Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-10-07
EDISON THE WIZARD
Has Another Electrical Surprise Read,
for the People.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6.-fhomAs A Edison
has smother surprise in store. This time il
is in the practical line of rapid transit. He
varied his summer occupation Of electric I.
mining at Ogden, N. j, by experimenting 2
and ie,tirg new sy stem of spplyiog elsc
triciity to street railways. He said, with all
the satisfaction of success, that he had just
finished his testr, thst they were "a 60" aud
that the North American Company is going
to use the system somewhere.
well. what is it exactly, Mr.. Ellison %
"Oh, no, no, mo-" said the prince Of
electricity. "You mussnt ask ms for plans
and details yet
HI WAS in the handsome. bigh-ceilinged
reception room or Library Of bis wonder
shop at Llewellyn psrk As he turned his
face to the SUM- h'ne hich came streaming
in, he locked boyish in spite Of the gray
threads in his hair. His straw hat was
tilted b bsck on his head, his eyes spsrkied
and smiles dimpled the corners of bis mouth
when he closed his lips on an after-!uucheon
cigar.
Come now" he said at last. "I'll tell
you this much this is quite . wonderful
affair" He paused a moment and then
added, Having lots Of fun on Broadway,
aren't they"
They orght to have waited I told
them they should hold on bit. After sll
this digging and ditchiDg they'll have their
cable road, and by that time nv system
will be in operation in some other city at
much less expense apd with much more
satisf. ctory results. I could simply have
gone to work and taken that Broadway
road as it once was, and could have pm.
in . block night Of my system. l could
have cbaoged the road all over, and you
would never have knoyn anything about
it"
IS, You can spp'y your system to any
street rsiwey?"
Yes, and 10 any car. But the system
10 only suitsble for use in cities where
cable roads are warranted. l have an ex-
perimentsl quarter mile of road 10 the
laboratory. The cost is one-third that Of q
cable road, and it performs every function
cheaper and better"
at is not . trolley systems'
"Oh, no. In the big towns the public
think the trolley Objectionable. Only the
rails are used and there is no slot. can
pick up current through two and half
inches Of mud
at isn't a ssorsge-ba'tery system?"
"No. use the regular motors under
the street cars" Then Mr.. Edison nodded
his head rosuishly as be ssid "I've got
very peculiar thing in that. 1t was hard
thing to do-.o get thst system perfected
I, may appear simple but is not To get a
prscticsl systs m was very difficult
The reporter Liated thst the subtle cur
rent was to thrill along the rails in some
mysterious way, and he asked il it would
be safe.
'Qiiie SAFE said Mr.. Eiison; 1.-THE
current won't escape at ali. told you how
could make the change in Broadway at
the rate of block night Well, could
jast take the old rails as they were. To
tske practically any thing AID turn ii into
an elsctric rail was quite trick. l could
use any car, too, but the trick was to get
the current to make practical system.
"NoE, ia the trolley system they ge, the
current over the wire and have taat arm
runring along. The public claim that that
it obj ctionsble in large city. Very well.
you needn't use it. have got up system
where You just take the current right from
the rails
Hsvirg admitted this much Mr.. Edison
changed the subject for kindred one.
lam also building large electrical loco
motive, several hundred horsepower" said
he, land have devised 4 systeYsof coudac-
ton without trolley for big failroad for
Henry Willard. A small section hss been
laid. Au electrical locom, ,tive is much
more economical than steam one. A
steam Locomotive 10 not economical by
reason Of the conditions il has to work under.
Thst is the trouble with il, whereas take
one Of these riple expansion engines on 3
solid foundation, With sll the economical
appliances, and tire result is you can get
horsep wer delivered on q trsin 10 motion
for ons-third the cost that you can do it
direct With steam locomotive. Then you
have every sdTsntsge in an electric loco
motive. Instead Of running train OF Elk
coaches every two hours, split it up. Make
it two coaches and run il oftener. They
are going to put this locomotive on some
road 10 Chicago-Between Chicago and
Milvsrkee, think "
You say this Is system Of eonduetion
without trolley. Il il anything ike your
strset-car sys'em7"
"Oh. no 1t has nothing Whatever to do
with il. 1t is much simpler. There Is no
great diff Guilty about il. Almost any engi-
nesr could design . good electric locomo-
tive. am going to take the current from
stations twenty miles apart.
81 was the f.st man in the Uoiied States.
you know to build An electric railfosd. l
built one three mile. long At MEMO Park in
1880. took Mr.. Willard over the road at
the rate Of forty miles an hour We ran
so fast be want to walk bsck. Ny idea
then was to pul the system on largo roads,
but was little 700 far shsad Of the times.
They are evidently going to come to it now,
however.
81 CO, tske the P.nnsylvanis Railrosd,
for instance between Jersey City and Phila.
sdslph'a. sud I car b gin bT putting ose
elscrle rain On sF. sud they can 60 on run
ring stesm. too, sbd gradually replace
stesm By electricity ~iihoaS any trouble al