The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-05
UNION PASSEyGER RAILWAY.
Richmond One Of the First Cities Where
introduced.

| The New York Commercial Advertiser Of Feb
rusry 10th devotes more than seven Of its col
umns to an article ON Ideal Rapid Transit"
in which it says:
The development Of electric traction is nm
| equaled IN the industrial history of the world;
In lsS5, list of twelve or thirteen comprised all
the electrical roads IN operation and this lnclu-
ded every electrical road IN the world, whether
! operated by the split tube, the side rail. the
travelling trolley carriage on an overhead WIRE
the centre rail, or by conduit or storage bat
terry. There was little similarity in these dine
rent plans but they all served TO show that cleo;
tricty. IN more or less effective way couId
pfopel car.
ONLY ELECTRICIANS HOPEFUL.
But street railway men were disbellevers;
capitalists skeptical. car-builders cynical, ana
most electricians only hopeful. Almost three
years ago to-day, the 81 of February, 1885 there
was opened for traffic. a road az lJchmond, w.
which presented conditions OF length; grace
curves. roadbed and numbers OF cars to De oper11
atcd, which, II successfully overcome, Nouib
mark a new area in the development or eleculc
railway traction. Tho conditions, while not
perhaps now seeming remarkable, were men
considered lnsurmOuntable. not Only because ~
difficulties Slatlng to street car service ltseii
but also because OF electrical and mechahlcal
ones.
HEAVY GRADES
The length was from eleven 70 twelve miles.
There was a straight grade OF 10 per cent; there
were grades in curves OF and per cent Ihere
were tWenty-ninc curves. and some OF tlem NH VIZ,
a. low S. wenty seven and thirty footradus. Inc
road bed was OF an execranle character Inlity
cars had 70 be operated at one time IRON CO,-
mon station and some OF them four miles away
That road had Its vlclssltudes' but us Slc'oIlts
as well. Forty ears were operated ana no ie'ss
than twenty-five simultaneously ar one emu OF
the line The electrical and mechanical teaturc7'
hastily designed and crudoly constructed were
radical departure from previous work. lhey
constituted what is known AZ the Sprague sy',
tenn and in the words Of Franklin Leonard
Pope, Many OF the characteristic features ht
that time designed and introduced nave lrac-
ticalv become standards IN the modern system
and are found IN nearly every one OF the thou-
sands of cars now III service
The question OF electrical propulsion was
there settled and that road stands as the plo-
neor of the marvellous Development 81 me past
three years, until there are now under operation
In the United States alone 10 less than 3!O elec-.
trio railways, operating over 2,HD miles ol
track. with 1000 cars equipped with about 700
motors. representing no less than l15pn horse
power i'm dynamOs and motors. Not less man
10000 miles are made a.dav. and thrce-quarters
of billion passengers carried annually. Al
though only three years have passed ohe,thlth
ofthc entire mileage OF street railways is glectrl
cal, and there Is scarcely road ia the hltef
State, that Is not considering the Application OF
electricity.
ROMANTIC CAREER.
Mr. Spraguc's career is. in fact. among tho
romances OF American industry and invention
Barely eight years ago ne was an ensign IN the
navy, with no money and less chance on promo
ton but with an unqualified enthusiasm Tor
electrical experiment.. Being detailed IN 1882 10
report on the first electrical exhibition, held ~
the London CRYSTAL Palace he drew up classic
report 10 the Navy Department. which AZ once
gave him an international reputation. But what
was of moro importance, he then formed de
termination 90 devote his life 70 the develop
ment and perfection of electric power.
Coming back 10 this country. he resigned
from the navy. and putting ms ideas INTO shape
brought ont various forms OF electric motors,
and in an incredibly short space OF time inau-
gurated an enormous industry bearing hi name,
sending out electric motors 10y the thousand
aud to the remotest parts OF the globe.
ELECTRIC MOTOR.
Meanwhile. Mr.. Sprague had turned his atten-
ton 10 the use of the electric motor IN street
railroad work, over which he had broOded for
years and which had been struggling along
with but Indifferent success, OWING TO the want
Of efficient method, and apparatus. Almost MS
very first achievement III this field was the de-
vel0pment of the electric road at Richmond;
Va. where at jump. under the most trying ana
adverse conditions he put system Of forty cars
in operation.
Up to that stage the road had been small, and
il had been claimed that 10 would he Impossible
To- operate a large one. Richmond settled All
doubts for all time and this was the beginning
of an era that has given such hugo electric
street railway systems as those Of Boston, On
cinnAti. st. Louis, Indianapolis, Denver, Omaha,
Portland. Seattle, Birmingham. and scores or
other progressive American cities.
year or two ago Mr.. Sprague patents AMI
interests were acquired - one OF the largest
electrical corporations IN this country. Inc
transfer Welded him something OF fortune. part
of which he Is now devoting with characteristic
energy and ingenuity 10 the perfection OF
number Of new inventions IN electric power.