Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-08-17

French engineers OF the day, NJ
BunauV Vanilla, the same who held
the highly responsible position as
engineer-in-chief of the Panama
canal, and one of the most distin-
guished members Of the Points ct
Chaussees, the greatest engineering
institute Of France.
"What is the most interesting
thing in the engineering world9"
was the natural question to put to
him, and the question which was put
by the New York Herald man with
out delay.
"By far the most interesting en-
gineering experiment of the present
time and of the greatest Interest to
the world at large is, he reptile d.,
"the new electric locomotive which
recently made so successful trip
to Nantes. Ii means a perfect revo.
luton in the world 1t means that
in the future we are going to com
pass great distances in very short
times, and. as the saying is, Time
is money" both the travelling public
and the commercial world can read
lily appreciate what it signifies. I"
II regard this invention OF M.
Heilman as the definite solution of
the problem Of the practical applica-
tion OF electricity as tractive power
as applied on railroads.
'.What, according to you, are the
practical advantages which this cleo
trio locomotive offers? Would you
explain them so that the general
reading public can understand cas-
ily."
..One of the first advantages is
that with perfect security gain of
speed over that Of an express train
of SO per cent can be secured. That
addition OF speed can be obtained,
and, at the same time considera BILE
economy OF coal effected.
M Heilman has, for the first
time tried what no one had thought
OF before. To put it simply. his To-
connective carries it's own electric sta
ton along with it. 1t makes the
necessary electric motive power as
it goes.
1.-The machine is slightly more ex-
pensive than an ordinary locomotive
but that is nothing compared to the
economy which is effected in the
consumption OF coal.
The ordinary locomotive con-
sumes about ten kilos of coal per
kilometre. The Heilmann electric
engine consumes but six kilos in the
same distance. In fact, it shows the
extraordinary result of nearly double
the force with nearly half the con-
sumption Of coal That is of itself
an enormous result
There is besides another very
strong advantage which every rail
way engineer will readily appreciate.
It is this: Most OF you know, and
yet some may not, that it is impos-
sible to orive the ordinary locomo-
tive further than 20) kilometres at
the utmost. When the ordinary To-
connective has done that distance it
must be changed, cleaned and rested.
can go ahead indefinitely.
1.-The reason of that is simple. 1t
is merely that the engines on board
the steamship are protected. while
those on the steam locomotive are
exposed to the dust In this new
electric locomotive the machinery is
cased in and therefore completely
protected. SO this locomotive. given
coal and of course there is no diff
Guilty about that can go from Paris
to Constantinob.e without changing.
On the ordinary trains now running
the locomotive is changed from
seyentf to forty times between here
and Constantinople. !"
'What coal do you carry compared
to an ordinary locomotives"
IAN ordinary locomotive will
carry two tons Of coal; we can carry
three or more. and that would take
US go kilometres. !"
.'Of course. all kinds of objections
have been raised and criticisms have
been plentiful. 70 all such there is
a ready answer 1t was said that
the engines would be too long to
negotiate the curves. but that does
not hold, as the engines can be fitted
on trolley wheels, which work ad-
mirably. and that does away with
that objection. Others have it that
the machinery is complicated.
'.It may be the case now with this
electric locomotive that the ma
chinery may seem complicated. 1t
is not more 50 than is necessary,
and If there are those who think
that it is so, all we can say to them
is what the inventor OF the bicycle
said. Look at the results:' y
.What results have you attained
so far as regards speed9"
"When we made the trial the
other day. and there were 800 pas
sengers on the train. we made at
one time a speed of 10Y kilometers
to the hour. That was only kept up
for very short time, for it is
against the regulations of the COM
pany to run at such excessive speed"
What power can you get out of
this electric locomotive
'.rhe power Of the strongest loco
motive known-that is to say, 800
horsepower.
The inventor of this electric loco
motive, destined in all probability to
effect such great changes in the
future of travel. is q man of exceed
ing modesty. who. when he is con-
graduated as being an inventor. re-
plies, Il am only mechanic, and
not an inventor. He had worked
upon his idea for many years, and
when at last he considered that he
had brought it. as nearly to perfection