The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-06

conecs,ed towns and cities. whether centres OF
hogan by tho electric motor not, In Its applnC
t:"n 20 looms, planners. or mill stones. but a. a
means ci rapid transit.
THE ELEcTRiC RAILWAY.
|. has often been remarked that the steari
locomotive seems to have done as much to-"
ward crowding great cities into small COM
ward. as it has in eSeoping healthy and airy
suburbs. The reason lie not far to seek. TO
considerable distance to reach its station. and
the eNigencies o! steam tra,ci REQUIRE that
nile In sl.ctrc railway picks ny q passen.
ger at the corner next his shop or Office IN the
city and drops MIN within a lew steps or blocks
@! his houss in tho suburbs. meantime carry
ed city thorough,ares. gradually Increases IN.
See what this means whcr. hitherto there has
been only u hor,e.eir service op an i.ysrnso
electric ear nine. Hence. travelling IVY cleo.
iricity. u pas senger who lives three miles IRON
day. We're ali users Of horse cars in tho United
Stntesto make thcr Journeys hehipd cnctric
motors. IN" saving 81 time every LAY would
leisure. OF conrse. great many families. in
stead Of cconomiaing Iimo in transit. would 60
r.ad rsnt or Srsezer if for f hos "
OF systems for electric traction in this cnnn.
% per cent OF the mileage. It's chsapncss Of
constrnction gives II u Hold from which cable
o. ss OF H snd c S
their recently published book. The Electric
Halfway give some interesting figures re,
lug ii the stat 10" il ali that makes is sppSaf:
considerable item in the loss is due to tho
friction Of the double set OF cog wheels usually
70 psea o s es
Against the subtraetions Of efficiency suffered
in ELECTRIC . locomotton Il is to es rsmem.
III nH5ss s'.iss e sS. 1T in ssss
ss hors ;sS ssr
s rs x ' En d esnss n 81
tic carr. ilds he later The more protnss
by ons.third;; ELECTRICITY cannot only propel,a
heat q car BY the current costs u cents day
a. as against 10 cents ny coal stove The elee7;
maintain pleasant eauable temperature. In
the operation OF trolley lines soli,ity aud firm
Inv or en
lines. through unevenuess AMI undue light
ness. are very wasteful of tractive power.
STORAGE BATTERIES AND CoNDUrTs.
On few scattered lines. instead Of the over
head wi5o .sr9} ii STORAGE batteries are
accident. aud would long ago have come to
been eharcesble with two grave ieiscts. the
first is that tho battery for an ordinary car
%sts poWsr 5s
and the md that in its form the
track. where the service is not frequent. the
wider than this can be expected for it until u
battery lighter and moro durable than any
No electric road In the United States has ever
made a success with its wire conductor laid in
pesth has han ID dsrsn
experience; Its conduit; built Of eoncreie and
G in is in width and s
rails, without al any inside lower fiango. and
placed i inches apart. The working, conduc;-
side Of tho conduit Mt its widest part. Thus
placed, they cannot b. readily touched from
ran o as fas ar IS p"arefay Grained 10 city
sewers. The cost OF the substructure OF such
@h lSfa places Il at a. at
overhead systems. even were there no other
drawbacks to the pian in most American towns
and iIl.kent street could it be kept free from
small stones. rub b sh. and mud?
fourth method Of communicating cur.
rent to the motor is through Il third central
binary streets this plan Is object onabIe. The
current is liable. to very serious leakage.
o:as s" wHee rawas roaded
to itself as tho City and South London Rail
way. for example. tho centre rail is an easy
T IN issJ. isss. and Iss cxperi,aents with
electric motors We're prosecuted on the New
god deal to f 5" DESIRED. Today With three rec
years progress In electrical science. more
than ono electrical engineer is aching to show
how he could drive the locomotive or the track
II only he had II chance.
LoNi DISTANCE I.oCoMoTIoN.
Whether or not tho managers of the ele-
waited roads seize their excellent opportunity
10 pioneer in substituting eIectr c for steam
traction. decisive experiments before many
proposed by the he ,ims Tie Columbian Exhibi-
ton opens to have thicngo joined with Mil
waukee bynn electric railway and similar
Louis On the other ,sidc Of the ocean cngi-
neers are v matmrins plans fer an electric line
Since the feasibility of long distance traction
IS no LONGER IN debate ne nMastlons regard
stationary steam engine OF tho largest
size. and of tho multiple expansion model.
bur burns "nsss'r ss GOA" ha" o oS0mot usS
less. however. as would have, been
the cas-. but Two years ago. \ Baldwin
"isS o. on III nS% 'Es G1aS
last July. consumed but 2.+3 pounds coal per
half a, much as an ordinary locomotive. and
but ono pound moro than stationary. engine !
%orEns 9 wh tribe Ist Tie ihpaf
in the EOS: OF inc and the less weight Of elcc- |
tric motors. as c?!mphreI with loromntlxes.
IRE two i'm pOrtHnt items Of economy Attending
electric traction. Tho main advnntn." Of cleo:
tricity ~ motive power consists in the speed |
which it makes possible.
HIGH SPEED I.oCoMoTIoS.
The only experiments ut doubling existing !
railroad speeds ever conducted have been |
those Of NJ, r frosty at Laurel. MI. in
1870. with the WecmS system OF ropulsion:
The eypcrimcnia car was 30 inches high by2t |
inches wLr. and 10 feet long: 1t carried two |
motors with lhnir armat nres keyed directly Ia |
the aNles and weighed twnand one half tons.
The track WAS circular. - inches In gauge.
aud miles IN circumference. Control was |
effected from the power static placed inside |
the circle. tn" voltage 81 tho line was 300. |
Although the track was mlch too light for the |
work attempted. VERY Nnlnahle INFORMATION
was obtained a. to the resistance OF no air |
and as 10 the power demanded for each ton ~ |
load. i cam" "ni hat the ratios ordinarily |
pertinent in II chapter on Tho l.ectri" Rail |
way. n WORK alr,udy mentioned; hir; Crosby |
makes M elaborate rOIniariSUn between tln |
cost OF electric and steam loromotion. With u |
motor Of III" highest ,hcenny ne PLACES cirr.
at n sInW SnrrI urmatIir must bt