The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-06-11
ENORMOUSLY HIGH SPEED.
TIE ELECTRIC MOTOR AS APPLIED
TO RAILROADIEG.
A Test That shows one Hundred
and FIFTY BIiles an Hour 90 be
BY No Means Imaginary.

and Ieifty Bfiies an Hour 90 DC
BY No Means Imaginary.
-Four years ago, aud again about one
wear ago. the New York Times published
the news that q series Of experiments
was about to be made at Laurel, Nd, 10
show the power Of the electric motor TO
develop speeds that had heretofore existed
only Ia the imagination. The idea was
that Mr.. David q. Weems, who. though
not an engineer, was convinced that
transportation Of passengers and parcels
could be made by this means at a rate oil
100 miles an hour. This was the first
practical effort ever made 70 double rail-
way speeds.
The results OF the experiments that
grew out Of Mr.. Weems's experiments at
Laurel we're kept profoundly secret for
long time, and, says the Times, they were
not made public until, at recent meet
ing OF the American Institute Of Elec-
trical Engineers, they formed the subject
Of very interesting paper by Mr.. Q. I.
Crosby, OF the Sprague Electric Railway
and Motor Company, who witnessed, and
took an active part in, the subsequent ex-
perimeuts.
Having induced number Of men to
subscribe money for the venture, Mr..
Weems laid a circular track at Laurel
two miles In circumference, with TWEEN
ty.eioht-inch gauge, T-shape rails,
wooden stringers outside the rails serv-
inc as guards. From the ties vertical
framework was built up on both sides Of
the track, with a crosspiece, TO which
was attached small r rail, head down,
suspended over the middle of the track.
This rail was intended to serve as an
electric conductor and also as a guide.
1 The locomotive was very simple. There
were three axles carrying twenty eight
inch wheels, on which were hung steel
box sixteen feet long, twenty-four inches
| high and thirty inches wide. On each
/ Of these axles it was designed to place a
motor. The weight Of the car was about
three tons. A second similar steel box
was connected to the motor car by bali
and-so coupling, the two being SO
Hanged over that only one surface was
presented to meet atmospheric resistance
The head and tail were pyramidal.
The motors 600 volts) were made by
the Sprague Company and the dynamo
by the Edison Machine Works. When
they were in place it was found almost
impossible to start the car, and the re-
suits were disappointing, but other cleo
triclans having been consulted, 1t was
found that given speed could be OBJ
tanned with less current, If two motors
were used instead OF three, and conse-
ouently the motor on the middle axle
was removed. The two motors, it was
then found, were able to produce o
greater speed than the track could stand.
To supply the current, contact was nade
between the upper rail and brushes OF
sheet copper set against the rail by
springs. The return circuit was through
the whsels and rails, the steel casing
being insulated from the axle by fibre
places and washers at joints and bolts.
j Bearings were Of phoshor bronze and lu-
IRRIGATION yes by oil from Ga 20. Ordinary
about 200 feet from the track. The
generator was a seventy horse power
Edison machine, driven by ninety horse
power, high speed, Ball engine.
Five or six speed observers with
watches were stationed around the track,
when everything was ready, and a cui-
rent of twenty to forty amperes usually
started the car. Mr.. Crosby managed
the dynamo and Mr.. B. j. Dashiell, Jr.
the engine. Each run was brought to a
sudden end by the failure of the track to
serve its purpose. On three occasions
the car left the track, once while running
forty five miles per hour, once at eighty
miles per hour, and once, the last time,
at lis miles per hour. The track seems
to have been entirely to blame for these
derailments, and each trial was followed
by an overhaullng of the raids and road
bed, requiring from few hours to a
weeks work for four or dveF men. On
this subject Mr.. Crosby says: "Could
the experiments have been made on a
roadbed and track deemed even second
class, according to steam railway stand
ards of rail weight, etc., there can be no
question that without any other change,
the car would have maintained for sew
eral hours q speed of 40 miles per hour.
Indeed, know of no time limitation
that would have arisen save that from a
limited oil supply"
The last derailment having injured the
track and roadbed beyond repair, the
Laurel experiments were abandoned, but
Mr.. Crosby and his assistants at once Sc;
themselves to the task of making new
and more elaborate plans, involving a
change from automatic control to control
BY human intelligence on locomotive
drawing two or three cars. A speed OF
$50 miles an hour on a level was aimed
al, with locomotive and three cars seat
ing passengers. The track was to be
standard gauge-four feet S.5 inches
and the electro-motive force was to be as
high as the art OF insulation would per-
init. All the cars were to be so con-
nected as to present continuous ex-
terror, thus offering minimum of resist
ance to the atmosphere. The problem
of retardation for a mass Of forty tons
running at $50 miles an hour was a seri-
one one, and it was found that pres
sure of about 5000 pounds should be APP
4