Smyrna times., 1890-10-01
To New York in Sc Minutes.
THE POSSIBILITIES OF RAPID TRANSIT
BY ELECTRICITY.

uOuEi all WlGnln inc next ten years /!
Such was the alluring prospect of
future travel, held out Monday by Pro-
fessor William d. Marks, the supervis-
ing Engineer of the Edison Electric
Light Company, Philadelphia, and an
authority on all matters electrical, in
speaking of the wonderful power OF
the electric current.
II am willing" said the professor,
ito stake my reputation as an electrical
engineer on my ability to construct an
electric motor that could take train
to New York in that time. Under
stand that I am not romancing but am
simply speaking from the knowledge
of the possibilities of electricity thai /
have gained in my work as electric en-
gineer. Such tremendous speed could
not be made of course, on the tracks
now built between here and New
York, but it would be entirely possible
on road such as 1 have in my minds
eye, aud which I believe will be con-
structed before many years.
THE RAILROAD OF THE FUTURE.
"This road should be perfectly
straight between here and New York,
or with curves Of so slight a radius,
that they would not be a source of
danger. The construction should be
of the most substantial kind with alb
solutely no grade crossings bridges
of stone wherever possible, and rails
much heavier than are now used.
These would be insulated from the ties
by some nOn-conducting substance.
Between here and New York there
would be four electrical stations with
enormous dynamos driven by two COM
pound condensing engines of 5000
horse power each. From these stations
an immense amount of electricity
would be poured into the rails.
The trains that would run over this
railroad would be drawn by 100000
pound motors. This great weight
would, be chiefly necessary to hold the
motors to the track. One man could
run motor instead of two required
for a locomotive. The cars would pro-
baby be round and entirely enclosed,
and would receive their supply of air
from ventiIators much like those in
use on steamships.
THE SPEED OF A TORNADO.
"a train running at the rate of $50
miles an hour would, of course, be like
a tornado, that would sweep up every
thing near its course. This would
make it necessary to protect passen-
gers at way stations by having tall
shields of solid iron between the track
and the platform, to prevent them from
being sucked in by passing trains. All
buildings near the tracks would have
to be removed to some distance for the
same reason. Under these conditions
which could be ereadily accomplished by
money, there is no reason why trains
should not run from here to New
York in thirty-six minutes and carry
heavier load than now.
''This would be an ideal road, but
all these details would not be neces-
sary for slower rates of speed. Any
track could be adopted to electric mo-
tors. The Pennsylvania Railroad
between here and New York, could be
operated mnch more cheaply by elec-
tricity than by steam. An electric mo-
tor can be controlled more readily than
a locomotive and is more economical
in all its workings. More trains could
be run than at present and their car
rying capacity would be greater.
There would not be the slightest diff
Guilty in running the Pennsylvania
Railroad much better and cheaply than
now.
OFFICIAL CONSERVATISM.
It is a curious fact, however, that the
engineering officials of rail roads
wrapped up in the routine of their
daily work, see nothing more in elec-
tricity than something by which tele-
graph instruments are worked. They
seem Indifferent to the wonderful de-
velopment of its power in the last few
years, and 60 on in their old ruts un-
moved by progress. Before long be-
leve they will be compelled to take
up electricity as a motive power on
their roads. When the public sees
how we'll these motors work, they will
demand that better time shall be
made, and shrewd capitalists, foresee-
ing how popular an air line, such as 1
described, will be, will build one.
Great as the speed of $50 miles on this
would be, it would only be about one
tenth of the initial velocity of a can
non ball atthe moment of its discharge.
Some people might think that a
track whose rails should be charged
] Wltu 6lGGbIlCtby WOuAu bS dangerous,
but it would not. To send a train
along at the rate Of $50 miles an hour
would require low pressure current
of 500 volts, which would not be dan
gerous to life.
WONDERFUL PROGRESS SINCE 1876.
"This wonderful speed is no idle
dream. When you consider that at
the Centennial the only development
of electricity was a few arc lights
which were exhibited as a sort of ex
perimental plaything, and that now
there are $30O,OOO,OOO invested in thi.
country alone, you can see what prog
ress has been made. And yet, l be
lieve electricity is only in its infancy o
development 50 far. It is beyond al
doubt to be the motive power of the
future"
@nNAn