The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-29
THE FIRST ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
1t Was i'm the Picturesque County o
Antrim, Ireland.

IL Was i'm the Picturesque County o
Antrim, Ireland.
Today the electric motor possesses the
land. Round about the civilized world it
runs, "like the lightnings" As one notes
its steady and swift service, the fact of its
recent coming is almost forgotten. But q
short time back and it was not. So late as
the year 1882 a genuine working electric
railway had nowhere been seen or
heard Of 1t is true that even before that
date visitors to the Crystal Palace, London,
had amused and amazed themselves with
ride on the electrical TOY tram-car'' in
operation on the palace grounds. 1t is also
true that at Berlin and other points on the
continent of Europe electricity was at a
somewhat later date more practically APP
piled as motor oyer short distances. But
not until the year 1883 did the first steady
going electrical railway-the first OF it's
kind constructed by company for pur-
poses of proft-enter upon the work of
carrier of freight-prosy, permanent
freight, as well as passengers.
To Ireland belongs the distinction of this
line achievement-and of science you see,
as well as OF saints-and, besides being first
in point of time, this little lightning road,
curving around the picturesque shore of
the county of Antrim, now and then get
ting frightfully near the edge of those great
white cliffs, running as close as possible to
that wild Atlantic ocean, was also for
considerable period the very longest cleo
trical railway i'm the world" Six miles
was the first distance undertaken, from
the pleasant town of Portrush, well-known
to American tourists, TO the outskirts of
Bushmills, thriving village, famed for its
salmon and its whisky.
We were told that the patent" was that
of Siemens Bros, of London and Berlin.
To the unscientific eye, but little science
was visible. The Siemenses had not greatly
taxed their brains. A wonder ought to
look wonderful, but there it was, this first
of electric hlghways-no wires. nc trolleys,
no anything. but lstle smokeless, almost
noseless train, moving swiftly along, ap-
parently at its own sweet will. The road
bed is laid on one side of the public high
way. raised above it about half foot, and
protected from ordinary traffic by granite
curbstone. The gauge is three feet and the
steel rails are level with firm graveled
surface. At first an attempt was made to
convey the current along these rails, but in
wet weather the leakage of electricity into
the ground was so enormous that
more economical method of man.
aging the subtle fluid was
substituted. A third iron rail, raised on
wooden posts about two feet high and in
sulated by means of caps made from par.
rain oil and sawdust. was placed on one
side of the road and found to be an admira-
BILE conductor. Tie current is controlled
so as not to endanger life, the hand or foot
placed on the conducting rail receiving
only slight shock. This degree of safety
is brought about by an apparatus attached
TO the generators. From the car project
two contact brushes" made of flexible
Steel These rest on the rail and transmit
the current to a dynamo concealed in the
under part of the vehicle. This in its turn
acts on the wheels by chain gearing and
causes the desired locomotion.
A short distance above Bushmils the
river Bush comes tumbling over rocks and
boulders, forming a fall known as the
Salmon Leap. Above this fall the strong
hand of science lays hold of the rushing
water, takes what it will, leads il through
an artificial channel, sends it down two
cylindrical "shootings" thirty feet deep,
after which it falls in with two turbine
wheels, giving about ninety horsepower,
some shafts, more wheels, a dynamo. 1.-THE
uncomfortable fluid" three-quarters of a
mile of underground cable and-he who
wills may ride. MARY GILMoUR.