The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-12
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

poses TO convey phtS 'HSeTS lTOIn Cnl-
cago to New York, 750 miles as the
crow flies, in exactly six hours. The
scheme goes under the name Of the
Elevated Suspension Electric Railway
company, and hopes to 20 in another
way soon. The railroad is literally
suspended in mid air, with its cars
planned to run in between, so securely
that accident will be almost impossi.
bic. The electric motor power is ap-
piled very much as in the present troll
ley system. Sixty miles au hour is
regarded as snails pace for this sys
TEN, which pledges itself to 20 120 or
even $50 miles per hour with the ut
most safety and ease.
The cars on this system are about six
feet in width by twenty feet in length,
with seating capacity Of thirty per-
sons. The weight of tho Car proper is
1900 pounds, of the trucks and motor,
which are above and upon the rails,
4 200 pounds, and Of the passengers,
5000 pounds, making the strain upon
II single cable of 1jO-iOot span, with a
loaded train Of two cars upon it, nine
teen and one, half tons when. the train
is at rest The cable is three inches in
diameter and capable Of standing IL
tensile strain of over 500 tons. The,
cost OF construction for this system
does not exceed 20 per cent Of the cot
OF steam elevated roads under ordinary
circumstances, while the crossing Of
streams and the overcoming of obsta-
cles TO buildings can be accomplished
by the use Of longer spans without
material increase in expense. About
$50, 900 per mile fully covers the cost of
construction of iour-track road. and
$40, 900 per mile its equipment, while a
two-track road eau be built ana equip
ped under $50. 600 per mile.
The Objectionable features Of the Or
dinary elevated railroad are said to be
reduced to minimum or entirely OBJ
waited by this system. The amount of
light obstructsd by cable, by a stir
rup five eighth Of an inch in thickness,
by posts and trusses 150 feet apart, and
made in lattice work if desired, and
the continuous rails, is 50 slight us to
produce no sppreciable effect in an or
dinary street. There being no solid
structure to act aS q sounding board,
the noise is less than that of any other
system. The hsxibility of this system
gives an agreeable motion in riding
and relieves of all jolting and noise of
the rigid structure. The metal cable
and structure overhead are protection
against lightning interference in the
severest storm. The hooded wire pre-
vents any hindrance from sloet in the
most inclement weather. The bottom
Of the cars being the lowest part Of the
structure reduces the ascent to the sta.
tion from twenty four feet to about
sixteen feet. There ia perfect freedom
from dust, smoke, steam, and cinders,
and in matter of speed it is beyond
comparison. AT least, this is what is
claimed for it; and the claim really
does look plausible when you study it
out.
Those in position to know intimate
that there is no longer reason to doubt
the speedy construction Of the pro-
posed Caroordale and Forest City elec.
trio street railway. The new line, con-
struction on which will be begun at an
early day, does not touch the line of
the Carbondale Traction company at
any point, but will extend from Car
bondale along Dundaff street to Far
view street to Forty-third street and
thence will diverge. one fork extending
to Crystal Lake and the other to Forest
City This will take in Richmondale,
Vandling and Clintonville as we'll.
Forty of the Reading company's
fifty-two collieries are now working,
and shipments of coal are being pushed
forward rapidly. On Friday last the
shipments from Palo Alto on the main
line, were fourteen loaded trains, COM
prising 626 loaded cars, or 13, 772 tons,
or nearly double the usual quota at
this season of the year; and In order
to keep up the supply of empty cars,
the Reading has ordered the. old eight.
wheel cars into temporary use. Ship
ments south via the Philadelphia, Har-
risburg and Pittsburg branch of the
Reading have increased to such an ex-
tent that the ten crews of the road
have been put on double turn, and ara
now making about ten days week.
MINOR INDUSTRIAL NoTEs:
Our telegraph lines stretch 10000 miles
Scarcity Of coal is having a steadily in
creasing effect on industrial operations.
The Reading company has 3, 200 cars on
sidings awaiting repairs, which will boom
IS car shops.
For 100000 eastern capitalists have
bought the Cleveland General Electric
company's plant.
The larger proportion of street railway
mileage in the United States is now ope,-
ated by electric power.
The average watch is composed of 97
pieces, and its manufacture embraces
more than 1900 distinct operations.
Saturday 7S5 tons of Erie coal were
hauled over the jefferson division. A con-
servatiye estimate places tho number of
tons at 10000,
Persons we'll informed say that the
southern rate war, if kept up any length
of time will end in number OF railroad
receiverships.
The reduction in freight rates to south
ern points, made to put western cities on
the same footing with the east, went into
effect yesterday.
Production of soft coal has lately shown
slight increase through the return of
some miners and the failure Of the coal
strlKe In Alabama and southern Tennessee.
A new time table will be put into effect
on the Erie on June II. under which the
run between New York and Chicago on n II
important trains will be shortened one
hour.
The New York and New England has
withdrawn It's request for bids for l6. OO0
tons Of anthracite coal, having made ar
rangements to get its coal supply from
Nova Scotia.
Twelve Erie firemen from this section
are on their way to Chicago to show The
western division men how to use antbrao
cite. The settlement OF the soft coal strike
may call them back.
1t is expected that oil the water will he
out Of the Vandling mine by Wednesday
morning, permitting the return totwork Of
forty men who have hppn idle ohont t,,,a