The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-03-04
Our 0lio.
Soon We Will Fly.

broke ground recently at Edinburg, ILL.,,
for the Chicago & st. Louis Electric Line,
which is to make a speed Of 100 miles per
hour, little did OF could she know the true
significance of the wonderful change in
railway transportation she was inaugural
ing.
The road is to be in an absolutely
straight line between East St. Louis and
Chicago 1t will have no railroad or coun-
try road crossings at grade or on level
with its own line The country roads are
to be thrown up over the tracks Of the
electric system by means of wooden bridges.
There will be 24S of these wooden bridges.
The tracks will be thrown up over the
track crossings of other railroads by bridges
more elaborate than those thrown up over
the country roads, the former costing some
$40 each and the latter $4,000 each,
The cost Of these latter-of which there
will be seyenteen-wiil be saved in the
prevention of accidents These plans give
the company roadway completely closed
in and free from all distractions between
Chicago and St. Louis.
There will be no frogs or switches tC
break the main line, and no drawbridges
At first two heavyweight through tracks
will be constructed exclusively for through
passenger traffic, mail and express. The
local business will, for while, be done
during certain hours, Ultimately, how
ever, two more tracks will be constructed
of light weight, being outside tracks, fol
strictly local traffic and high-class freight
The road will be divided up into 25
sections of 10 miles each. The cars will
run one section apart, and no current will
flow into the intermediate section, so that
it will be absolutely impossible for cars tC
come within 10 miles of each other. This
will constitute a complete block system
making collisions absolutely impossible
The road will be illuminated by incandes-
cent electric lamps for one mile ahead and
for one mile behind every car while run,
ming at night. The through cars will not
stop between the terminal cities.
Spurs or branches will be run connect.
ing the large cities along the line of the
main road, and from these cities through
cars will be run to and from st. Louis and
Chicago. The standard schedule time Of
through cars will be 100 miles an hour
It will be unnecessary to travel at night
the trip being made between Chicago and
st. Louis in two and half or three hours
At night the track will be reserved fol
high-class freight, express, and mail mat
ter, The necessity Of running heavy
Pullman cars will not exist, proving great
saving alike to the company and the trav
cling public.
The electric coach or car that will be
run is long, low, compact, light, but strong
with two pairs of driving wheels, each
driven by separate and distinct electric
motors The whole weight of the car
with passengers and the two electric mo-
tors, comes upon these Two pairs Of driy-
ing wheels, making all available for adhe
sion between the rails and the wheels.
The top of the car stands only nine feet
from the rail, making it three feet lowel
than the ordinary street car. This brings
the centre Of gravity very low and near tc
the track, making it impossible to jump
the track. The car has wedge-shaped
nose in front for cutting the air, thus de-
creasing the atmospheric resistance, besides
helping the car to keep the track. The
motorman stands just back of this wedge
shaped nose or front. Between his place
and the rear wheels is the passenger COM
partment. To the rear of this is the COM
partment for mail and high-class express.
The driving wheels are six feet in diane
ter, capable of 500 revolutions minute,
giving the car speed of 100 miles an
hour. With this large driving wheel the
axle does not reyolve at higher speed
than the axles under an ordinary passenger
coach travelling 80 miles an hour; hence
the friction will be no greater The axles
will turn on roller bearings, requiring no
oil.
The weight of the entire car, with
motors, will not exceed Is tons. These
electric coaches will be Illuminated and
heated by electricity, and contain every
modern improvement necessary tc the
comfort of the passengers. There will be
conductors and no brakemen, no coal
stokers or iremen. II will be possible to
stop a car within half a minute by the
motors themselves, in conjunction with
auxiliary electric and air brakes.
The road will be operated by what IS
known as the multi-phased alternating
currents of electricity. Under this system
motors require no commutators or brushes,
and may be so constructed as to be water
and freproof. The overhead electric con-