The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-15

the Problem OF Rapid Transit.
Cleptdad LEADER,
Ii the expectations OF Cleveland in
ventor are realized the mode OF travelling
and the means Of going from place to
place may be changed in the near future,
and instead OF being pulled along be-
hind putting engine at the rate of
forty miles an hour, the tourist may
yet be able TO step into an overhead
electric car and be taken along ut three
times that speed, while he sits in mis-
COSY compartment and gazes at tho
scenes below. III tho second floor OF
the building at the loot OF Water street,
on the west side OF that thoroughlare,
is the model ol this car, which, il sue.
| Cessiul, may reYolutioniZe the electrical
world and add another step in the for
ward march oil improvements in tho
nineteenth century. 1t is the work OF
q Cleveland inventor, Mr.. A. Gates,
who lives on Brownell street, and is
designed for an elevated railroad to run
from Philadelphia to New York, to DO
built and controlled by eastern CAPT.
talsts. The model in his workshop
represents car suspended from an
overhead track and propelled by cleo
tricity.
The car hangs at twenty feet above
the earth and is held to wheels by
wrought and maleable iron fittings.
The wheels are thirty inches in dia-
meter working on Il five ball journal,
said to be an improvement over the BIZ
cycle gear, supposed to be tho finest
now in use. The frame OF the car is OF
iron finished in oak and divided into
separate compartments for passengers.
The motorman sits in the forward end
OF tho car and operates his flying
machine from here. The track is sus-
pended about twenty feet in the air by
steel channels latticed together and hav-
ing cross arms for eight tracks. 1t is
said TO be the intention to have, when
the railr Jad is placed in operation, four
cars going each way ut the same time.
Two OF these are to be run on fast time,
making few stops; the other two will be
accommodation cars moving less rapidly
and making more frequent hats
for passengers. These tracks are
to be fastened to iron posts placed
about thirty.siX feet apart, The
tracks are 10 be braced laterally as a
precaution against swaying and also
perpendCularly by heavy wire cables,
the latter being laced at short intervals
with angle iron braces, giving the struc-
ture tho appearance Of miniature
Brooklyn bridge. The wheels are an
interesting part OF the construction.
Flanges reach down and overlap the
trace, preventing tho car from leaving
tho rail and spinning through the air
while oil its journey. The spokes are
OF drawn steel tubos, case hardened,
and resemble the wheels OF bicycle.
Tho car is connected with the wheels in
n manner calculated TO give elasticity
while rounding curves and not send the
car flying through the air at right angles.
The power ia to be generated Mt inter-
walls throughout the line, for which
power houses will be erected at con-
venient places. Tho feed wire runs into
! a hard wood cleat at the side OF the track
| and power is taken from this by means
OF metallic fingers and generated to the
motor. 1t is entirely different from any
thing heretofore attempted and may
represent new era in railway trans
portation. The car will hang under
meath the track unsupported except
through its connection to the wheels,
which whiz along on the channel iron
track. Time and distance, 1t Is claimed,
are to be eaten up so rapidly that the
Journey from New York to Philadelphia
can be made in little more than hall an
hour by this swinging, hurrying, cleo
trio bird. Mr.. Gales has had his cleo
trio car patented and it is expected to
build this eastern line and send the
frat train over the midair track within
tho year. 10 resist tho pressure OF the
wind the car is to be built arrow-shepe
in front and cut the air like knife.