Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-11-27
Railways by Electricity.

OF the cheap and safe application oil
railway traction. The scientific world
will not doubt Edison's claims. Ii
will wait to see the result.
Il was the first man in the United
States, you know, TO build an electric
railroad" says Edison. Il built one
three miles long at Menlo Park in
1880. | took Mr.. Willard over the
road at the rate of 40 miles an hour.
We ran so fast that he wanted TO
walk back. Ny idea then WAS TO put
the system on large steam roads, but
| was little too far ahead OF the
times. They are evidently going to
come to it now, however.
IL can take the Pennsylvania Rail
road, for instance, between Jersey
City and Philadelphia, and l can be
gin by putting one electric train on 1t
and they can go on running steam,
too, and gradually replace steam by
electricity without any trouble at all.
You can go any speed you want to
with electric trains. Itis only limited
by the limit Of the cohesion OF the
steel. There are no other limitations
to electric a. there are TO steam loco
motives.
Il am building a large electrical To-
comotive. several hundred horse
power" said Mr.. Edison, and have
devised system OF conduction with
ont trolly for big railroad for Henry
Willard. \ small section has been
laid. An electrical locomotives is much
more economical than a steam one.
A steam locomotive is not economical
by reason OF the conditions it has to
work under. That is the trouble with
il, whereas take one OF these triple
expansion engines on a solid founda-
ton, with all the economical ap-
pliances, and the result is you can get
horsepower delivered on train in
motion for one-third the cost that you
can do il direct with steam locomo-
tive. Then you have every advan-
tage In an electric locomotive. In
stead OF running train OF six coaches
every two hours, split it mp. They
are going to put this locomotive on
some road in Chieago-between Chi
cago and Milwaukee, think"
lis electrical mining making pro-
gress2'
Yes said the wizard enthusiast
callv. I'VE have invaded New York
State. We have leased from the
Reading Railroad the great ore de
posts of the Canopus Valley, near
Peekskill. We have purchas ID from
Senator Jones, OF Navada, small
railroad, six miles long, running up
the valley. Weare extending 1t seven
miles and are building concentrating
works for purifying by electricity the
large bodies OF poor iron ore. The
Reading Railroad got that property a
great many years ago and never did
with it. The ore Is OF a
poor grade, but there Is an enormous
deposit of it-one OF the most con
tinued in the country. Though 1t Is
too low in grade TO pay for working
it direct, by working it through our
process we'll make it all right. The
company is called the New York Con
Company. Then there is
the New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Concentrating Company, who operate
at Ogden, New Jersey.
This electric mining is my biggest
scheme. 1t is a tremendous change
in the methods of getting iron ore.
1t is far reaching. Since | started in
that business eight different COM
panies have gone into it. They all
hooted at it at first, but they are find
ing out its Importance. 1t isarevolu-
ton, that is what it Is. Agreat many
of the veins Ira New Jersey pass
through rock that is iIDpregnated
with iron Oh both sides OF the vein.
/ struck the idea of not working the
veins, but OF blasting down the whole
mountain and with powerful ma
chinery crushing the matter up and
getting the ore out by Magnetism"
The conversation switched off to the
kinetograph-that marvel which Is to
accurately both scenes
and sounds-the figure Of an orator
in action, and with the action the
words that accompanied it.
Il think we'll have the kinetograph
through in time for the Worlds Fair
said its inventor. That's what l ain
working on it for. We're making one
with large picture. The first kline
tograph photographed a quarter OF
an inch square, and the picture was
OF a screen. Now we're
making it an inch square so As TO
bring out the fine details. The diff
ficulty OF taking 4G photographs al
inch square in second instead Of 40
only quarter Of an inch square, Is
great. You see, the apparatus now
has TO revolve with four times greater
speed-4G times in secondhand that
speck OF time includes stopping the
film, taxing the photograph, closing
it up, and standing again. Eight
tenths OF the time il has 70 be stop
ped. 1t is moving only two-tenths Of
a 4Gth OF a second. You see, 1t Is
enormously rapid. But We are doing
pretty well with it. We want TO bring
out in life size nan making a speech
The Colossus Of Rhodes.
This was gigantic statue OF Apollo,
or the sun-god. 1t rested on moles