The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-17

has been shown before that every feeder
wire takes care of its own section, there Is
nothing like the damage In the trolley sys-
TEN that people have supposed.
1t may be supposed that the use OF wire
under the rail is dangerous. On the con-
trary these wires are perfectly safe. There
is no current in them until the current
passes on to the rail after having gone
through the motor, and that is what is
known as negative current. The. gener-
ator at the power station sucks the cur
rent back to the power house in the same
water.
SAFETY APPLIANCES.
THE attention of the public should be
called to the fact that the motor can be
reversed by the motorman in exactly the
same way that an engine can be reversed.
1 have noticed in the Eagle and. other pa
pers words of censure for railroad man.
ayers because there was no appliance or
contrivance to stop car in case a brake
should give out. The very same motor
which takes a car to Fulton ferry brings
it back up Fulton street by simply re-
versing the current. and if a motorman
finds that his brake is unmanageable he
simply has to put on the reversing switch
on the same principle that locomotive en-
gineer uses the reversing lever. This will
cause the wheels to revolve in the reverse
back it. have seen suggestions that the
motors become unmanageable. Such ideas
are simply ridiculous. have shown that
the only connection between the motor and
the current which causes 1t to revolve is
through the trolley wheel, and If the troll
ley wheel is taken off the wire no current
can possibly reach the motor. / have also
shown that after the current has passed
down through the car it passes through
three distinct appliances, either of which
can cut off the current and stop the motor.
The first IS the switch over the motor
mans head, the second the switch over
the conductors head and the third the
controlling device which the motorman OPP
crates. You will see, then, that We have
-FOUR methods of preventing the current
from reaching the motor, and, beside, the
brake at each end of the car acts indie
pendently in the hands of the motorman
or conductor. Many have criticised US be-
cause We have placed cars in charge of in
experienced persons, 1t being presented as
a matter Of fact that the motCAman should
be an electrician. But 1t is no more neces-
sary that motorman be an electrician
than that any man should be an electri-
clan to use the telephone. We know what
we have to do in order TO use the tele-
phone from practice, and in the same way
the motorman knows what he has to do
TO start and stop the motor or car. What
We require for motorman is one who
knows the streets, one who has become
familiar with the operation of the car in
judging it's velocity-one with a steady
nerve and who will act instinctive:y to
usual course. The cars are inspected every
trip and are given careful overhauling
every night, and at stated intervals along
the road are men who have had a school
ing in the repair and operation of the
motor There is, therefore, no reason to
employ skilled electricians as motormen.
There has been great deal of comment
about the deadly trolley and the deadly
current. / think I am fairly well posted on
such matters, and 1 have yet TO learn of
man being killed by an electric shock
from a trolley wire. And when you take
into consideration the fact that the total
mileage per day of all our trolley cars ex-
ceeds fifty thousand miles, or more than
twice around the earth, through the
crowded streets of Brooklyn. which are
used as Fairgrounds for children, and the
fact. also, that some days we carry 10000
persons, think the people will agree that
there is no means of travel on the face Of
the earth that is safer or better managed
than the trolley system of the Brooklyn
city railroad"