Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-03-31

gnnk we make even ber.cr TIE than
the English railways " here the average
speed Is fifty nailes an kour. Now. an
American train Ike tie western i'm
tied. wiz weigh with six sleepers, bag
gage cars and the usual number Of
coaches, fully foar hundred tons A
similar train 10 accommodate the same
mum Der Of passengers On an Eng ish road
viii weigh not more than two hundred
and ffty tons 80 the future speed
If our trains nust depend after. Of
eoar>s. the roadbed Is il first-class con-
dition. almost entirely on the weight Of
our trains What We must do rs reduce
the weight Of our ears. and At the same
time retain their strength"
What inventions have been made In
this lne2"
There have been quite number
suggested The steel car Is perhaps the
most important of these. and l would
not be IN the least surprised u see steel
passenger and sleeping ears run on our
fast lines la America In few years
Mr.. buchanan, the superintendent Of
motive power, has in mind q steel car.
which IS shaped like cigar.
''By building your car cigar-shaped and
Of steel you get the reduction in weight
and tho benefit In speed that is
sure 70 follow reduction of the
resistance Of atmosphere. The idea
! believe Is to have the cars linked
together after the manner Of the present
vestibule system. The circular form Of
tho cars win not permit the wind To ed
dy about and between them, which Of
cou-se is a check to speed On what we
call our limited trains, with the num-
Der Of cars carried by them, the engines
are taxed 70 their utmost capacity. We
must decrease the size of trains as well
as reduce the weight of cars This
branch of course necessitates an addi-
tional number of trains; yet the popula-
ton Is not large enough to justify taxi
ing such q step. Ten years from now
things viii be different"
"Now as TO the engines, Mr.. Depew.
Do you believe electricity viii super
cede steam as a means of propelling
cars?"
''Ah, that is vary difficult question TO
answer. While it would not surprise
me 10 see electricity rushing our rail-
road trains along at the rate of fifty or
sixty miles an hour, | recognize there
must be moro great secrets of the
mystic power revealed before we ac-
ccpt it. When we can get electricity
cheap enough that produce it as we
go at the same cost as we now generate
steam, we can talk about electricity as
n motive power. Many railroad men are
of the opinion that the steam locomo-
tive, as means of propelling cars, is
doomed They say its use involves too
great a waste, and that electricity is
already successfully employed for the
propulsion of street and suburban cars.
That is all well enough and I glory in
the inventiveness of our Americans, but
electricity will need to be juggled q
great deal moro before we can run q
through express train to Chicago with
It,"
GLOW about the brakes and electric
signals?"
The brakes are very satisfactory,
and see little chance for Improvement
In that direction, but what l have al
ready stated applies to the brake.
Everything in this progressive country
Is constantly advancing and new ideas
nre coming to the front every day.
am satisfied that the best automatic
signals are very safe as they stand to-
day. They have been thoroughly test
ed and not found wanting.
1.-THE train of the future will travel al
much greater rate Of speed If c0pdi-
tons l have named prevail in detail
But TO get fast trains for the country
the municipal corporations will have to
lend helping hand in aiding to abolish
grade crossings and permitting road
beds either under or over the highway"
CURTIS j. MAR
The people have recognized in Hoods