The herald., 1893-08-23
LETTER BAG.
About nIsotrio Rosds.

EDITORS HERALD: An article in the
Times . few days ago under the head of
editorials gives description Of "a New
Storage Oar" for street car service, and
and l write you because am not &C.
quainted with the editor of the Times.
was very much interested in the art
icle, as am contemplating venture in
the way of putting in street car line in
another city not thousand miles away.
and am anxiously awaiting somethinp
that Is cheaper and more efficient than
the present methods OF electric railroads
in blowing in many thousand dollars for
large power houses and unsiRhtly poles
and overhead wires; but there are some
things wish you would ask the editor
OF the Times about.
AS say, have been contemnlat;no
investing little money in puttine in an
electric road. OF course, have not verv
much money to invest, and want to pet
car that will run itself. See? And
from the description Of this storage car
that has at last made s'sucoessiuI trim
in San Francisco" l Judge that 1t is just
what want; for, according to the plan
OF this storage car, it has occurred to me
that would not need to build any power
house at all In fact. ! have conceived
the idea that / would not need any dyna-
mo at all, but all | would need would be
pair Of mules, so l could haul this car
to the top Of the hill and turn
her loose, and by the time
got to the bottom Of the hill, by an
ingenious appliance have designed,
would have enough electricity stored
up to take the car back again, and q
little to spare. Then, too, by system
that have thought OF, I would return
oil the current that has passed through
the motor, right back into the other
end Of the cells, and not waste any, and
you could use 1t over and over, Just a.
they return the condensed water to the
boilers after the steam has done it's
work in the engines. Thus you see We
need not take out the batteries at all,
and instead of there being any loss,
there will really be gain In quantity
OF current.
By IN arrangement which works auto
matically, the cells in the battery can
be relieved from being jammed too full
of electric currents, thereby preventing
any disaster occurring from an ex-
plosion.
There are some original features in
this new storage car, lone Of tho most
improved OF which is the controlling de.
vice, which is operated by lever"
think l might improve upon this by
having it operated by crank.
OF course all new inventions are more
or less imperfect, and in q roundabout
way had heard of this csr in San Fran
cisco more than year ago, which was
then all ready to make trip, and has
continued to be just on the point OF
making trip, and have watched the
outcome of it, when 1t should be made.
l am glad it was successful.
One thing l wanted to know was
about the total weight of the car. The
article says the batteries weigh about
four and half tons, and Of course the
corresponding weight of the car would
bring the weight pretty we'll up to Is
tons. This would give good heavy
load in going down hill and would fur
nish extra power to generate the cleo
tricity to replace any unusual quantity
that might be drawn off In going around
curves and ON level streets it has oc-
Cured to me that by increasing the
weight of the cars it would thus increase
the capacity Of the "motor generators"
In the course OF my inquiries and in
vestigations in these matters have been
informed that storage car like the one
in San Francisco cost, completes, some-
thing over $4,000; and inasmuch as l
want to operate and have on hand at
least 20 of these cars, l am afraid my
old stocking is not long enough. l
thought perhaps you might know
something about these queotions, and
that by this time they might be much
cheaper.
What want is a system that would
not cost too much, and would run with
out requiring any tracks. Our council Z
received q communication some time
since from some party who would agree
to put in some such kind OF a car, all
made of brase. which would look very
handsome. They must have thought
his idea was impracticable, for have
never heard anything more from it, and
l did not like to ask them, as l am not
very well acquainted with them.
Isee that the Consolidated Electric
company wsnt to get in here with their
old-fangled style road, but we have some
bright and progressive men in our city
council who are making fight against
them, and believe our good people are
with these members. We would rather
walk through mud to our eyes than al
low any one to put in anything but the
very best and latest improved system;
and if, after they get one in, another
better one should turn up in a year or
so, we propose that they shall throw the
other away and put in the new one.
Ii could get them TO adopt the new
storage car that Mr.. Otis speaks of, with
some OF my Improvements, / am sure
they would meet with much less oPposi-
tion here. In the meantime am going
ahead with my own road, and hope coon
to hear that my plan is feaaible, and
that we can get along without such ex-
peneive power houses aud uuaightly
equipment. Very respectfully yours.
E. MAGNET.
Pasadena, August 10th.
Chfca posa Tnrkura DQnC0.