Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22
WITHOUT OVERHEAD WIRES OR POLES.
Electric Car Running Without the
Trolley Overhead.


The Remarkable Invention of William
Lawrence us Seen mt the Harlan Hot
linesworth Yards Last friday-The
Power From a Duet Underneath the Car.
Ii looks as if the problem of an under
ground system for electric cars has been
fully met for the first time in the country
and that the question in its commercial
feature OF cost aud adaptnhility to the
needs of the public has been fully met and
proved in the remarkable invention OF
William Lawrence, New York electrical
engineer. who has laid q stretch OF a quar-
ter OF o mile OF his underground electric
road in the Harlan & lIollingsworth yards
and Is Mt this time running one OF the
Wilmington electric cars upon ii with
complete success.
In one word 1t may be said that the riding
is Just as easy, in fact identical with that
OF the best part Of our city track. There
Is no difference to be apprehended. The
novelty is the absence Of the overhead
trolley. Villas else is new, so lar us at first
can be seen is that between the tracks is
what looks like narrow wooden pathway
say about II inches wide. In the centre Of
this is slot about one-fourth of IN inch
wide. 1t is this slot which is pierced by
what may be called the underneath trolley
which gathers its motive power as 1t goes
along. Nothing more is apprehended ut
first, but, us stated, the. entire absence OF
any wires, poles or trolley overhead.
Mr.. Lawrence's invention is to meet the
present objection to the overhead trolley
and wires. This it seems to do completely.
The electric gearing which hitherto has
been oil top of the car is now underneath.
The power is still obtained from central
station and is supplied by feed wire rum
ming along through an insulated wire be-
meath the track.
This wire feeds a small contact valve or
Junction box which supplies the girder
beneath the car rs the latter passes along.
The current is picked up Ell route by the
car; The girders are in 80 feet sections,
which arc absolutely insulated from one
another and from the earth. Here in fact
lies one of the most important parts of
Mr.. Lawrence's invention. The only live
wire along the whole system is just that
section Immediately beneath the cur and
only daring the time it passes along, All
the rest of tho line is dead wire and is us
absolutely harmless as il there were no
electricity at all.
1t seems then that these are the two
more prominent points Of the Lawrence
invention rs seen at the Harlan n Holdings
worth yards Friday, namely, no poles,
or overhead wires or trolley and no cur
rent Oh the track but that which is imme-
diately covered by the car.
A4iSNti AZ SOlllANI luT tHe motor power Is
very simply and readily gained BY the
weight Of the continuance called the cur
rent carrier beneath the car which presses
downwards and causes electric contact
with the wire.
The girder upon which the trolley runs
IS inches below the surface. il is all
boxed i'll concrete subway and all that
can be seen is the one-quarter inch slot
along the track as described.
nnOit1aAr !, GA al Oh 10 6,
technical description of the invention
lhe Lawrence system Is sectional and
thoroughly insulated one. Each section of
| the road under this system is about 80 feet
in length and only at the beginning OF
| each section does the car receive its cur
rent, and that from girder directly under
the surface, between the tracks, which
order is absolutely dead when the cur is
not upon 1t. The explanation is that the
sections mentioned are supplied from Il
iced wire which Is thoroughly insulated
which is also imbedded in concrete sub.
| stance used i'll the construction of the sub
| way. The current Is drawn off every 81
feet with simple contact valves, which by
an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS feed the ears through
It's trolley while as It passes over the valves,
leaving the girders. before and behind the
car absolutely dead. In other words with
the car not on the tracks the whole road
would be insulated and it would be i'm
| possible 10 get any current. No springs nor
screws are connected with this system, as
zach section consists Of only three parts,
viz; Two valves and one girder which
make complete section.
The merits claimed for the system are,
LIST, cheapness OF constructions, I'd, cheap.
ness OF maintenance. I'd simplicity in
mechanical construction to allow same for
practical railroad use. 4th, its thorough in.
sulation and to sum up in few words, Its
simplicity, its entire exemption from
trouble caused by water, snow, ice, slush,
&c., and its entire freedom from danger
from exposed wires carrying currents Ut
electricity make il The ideal system.
1t is understood that company has al
ready been formed to take charge of the
Lawrence Underground Electric system
In perfecting the arrangements laying the
1 mile section Of road, and in otherwise
carrying out the work here, the inventor,
Mr.. Lawrence, has been ably assisted hy
William Il. Shaw, the electrician Of tic
Harlan and Holllngsworth Company.