARSONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT syeTEMs

SUCCESSFUL TRIALS IN NETWORK cITY-coM
PARSONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
The progress made in electric traction during the
last decade borders the marvellous Not quite ten
years ago Dr. Werner Won siemens made the fist ex
perments In propulsion Of ramcars by electricity IN
uchterfelde small city in the neighborhood Of Ber~
lin. Although tho eminent German specialist did not
prosecute HIS application of electricity his discoveries
proved TO be incentives to inventors In Europe aad
America Ii soon became evident that mechanical
traction would supersede animal traction. and spe-
callsts began to apply their energies 10 I'LL that want
One OF the FIST In this country to recognize the
possibilities Of electric traction Thomas A. Edi
son, who early as 1881 operated electric motor
at his works in Meno Park, N. J. In 1893 Leo Daft
the electrician Of the Daft Electric Light Company.
made tho first public exhibition with the electric
motorampere on the Saratoga and Mount McGregor
Hallway, drawing passenger coach portion OF
that line For several years Mr. Daft has abored TO
Perfect his system, in order to solve the problem Of
rapid transit on the elevated roads Of this city.
The result of HIS experiment is seen In the Ben
Franklin In on the Ninth-aye eleya ted line
During the eight weeks which II has been In opera
ton IL has drawn, at times trains OF from three ID
eight cars, the latter being the longest train
pulled over the Nnth-age. road. Within the last few
days, for the purpose Of showing the capacity Of the
motor, trains made up of four fat loaded with
railroad iron have been attached to the motor and
drawn with the same ease as though locomotive had
been used. While 1t is the purpose Of the company
continue these tests, larger aud more powerful moo
is In process OK truction at the Daft Electric ugh
Works, which will be able to draw with ease train
Of six cars and attain speed OF thirty miles hom
between the stations. It is also said that the trains
when using the electric motor can be started and
stopped with greater promptness and less coamotor
that when the ordinary locomotive Is used. ASIDE
from these advantages the absence Of dirt cnders and
gas Is highly I'm favor of the adoption Of the eleczD
motor.
SIMPLE IN coNsTRU cTIoN.
The simplicity Of its construction Is marked 1hers
IS no reciprocating motion. The revolving armature
Of the motor being connected BY pnions with the shan
Of the driving wheel the locomoon is in the direction
Of the rotation. The motor is thoroughly automatic,
and the amount Of electrical energy demanded OF IL
depends upon the service II has to perform The cleo
trical current is supplied from central station and
conveyed through conductors laid on the elevated
structure In the equipment Of the Ninth-aye. road
a conductor VIII be used having the capacity TO con-
vey current necessary operate from thirty to forty
trains This will be about three inches in diameter
In addition to this the Daft Electric Light Company
operating number Of streetcar lines both with tho
overhead and conduit systems IN different parts Of thu
country II has taken up the storage battery prob
lem Of late and has contracts with number Of cItss
10 equip the horse-car lines with their batteries.
car for the sixth horse-car Ane In this city has
been made ready for Also, and viii be in operation
within few days.
The first electric car that was ever run in New,
York CITY, said william Bracken, was by the julien
Electric Traction Company In October 1856, on the
Eighth-aye. railroad. Experiments were continued
with the same car on the Fourth and Madison ave-
line until last September, when three cars were pus
In service. These have been increased to ave Others
Will be added from time to time-s The fundamental
~. T,Ifa fc NJ he
their power with them, Instead Of taking It from
overhead underground conductors
PERPEcTING THE DETAILS.
During the last SIX months the Julien Company has
perfected many details Of its system. The last prob
lem the handling Of the batteries at the station, which
at one timc presented great difficulties, has been .
finally solved. Tho battery Of car weighs aoous
$500 pounds. 1t has TO be removed from and placed
in the car at least once day. It was desired 10 %
this with ease and in q mechanical way The Jaiien
Company succeeded IN invsnrng an ingenious cons
srivAncs by which the discharged battery can be re-
few minutes time. Machinery does the work almost
batteries sufficient 70 run seven cars. which would
eaTsd % sab dS'S four horses The economy d
space apparent and the immense area now oovered
by the stables could be utilized for other and moro '
ne saving in labor Is also prOportionstely great
The RneP SSeoH h BEEN dat q s1psn
SnceaIists cav. however that electricity Is neces
sarily cheaper than traction By steam cebis,
locomotive consumes seven pounds OF coal In gem
Grating horse power whereas the stationary en-.
CINE generates horsepower nom two pounds OF z
coal While II Is true that there Is some loss In
converting this power into electricity, yet that loss
VIII be comparatively small that 1t Is safe 10
say thar electrical horse power does not require
more than two and one-half pounds o. coal The
cable suffers, 10 Is maintained, from the disadvantage
Of small efficiency.
SAVING OF ENERGY.
Some say that IL takes rs per cent Of the initial
energy to move the cable alone making the efficiency
about IS per cent. There Is, however, in all prob
ability no system Of electric traction which does NOT
give at the car wheel least so per cent of the initial
energy On the other hand, II IS true that electric
traction has more complicated and more expensive
machinery attached to each than is required for
cable traction.
Repairs arc necessary with the electric car oftenei
than with the cable ear this viii be Offset, it Is
said, by the repairs necessary for the cable and
conduit. No machine is being improved more rapidly
not meant but the dynamo which transmits the
energy 70 the car axle. This machine was, unni
recently delicate and consequently unreliable In Us
paratlve perfection and has been known 70 have
run a car thousands OF miles without needng siioh-
ton. 49, = 49,.
would appear that electric traction Is permanently es
tablished Two years ago there were ohy tweeny
electric ears IN operation In America, while now there
are more than goo, and the time is probably not tn
distant when propulsion Dy the electric uo.Vr WI "
as common as animal and steam traction to-day.