St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-18
TROLLEY's NEW GAME.
Erie Canal Boats Now Run by
ELECTRICITY

ROCHESTER, \. Y. Nov. l7.-Electfi-
cal propulsion Of commercial boats ON
canals is no longer theory, but
demonstrated success. Mule and steam
power are alike doomed by the new
power, which was successfully tested at
S o'clock tonight alongside the village of
Brighton. four miles from Rochester. on
a waterway OF the Erie canal. The old
steamboat Ceres, now the Frank W.
HawieY, named after the promoter OF
the scheme, was fitted with an electrical
motor by the Westinghouse company
instead of boiler and engine.
Taking power from the trolley wire
overhead, she stated off without hitch
or hindrance when Mr.. HaWIey himself
pulled the lever on the controller and
set the current pulSing through the
machinery to the propeller wheel be-
hind. All day long linemen mad worked,
and their nerves were strung 10 a high
tension for fear that they would not
finish in time. but MIR. Hawley gave the
order, This boat must run successfully
before | Sleep"
Gov. Flower and retinue. including
the new state engineer, Campbell w.
Adams. and Superintendent OF Public
Works Edward Harmon, arrived at
O'Clock this afternoon, and the official
test was set down for tomorrow morn
ing at 10.
Mr.. Hawley did not propose that the
first and possibly crude trial should be
made in the presence or the governor,
hence the orders to rush.
The electric current was taken from
the Rochester street railway, about five
hundred volts power. and everything
was ready for the test at s o'clock. The
darkness was inky, but the boat was
poled out from the bank, where she was
lying IN wait for the summons. The
trolley poles are similar TO the ones on
the electric railway cars. but with
lateral hinge, allowing for DETECTION
of the boat six feet either way. They
are only temporarily used. Later it is
intended to use q trolley running over
the top of the wire, with wire drop
from the trolley to the boat and thence
connecting with the motor. giving
plenty of chance for the beat to defect
from her course and still maintain mo-
mentum. SO long 3s there is plenty of
wire TO pay out from the boat 10 the
trolley.
The boat was finally placed under the
wires. the lever pulled, and away she
sped faster than the law aIiows-SiX
miles an hour. There was no hitch. no
break. The blunt PROV of the boat was
pushed through the turbid waters as
gracefully as ever swan sailed, swiftly
but peacefully through Landscape Car
dener'S pond. No drawback occurred.
it was q grand success.
Every difficulty encountered in canal
navigation was successfully overcome.
This one mile of wire contains the
shortest curve in the whole length. The
curve is rounded at full speed, the lock
taken as quickly as possible, and the
wide waters made no difference in her
speed or detection. There was
no jar to the boat, the cleo
trio motor working smoother than
ordinarily Oh an electric ear. Only
wOrkmen employed in repairing
the boat were on board besides MIR.
HaWley, Engineer CheSron and the
representative OF the Associated Press.
The course was one mile long and was
covered twice IL the darkness. and then
the boat was tied UP Tor the official test
tomorrow. The representative OF the
Associated Press was the first to con-
yey the news successfully to Gov.
Flower, who had just finished his
speech at the reception by the chamber
of commerce. He Interrupted the
speaker and announced the fact of the
successful trial. The news was re-
ceived with LumuituouS applause.
tomorrow morning the superintend-
ents OF public works of Ohio, New ,ler-
sey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Della
ware, and Nikolai Ienai. the Hungarian
electrician, bankers from New York.
the officers of the Westinghouse COM
pauy and others interested will leave
Rochester for the scene of the test.
At 10 O'Clock the boat Hawlev will be
run IN q line the same as tonight. with
about 100 guests aboard and drawing
from four 10 SIX boats behind. Then
the party will dine with Mr.. HaWley at
PittSford farms, take special train for
Niagara Falls, aud walk through the
tunnel Of the Cataract Power company,
whence power Is to be obtained Tor
driving the line.
The experiment has produced wide
spread local interest, and the crowd
tomorrow will be numbered by
thousands. The trolley pole was used
tonight and will be used tomorrow, so
as to get the test before the canal is
closed. There was not time to con-
stract special travellers and wire pend
ants. The success with the pole prom
iSeS more certain success with the wire
drop. Canal men look with diSfaYor on
this scheme. because it will throw them
out of work and do away with the ne
cessity for so many men. 1t is claimed.
with the new electrical propulsion,
boats can be taken to Buffalo and New
York for two cents a mile.
----S2n----