Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-07-20
NEW MODE OF TRACTION.


perimenting with system of electro
surface cars for which is made the
triple claim of absolute safety, econo
my in construction and cheapness IL
operation The experiments are be
ing carried on on little track a
Long Island under the supervision o.
Albert Stetson, the manager and gener
al superintendent, and in the three
weeks during which the car has beer
running upward of 800 electrical ex
perts and railroad men have beef
there to see it in operation. The track
which runs from West First stree
in a sharp curve around to the tracks
of the Boynton bicycle railroad is
about One-siXth of a mile long. On il
is single motor car, formerly USE
as trolly car, and the power for the
experimental trips is switched from
the rolly wires. Lengthwise of the
little road, between the tracks, is i
conduit 20 inches wide. by u deeI
made of planks. This conduit will be
improved upon, and for it will be sub
stituted one eight inches wide by "a
deep, made of iron, and with properly
arranged drainage. Fastened to the
sides of this conduit are contact boxes
each being 3 ID feet from the next
which is OH the opposite side of the
conduit and it is from these contact
boxes that the electric motive power
is transmitted to the motor in the car
through a cOntriyance known rs the
Size.
Through the conduit runs n three,
inch copper cable encased in lead.
This cable passes through the contact
boxes, and within each box the lead
and insulation are removed. TO the
exposed part of the cable is fastened
a clamp projecting upward in two
tongues. Between these is 4 copper
brush attached to n vertical spindle,
to which the contact arm projecting
from the box is screwed. The brush is
held midway between the tongues by
q stiff tOrtiOn spring, and is insulated
beyond possibility of leakage by para
fine oil, with which the box is filled.
The brush, midway between the
tongues when the car is not over the
box. is forced into connection with one
of the tongues by means of the shoe
of the car, which presses against the
contact arm when the car is passing
and, turning the arm, turns the brush
attached to the arm over to the tongue,
thereby completing the circuit through
the motor
Hanging from the bottom of the car
is the current collector, technically
iah sic Of
strip of wood nine feet four inches long
by six inches broad by one-half an
inch thick. between two strips of brass
seven feet six inches long by four inch
eS broad by One-eight of an inch thick.
These two brass strips are terminated
at each end by insulating strips of
wood two inches in thickness made
cigar shaped at the ends The long
wooden strip projects an inch above
and below the others. The wooden
ends to the brass strips strike the CON
tact arm, forcing the brush in the box
against the tongue so that contact is
made inside the box before it is made
on the shoe, thereby avoiding spark
ing. which would result i'll the de-
stIJction Of the brushes. This shoe is
so long that it is constantly in contact
with two of the contact arms. 1t is
flexible, and viii take any curve. Its
connection with the motor in the car
is by n wire Soldered on each side of
the shoe. This Shoe has no actual
fastening to the car, but is suspended
in such n manner that if the car leaves
the track the shoe drops to the top OF
the conduit cutting off the current, and
in no way injuring the contact boxes,
conduit or shoe itself. No change is
necessary in adapting it to IN ordinary
trolly ear. When once properly hung
it can be taken off or put on within
one minute. The car rcverSeS by sim
ply turning the reversing switch of
the motor. Twenty miles an hour
can be easily obtained.
To Granville I. Wood, a colored in
ventor of New York, belongs the
credit of the original invention of this
system. 1t was completed and per
fected by NJ J. ]. Greer of Boynton,
who invented the Shoe and G.. $. Van
Nuts and John II. Dale of New York,
who constructed the contact boxes as
they now are. OF the company which
controls the system T. c. Buck is
president, J. l.. Myers vice president,
r. l.. Keen treasurer, and Albert
Stetson general manager The claim
is made that from the construction OF
the road no one but a man bent on
Self-deStruction could get at the wire
and receive a shock from it, and that,
therefore, perfect safety in that re-
spect has been obtained. The cost of
construction is comparatively small
Speaking of the new system president
II. c. Buck said: I'VE claim that we
can run cars 10 per cent cheaper than
by any other electric system. That is
our formal claim. but I feel sure that
once started, we can better that by
per cent. BY our system of inSula
ton we have practically done away
with all leakage, which has been the
fatal defect in other systems. 1t is q
safe system. both because there are
no wires for the public to come in con
cars or reverse the direction very
Quickly. We believe we have found 6
method of rapid transit peculiarly
adapted both to city travel and tC
transit from town to town."
SEALING IN THE ANTARCTIC.
Foolish Beasts That Are Easil,,