The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-28
THE SPRAGUE SYSTEM.
CONSERVATION OVER ITS FAIL
URE IN RICHMOND.
Lieutenant Green To he sent Here to In
Vestisatc the Matter-What MIR. Rates
Has to say Abou, Electricity ss Motive
Power.

Vestigatc the Matter-What MIR. Kate
Haste say About Electricity s n motive
Power.
The announcement made by Captain
Pizzini Of the electric line. ~ published II
The TIMr> Wednesday. that the >pragu'
motor system il a failurc-ccrianiy. as la
A. its application 20 cars in Richmond i
concerned seems 10 have gone like a bomb
she'll into the camp Of the >praguc Com
pany. and they have already sem
Lieutenant :. j.. Green. their leading cleo
fr'~ian here a. inv '-figaic.
The II clmOnd electric railway has AWAY
been the pride Of the >pragIc system
Whenever they wanted Ia equip q line III
other cities with motive power. they have
ALWAYS pointed 10 the system here az a mon
10 he told point blank that their
motors are failures, II j. too much for theii
electrically -Strung endurance.
Lieutenant Green was here when me ROAD
was building. and will be fayorably reDem-
hered by those who met hisl in business ana
social circles. lie will arrive here to-day.
WHAT MIR. JOSEPH W. HATES THINKS.
Mr.. Joseph W. Rates. superintendent and
general manager Of the Postal Telegraph
and Gable Company. and who j. recognized
~ an expert in electricity. was met 10y u
TIMES representative yesterday and asked
his opinion ~ ~ what hc thought of the re-
port published in Yesterday mornings
paper that electricity a. motor ior street
ears was failure.
He replied:
s.The announcement made in Yesterday :
TIMES that the Richmond Electric Railway
was a failure has caused much comment
Because Of the fact that it was about the
first road in this country Of any considerable
4 a
a. IA matter OF pride by the citizens Of Rich
mond. and much regret is expressed on all
sides m the failure Of the road. However. IT
j. now understood that electricity as "A mo
tive power. while not a success IN Rich
mond. il successful i'm other places. and the
failure i'm this city i 10 De attributed 10 the
particular system used. II has been dem
0nstrated that ample power for running
street cars can be supplied 10y means Of
electricity. This i the essential feature,
and the failure on the Richmond road il due
L. the imperfect mechanical arrangements
Of the system used here
TO WHAT DO YoU ATTRIBUTE THE TRoU-
BILE -
.Tho defect seems 10 exist in the appli-
anccs attached 10 the car-ihe motors and
Gearing. The dynamOs and other appli-
ances at the pOwcr-hOuse seem 70 perform
their part entirely satisfactory. and furnish
I'm ample current 90 supply the full compile
neni Of cars with all the power needed.
The armaturcs or the revolving portion Of
the motors. seem 10 be defective, IN that
they are frequently burned out Or DESTROYED
by the melting of some portion Of the copper
Wire used in their construction. This i
probably due 10 the imperfect insulation
and an undue development Of heat in the
iron cores. The cOmmutatOrs also appear
fobc impcrfcctly constructed and the con-
slant formation of an arc at the ends Of the
brushes burns cut both colnmUtator~ and
brushes. This constant destruction of the
motors. armaiurc~ and cOmmutators has
caused a very heavy expense for repairs.
which seems % have swallowed mp even the
extraordinary large earnings of the road.
Iu some instances costly armaturcS were
practically DESTROYED. 70 these causes and
mishap~. which are constantly recurring. il
due the failure of the road a. a paying in
Ac~fmcnt."
you do not regard the ease n hopeless
Them"
There i no doubt that with improved ma
chincry. higher insulation and more care |
tai construction the road can be- operated |
profiably 10 the company and saiisiacto- |
rily 10 the public. The defects are not vital; !
merely mechanical. some other system |
must bc perfected and doubtless will be-. II /
has been by no means demonstrated that |
electricity as a motive power l. failure. |
and no doubt the defects mentioned VIII Ice 1
rmcdied.