The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-08-25


Great Britain along entirely different
lines from those followed in this
country, and some highly interest
Ing results, novel to our experiences
here. have been attained. Great
Britain has seemingly been very
backward in adopting electricity for
traction purposes. There are prob
ably less than dozen electric rail.
road lines in operation In that king
dom. The most prominent and sue
cessful electric railway is the Liver
pool elevated railway. running dis
tance OF six miles along the line OF
docks There are few electric
street car lines.
The British authorities and people
will have mono OF the overhead troll
Icy system which now networks this
entire country--cheap and easy OF
operation, but decidedly dangerous,
and the successful and safe under
ground trolley system has not yet
been devised. In the circumstances
British electrical engineers have de-
voted themselves to the problem OF
devising an effective and cheap
method OF electric traction tor all
manner OF ordinary vehicles on tho
streets of the city and the turnpikes
OF the country, and electric cabs and
carriages, omnibuses aud trucks,
have been the aim OF British cleo
tricians. Perhaps the fact that there
are some 22.0)0 miles OF excellent
turnpike roads in Great Britain. and
that farmers are largely using steam
engines for hauling their traffic over
the roads has had something to do
with the direction OF their investiga-
tions.
A few weeks ago an electric par
cells van was run experimentally
through the busiest OF London's
streets and an electric omnibus made
similar trial trips about the same
time. So far as the operation Of the
vehicles was concerned the expert
monts were success. The design
ers claim equal success for the
financial end OF the experiment.
Three companies have been formed
to operate vehicles OF this character
and other vehicles with the same
methods OF traction, and it is de-
clared by the experts that the era OF
electric traction for all purposes, on
common roads, has definitely set in.
The experiments looking to this
end have been in progress twelve
years or more. An eelctric tricycle.
was invented and run for brief
period by Professor Ayrton about
1885, and in 1886 an electric cab,
81, ~ trio ht.,Ia pf hA Iii
carrying its own energy in storage
form, was invented and operated by
Mr.. Radcliffe Ward, who is the in
ventor Of the latest success. tho cleo
trio omnibus. The cab was run in
Brighton for some months, and dem.
onstratel the possibilities OF this
method of traction, but not its eco.
nomic success Later an electric
dog cart, and then an electric wag-
onette for the sultan OF Turkey were
built But these vehicles only dem
onstrated the power OF electricity to
move vehicles on common roads,
and left the profitable operation OF
such vehicles still problem. says
the Globe Democrat
Tho motive power for all such We
hicles on common roads Is, OF course,
derived from storage batteries, car
ried in the vehicles themselves. and
the weight Of these batteries and
the. cost OF charging and recharging
has always been tho crux OF the sit
uation. 1t is believed by the invent
ors Of at least two types OF electric
road vehicles, and by a large num-
Der OF business men and capitalists,
who have formed companle, to de.
velop and operate them, that the
difficulty has now been solved.
Both the electric omnibus and the
electric parcels van have been run
ming in the streets OF London for
several weeks. The vehicles have
attracted q great deal OF attention.
They roll along steadily and easily,
and thread their way among the
mass of cabs. omnibuses and trucks
with nicely that excites general
admiration. They arc under perfect
co1trol, and run at different speeds
as the circumstances warrant In
clear stretch OF street they go at
pace OF ten miles al hour, though
this is not the limit OF their speed
by any means. The horses seem not
to mind the ectrical vehicles at
all 1t would take u good deal to
startlo London cab or bus horse
anyhow.
1t is pointed out that with cleo.
trical vehicles there will be less
wear and tear on the roadways, for
all the pounding Of horses hoofs will
be done away with The weight OF
the vehicles will be great. but the
tires OF the wheels will be broad.
Wood or other noiseless pavcments
will become universal. and the tre-
mendous volume OF street noise
which now afllict sthe public will be
almost wholly abatcd. Pneumatic
tires for electrical vehicles are q
probability Rubber tires have been
tried on the electrical omnibus. but
they were too expensive. Makers oil
pneumatic tires. however. say they
can make pneumatic tires that will
outwear solid rubber and be salts
factorily economical