Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-28


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grave danger confronts us and must be
surmounted. Instances are numerous
proving that the electric railway current
is present on the gas and water pipes in
buildings contiguous to electric railway
lines. Even those of us who are familiar
with handling the electric current hesitate
TO draw a combination of electricity with
our gas or water. We know that the gas
and water pipes entering our houses may
be charged with such current. and that
IL only remains for the circuit to be COM
pleted by possible accident through our
bodies or the occurrence of a fire by auto
ma tic action between vibrating pipes CITY
engineers. water companies and gas COM
panies are placing the responsibility upon
the railway companies for the damage
caused on pipes by electrolysis.
Amy system using ground plates. ground
rods or substitutes therefor, or bare return
track wire buried in the earth. is con-
structed primarily to utilize the earth as
return circuit; when the earth does not
afford good return the current is sure to
follow the water pipes gas pipes or other
buried conductors offering the path of
least resistance. We now see that these
prove to have been only makeshift meth
DDS to reduce the cost of construction.
We find that the evidence thus produced
and the troubles constantly occurring in
existing street railway systems are suffi-
Gent to show that all methods Of ground
ing the tract circuit or connecting to pipe
systems should be entirely discontinued:
ii therefore becomes of vital importance
to so construct the electrical railway sys-
TEN as to avoid all electrolytic action on
buried systems of metal work that are the
property of other concerns
The whole case may be stated I'm the
single sentence that the electric current
must under natural laws follow the path
OF least resistance. What was intended
to be good has proved to be defective
electrical work executed in connection
with track systems, has not given TO that
side of the system perfect path for the
travel OF the current: the conductivity of
the rail circuit being impaired to such
an extent that the electric current must
force itself through the earth or through
metal pipe lines buried therein
The Only safety.
After going with some particularly into
various phases of the question, Mr.. Vail
went On to say:
1.-The only proper system is one that af-
fords well insulated and complete metallic
circuit of low resistance, that will give an
ample path for the complete unrestricted
circulation of the entire current from pole
10 pole OF the dynamo, thus Offering no in
ducement for the current to follow such
conductors as gas or water pipes, bu., as il
were. actually robbing the earth of any de-
mending extravagant methods. but only
such as are deemed essential for economy
and of practical nature for reducing eN-
penses and augmenting dividends. The item
of cost cannot properly be urged as an OBJ
lection, because where the whole cons.ruc-
ton requires a large investment, eve-y de-
tail of the work should be SO executed as 70
be permanent and enduring. If the details
are carefully analysed il will be found hat
the cost of frequent reconstruction main
tenance and renewals of rail- bonds and bare
wire amounts TO an excessive rate of inter-
est on original investment, and would soon
pay the small additional cost to build a
complete metallic circuit The supe-ior
service obtained from complete metallic
system OF low resistance with the proper
application of insulated track feeders will
within a brief period, more than refund a
reasonable interest on the inves -ment
through the saving of fuel alone not COUNT
ing other economies in renewals ana main
tenance. The track feeder system will he
far less costly than the double trolley sys-
TEN.
Prefers Underground Wires.
Whether track feeders should he laid
underground or erected overhead is a ones
ton largely controlled by local conditions
and capital available. L express a prefer
ence for underground work as being more
permanent and subject to the least cost
for repairs The original construction is
certainly more costly for underground
The actual cost of copper is the same in
either. The necessity Of constant repairs
under existing methods. and the damage
TO water and gas pipes by electrolytic
action, simply proves that il is but a cues
ton of time as to how long before electric
railway companies will be forced to adopt
the complete metallic circuit. Where ex-
perience and practical knowledge is applied
the cost will not be excessive 1t is NOT
difficult to arrive at an exact method of
doing the work. and an accurate estimate
of its cost"
Mr.. Wallis paper gave rise to quite a
a n ian
izing II as the most important ever rea 1
before the association. The speaker was
subjected to a sharp cross-examination on
various points that he had raised Mr..
Love of this city extended an Invitation
to the convention to visit and INSPECT the
street railway, and spoke in high praise
OF the success of the underground system
here.
Mr. Vail replied that he agreed with all
the claims raised in favor OF the under
ground system. as he believed that to be the
best At the same time. however. there are
millions of dollars invested i'm railroads that
could not be readily transformed and he
had simply tried to embody in his paper
some suggestions that would be of value in
proposing timely changes and improve
ments in these roads.
Trolley Danger.
Capt Brophy, an Insurance inspector Of
Boston, spoke of the danger arising from
allowing trolley companies to run loops into
buildings for the purpose of furnishing light
or power. He had opposed this condition Of
affairs from the beginning, and their expert
ence I'm Boston had fully convinced him that
this was decidedly dangerous and should
never be allowed
Afternoon Program.
This part of the morning session was fol-
lowed by discussion on the topic Storage
Batteries" opened by Mr.. Bracket, and
report on the electric light tests at Buffalo.
read by Mr.. Charles r. Huntley. The rro-
gram for the afternoon and evening sos-
sons is follows
Paper, A. Il. Herrick, "Development Of
Switch Boards for Modern Central Sta
tons" topic. What is the Most Economi-
cal Size for Arc Dynamos," discussion,
Charles r. Huntley. George A. Redman,
E. y. Peck. G.. ii. BlaXter. II. II. Fairbanks;
topic, Underground Circuits" discussion,
c. II. Wilmerding, John A. Seely. II. J.
Smith. NJ. j. Francisco; topic. "How to Rate
Arc Lamps" discussion, James l.. Aver,
c. F. Hesser A. J. De Camp, Z. w. Rollins
George r Stetson, NJ. A. Beal. Questions
and answers. What is It you wish TO
know? Executive session. Evening session,
O'Clock. paper, L. Commerford Martin and
Luther Stieringer, Electric Lighting at the
Worlds Fair and Some of Its Lessons" il
Illustrated with stereopticon.