The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1891-11-17
Edlson's Latest Inventions.

lively insignificant.
One is the practical application of
electricity TO great railroad lines, by
which speed far beyond anything
achieved by steam may be attained,
and the other the application of cleo
tricity to the propulsion of street cars
without the use of the dangerous, UNI
slightly and announcement overhead
constructions.
For two years Mr.. Edison has been
engaged on experiments in this direc-
ton. He has met with almost insu-
perable difficulties, bat nc has stuck TO
his work with that logged pertinacity
for which he is famous, and at last he
has been successful.
The general principle of the
street car invention is that the electric
current passes down through one line
Of rails, is picked up by the car, passes
through the motor beneath it. and
goes out on the other side and returns
through the other line or rails to the
central power station.
AT the first thought the bare idea OF
this is paradoxical. The question will
naturally occur why the electric cur
rent does not dissipate itself in the
ground. 70 this no positive reason
can be assigned except the bare state
ment that it does not. In general
terms the effect is accomplished by
having the current one of the low
voltage or pressure. 1t is Il well-set-
tied principle of electrical research
that the higher the voltage the greater
must be the insulation, and that the
lower the voltage can be brought the
less need of insulation. Mr.. Edi-
sons experiments have all been in this
direction-that is to say, in the en-
deavor to construct motor sufficiently
powerful to do the work, in which the
voltage was reduced to so low point
that the natural tendency of the cleo
trio current to fly off to the ground
and be dissipated would be overcome,
and the passage through the motor to
the opposite rail would be easier for
the current than to pass through the
ground to the central station.
The plan of having central rail
for the return current was expert
mented on for long time, but when
the motor had been perfected so that
it would work efficiently Mr.. Edison
found that he could dispense with the
centra' and return the current directly
to the station through the opposite
rail.
The experiments were conducted at
the great laboratory in West Orange.
Here an experimental track, nearly
quarter Of mile long, was constructed
through the laboratory yard down to
the yard of the Edison Photograph
Works. In its length it presented all
the various kinds Of difficulties that
actual use would encounter, A part
of it was laid on very heavy grade
of nearly three hundred feet to the
mile, there are several sharp curves in
the road, and portion Of it runs
through sunken spot where the
track could be flooded with water or
covered with mud. In this way all
the varying conditions of actual use
were provided.
The experiments have now been
fully completed, and the invention
passes OUT of the first experimental
stage into the second stage, its adapta-
ton to practical work. The expert
ments have been made by Mr.. Edi-
son for the Edison Electric Light
Company, and until Mr.. Edison has
turned the invention over to that
company for actual work, the minute
details of the invention are of neces-
sity withheld from the public. Enough
however has been said to show the
character of the invention. The
voltage of the current employed will
be, as has been said, very low, less
than 100, while the average voltage
of the overhead trolly is in excess of
500. From this it will be seen how
great revolution the new invention
will effect in the whole matter of
electric traction. Several prominent
horse railroad systems have offered
their lines to the Edison General
Electric Company for the introduction
of the invention, and it is probable
that selection will be made in the
near future, and arrangements made
to put the first practical experimental
line in operation. !