San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-09-29

length OF the stroke is D feet
Besides the 1900 X. W. generator
and the 24e0 H, P. engine the pow
er house contains several other
engines and dynamos. The switch
board is made of enameled slate
framed ia mahogany, and is d
striking feature in the installation
The generators are justed so to
run in perfect harmony as exactly
to divide the load in proportion
to their relative capacities - a
nice problem with the generators
of the varied sizes and types EN-.
plOyed. The electrical machinery
Intramural power house forms
part of the exhibit of the General
Electric Co.
The boiler plant consists of ten
800 II. P. boilers, fired by petro.
leum Oil, piped direct from Lima,
Ohio, to special tanks in the Fair
grounds, and supplied to the COM
bustiOn chamber through 9 in.
pipes and the usual burners. The
amount of fuel oil used in June
was over eighty thousand gallons.
The transportation service is
effected by trains running at four
minutes intervals, each train con.
sisting of mOter car and three
trailers; the trains weighing GO
tons each, seating $50 people and
the cars being of the same length
as those generally used on ele.
waited rOads-abOut forty five feet
from end to end. The weight of
these trains, as compared with a
train drawn in the usual way by a
locomotive, shows saving of 20
tons dead weight. The cars are
open, with doors in each side
opening at the seats. By means
of a lever at the end of the car,
all the doors are opened or closed
simultaneously, and one man
opens the doors of the two cars.
Thus three men only one moter
man and two conductors, snffice
to operate the train, where FIVE
would be required in ordinary
steam elevated service. These
cars seem to be highly appreeiat-
ed in warm weather, by passeng-
ers who are not compelled to
suffer from smoke, dust and gases.
The mOIer cars and tTailers are
each 46 feet long. The motors
are the most powerful railway
motors yet constructed, develop
ing 1873 H. P. each They are
geared for speed of 80 miles an
hour. The electricity is taken
from the conductor rails by means
of a sliding shoe contact which
takes the place of the small wheel
at the end of the trolly pole, EN-.
ployed on surface electric rail
roads. The motors are controlled
by controller of special type, OPP.
Grated by an ingenious compress
ed air mechanism, the trains are
started smoothly and without
jerk, and the speed is impercept,
IDLY increased. Air is furnished
to the controller and to the all
brakes which are fitted to each
train, by all air compress pump,
similar to that used on lOcOmO-
tives, but operated by an electric
motor.
At night the cars and stations
are beautifully Illuminated by in
candescent lights the current for
which if taken from the conductor
rail; and the road is fully protect.
ed from possible accidents by a
block system operated by cur
ent of electricity also taken from
the same source.
The Intramural ilway has the
honor of being the only electric
railway in the world, elevated
from terminus to terminus. It's
operation, despite the short time
allowed for it's construction and
equipment, is entirely successful
both from an electrical and praCti-
cal point of view, and fully bears
out the expectations not only of
the projectors and builders but
also the Worlds Fair authorities
The trains are run smoothly, and
are stopped and started so grad
ually and easily as to excite CON-
ment and comparison with steam
railroad experience. 1t is select.
ed as a resting place by thousands
Of visitors during the prevailing
- xrn,+har fhnxr riIn in tho