St. Paul daily globe., 1890-02-02
GRAND AVENUE ROAD.
The Electrical Line Will Be
Opened in a Week or Ten
Days.
Interview With President Gil
man, of the Thompson
Houston Company.
ThirtV-Five Miles an Hour
Done on an Electric
Railroad.
No Danger to Life by This
System--Cars Lighted
Electrically.
The davs of the mule car axe over.

is that in city of SO much progressive
spirit as st. Paul, the bobtailed street
Car has so long been tolerated, when
older and less vigorous cities have
adopted the more modern facilities af-
forded by electricity and steam.
Electricity is the acknowledged motive
power of the future. Great as has been
the advance made in transportation by
steam power, we are to-day merely on
the threshold of what is to be attained
through the means of electricity. This
being SO, the new electric railroad. to be
opened IN this city within two weeks,
cannot but be fraught with the deepest
interest to the citizens or st. Paul. The
road is being constructed by the North
west ThOmson-HouSton Electric COM
pany, whose headquarters on Sibley
street will afford ocular demonstration
of the immense business being done in
the building of electrical railroads.
President E. d. Gilman, although a
very busy man, is ever ready to impart
information concerning electrical road
construction, and yesterday Clio BE
representative approached him in refer
ence to the Grand avenue line. MIR.
Gilman stated that the road would
probably be in operation in a week or
ten days. The road started at Broad
way and Fifth streets, running up Fifth
to Wabasha, thence to Seventh, up Sew
enth to Ramsey, Oakland, Grand ave-
nue. and the river.
"What is the length of the road?"
"About six miles double track or
twelve miles of road. The system used
is, as you know, the ThomSon-Houston.
The power will come from three eighty
horsepower ThOmSOn-HouSton generat-
orS, furnished by the st. Paul Gas Light
company. 1t is distributed along the
line over single wire, the track being
the return. The line is supported on
iron poles about sixteen feet above the
track line. The motor cars are ordinary
SiXteen-feet cars, the bodies being
mounted on motor trucks, fitted with
two motors, one on each axle. Each
motor is fifteen horse power. The motor
car is capable of hauling one or two
ordinary cars: but, generally speaking,
not more than ten horse power
of the motor car is used.
1t is considered advisable to
have power in excess of the average
amount required to overcome heavy
grades and the haulage of extra cars.
Each motor car has ON top an Inclined
bar, called the trolley arm, fitted with
small wheel, which is in contact with
and runs along the wire conducting the
electric current to the motor under the
car. By means of a rheostat governing
the amount of current taken by the
motor. the speed can be controlled at
pleasure.
"What have you to say in regard to
cable lines. as compared with electrical
roads?"
Without doubt the disadvantages of
the cable road are its great cost, the in
ahllItU nf tho driyrpr m
speed, which, of course, must be a
factor dependent upon the speed of the
cable; the motion of the car cannot be
reversed, whereas in our electric system
it can; it is noisy and apt to get out of
order. The electric road is safer, cheap
er, cleaner and faster than either horse,
steam or cable power. 1t might be we'll
TO state that all the electric motor cars
are fitted with a patent brake enabling
the motor man TO control a train of three
cars with perfect ease, there being no
jerking or disagreeable jamming in
either starting or stopping.'
"When were electric railroads first
used?"
''In this country the first practical
success was made by G. J.Van Depoele,
who exhibited his system at Chicago in
1888. In 1855 the Tnompson-H Houston
company organized railway depart
ment. bought out the patent of the Van
DepOele company. and secured the
services of the inventor, Mr.. Van De-
poele. The combination of the Van
Depotle and Thompson-Houston patents
was the result of this purchase, and
the outcome the best and only satisfac
tory system in uSe."
"What speed will be made?"
"ln certain districts probably not
more than five or six miles per hour,
but in other sections not so thickly
populated the speed will be probably
from fifteen to twenty miles per hour.
When it is recalled that the average
speed of the elevated roads in New
York is only eleven miles per hour, the
increased rate afforded by our system
will be appreciated. The cars could.
of course, make much higher rate than
this If required"
''How high?"
About thirty miles an hour"
"What is the fastest time on record?"
''About thIrty-five miles an hour, / be-
lieve; though model exhibited de-
veloped, so l am told, speed of about
sixty miles per hour"
''Why do you use the overhead sys-
temp"
because 1t is the best"
elbow about the storage battery sys-
temp"
'No good. 1t is far more expensive,
very heavy and unwieldy, far from
satisfactory, very apt TO get out OF Or
der, and have yet to hear of any such
system that amounts to much as vet.
There is no question but that in the
future perfected storage battery sys-
TEN will be placed upon the market
which will supersede the overhead wire
| system, but it may be a year, ten
years or even longer period before
this will take place. In the meantime
the overhead system is the only prac-
teal and commercial success for the
solution of rapid transit by electricity"
"Have you built any other roads than
the one here and in Minneapolis?"
Eyes; we have built and equipped
roads at Appleton, Wis.,; Spokane Falls
and Seattle, WASH: and are building, or
about to build. roads at Victoria, B. O.. !;
Toussan, Wash; Portland, Or, and Wi
mona, Minn.. the total amount built and
building being about 200 miles"
''It is popular belief that the cur
rent used in electric railways is fatal to
life. Is this so?''
''The current used in our system is
500 volts. and is not at all dangerous to
life. The testimony upon this point is
very conclusive. | will not gainsay that
if person were to place his hand upon
the overhead wire or trolly arm, or get
under the cars and embrace the motor,
but what he would receive severe
shock that would probably lay him up
| for several days. But no one thinks of
touching a red-hot stove, because he
knows it will burn. The same is true
of electricity. Treat it as you would a
| hot stove. Enjoy all its benefits. but
| keep your hands off. There is abso-
lutely no danger of the passengers re-
ceiving the slightest shock. and they
can ride in the electric cars with as
safety and more pleasure than in any
other"
''How will the cars be lighted?v
'By electricity. There will be five
Io, -,