Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-07
ONE HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR
Details Of a Proposed Long
Distance Electric Road.
To Extend from Chicago to st. Louis
in an Air Line.
Interesting Description of Road
Which Will Apparently BE Per-
fect-One of tho Same
Sort in Europe.

Iu6 wilmington, Dell, AuVocdte Coi-
tains the following interesting account
of proposed electric road over which
it ia expected that speed OF 100 miles
an hour can be attained:
There has been more or less speeula-
tion about the construction of the Chi
cago and st. Louis electric railroad, but
it is an assured fact. The rights OF way
have been secured entirely through
Christian county, and the same are now
deposited with bank in escrow pend
ing the construction of the road. Work
on the road is now being prosecuted
near Edinburg, H., where one OF the
power houses is located.
The line from Chicago to st. Louis is
$50 miles. 1t is an air line. There will
be no crossings. no frogs, no switches--
in fact none of those inconvenience
that cause accidents 30 often on the
railroads. Its trains will run 100 miles
an hour, accomplishing the trip between
the two cities in two hours and hall.
The road ia divided into 25 sections of 10
miles each. The cars run one section
apart, and no current will flow in the
intermediate section; so that it will be
absolutely impossible for cars to come
within 10 miles OF each other. This will
prevent any two cars running upon a
single section, making collisions abso-
lutely impossible.
There will ultimately be four tracks,
but at first only two through tracks will
be laid. The through cars will not stop
anywhere between the two citiee. 1t
will be unnecessary to travel ut night,
and therefore no through passenger cars
will be run after 9 O'Clock p. M, the
tracks being reserved at night for high
class freight, express and mail matter.
The car is long, low and compact, hsv-
ing two pairs OF driving wheels, each
being propelled by a separate motor.
The driving wheels are six feet in diam
eter, and are capable OF making 500 rev.
olutionH per minute.
The road is now in course OF construc-
ton. The company has purchased the
finest equipped coal mine and brick and
tie-making plant in the etate OF Illinois.
Coal fields through which the road
passes are capable of yielding 1927 ,5O0,-
100000 tons of coal. 1t is practically
level for 200 miles.
The stock of the Chicago and st. Louis
railroad, amounting to $1,000, COO, is
already on the market. This enterprise
has aroused profound interest not only
in Chicago and New York, but all over
the world.
AN ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
The st. Louis Globe-Democrat says
that foreign technical journals are dis
cussing proposed electric railway be-
tween Vienna and Buda-Pesth, which
in many respects resembles DR.. Adams
project to connect Chicago and st. Louis.
1t is proposed to build double track,
without switches, and as the air cur
rents due to the high speed of
the cars are expected to be power
ful, the tracks are to be no less
than 1928 feet apart. In building the
have radius not less than 9S40 fea5
long. The rails are to be 7.2 inches
high, and weigh not less than OIL
to steel crossties, spaced one meter
1928 feet) from center to center, and the
ties themselves are to be laid in beton
foundation and firmly secured to it.
The two conducting rails for each track
are to be carried in cast-iron chsira on
porcelain insulators, the latter being se-
cured to the steel crossties. The current
is to be taken from them by two grooved
contact wheels ON each car, affording a
large surface of contact. These wheels
are to be a,ade of comparatively large
diameter, so as to reduce their rotative
speed, and are to be mounted centrally
in each of the radial trucks.
Springs are 10 be used to keep
them in contact with the con-
ducting rails. The road is to be ope-
rated with large number of short, light
trains or single cars, rather than a
smaller number of longer trains, as it is
believed that in this way the distribu-
ton of power will be more uniform over
the entire length OF the line. The cars
are to be about 14S feet long, feet wide
and 7.2 feet high, with parabolic ends to
reduce air resistance at the high speed,
over 100 miles an hour, which it is be-
leved will be possible. Each Car rests
on two radial trucks, and each of the
four axles is to be provided with an
electric motor. Naturally brake power
has received great deal Of attention in
the designs for the plant and each Cal
will be provided with Westinghouse
apparatus. It will also be possible to
brake the cars electrically by reversing
the current supplied to the motors.
DATES DEnTICEn