The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-10-20
Our @liu.
Electric Railroading.
From the St. Louis Globe pemocn

parcel of the material development of this
country. and the rapidity and magnitude
of its extension is one of the most marvel
Gus things in American history America
has now six hundred electric roads, which
involve the installation of twenty y-five thou
sand motors, and an investment oil $3.50. :
000 000 and. moreover, the doom of the
horsecar is sealed Yet seven years ago
the fate Of the electrical railroad hung in
the balance The experiences of its crucial
days are wildly described by Lieut.
Frank j. Sprague. whose name is insep-
arably connected with the demonstration
of the feasibility and the practical success
of the electrical railway on the Richmond
(Va.) road. At that time there were.
altogether, perhaps dozen electrical rail
ways Of various types in existence. None
was satisfactory. and all were handicapped
by their special experimental character.
Capitalists. car builders railway officials
and engineers looked askance at the new
tangled idea of electric traction. and even
electricians were half-hearted and dubious
about it, The electric motor was regarded
as a piece of complicated machinery of
vicious possibilities, that needed to be care
fully housed and keenly watched. The
ordinary conditions of street car service
were pronounced an insuperable obstacle
to the self propulsion of ear, and great
er than six per cent. grade was declared
to be prohibitory The idea of using $50
volts suggested vague and fearful terrors
of torture and death, and bare overhead
wire was dreaded like "A pestilence. In
the face of these conditions an electrical
company came forward and entered into a
contract with ii local railway company in
the city of Richmond. This contract was
unique. 1t called for the completion in
ninety days of the equipment of road at
that time unlaid. and with route deter
mined only in part Itprovided for a COM
plete steam and electric plant of 375 horse
power capacity the furnishing of forty cars,
with eighty motors, and all appurtenances
necessary for their operation, and com
plete overhead system. Thirty of the cars
were to be operated at one time, and grade
as high as eight per cent. to be ascended.
1t is worthy of record, as showing the ada
mantine nerve of those electrical pioneers
that at the time of making the contract the
company had only blue print of a railroad
machine and some experimental motors.
The thousand details essential to success in
pioneer work were undetermined After
anxious months of discouragement and per-
petual conflict with new difficulties, the
moment for testing a car up the ten per
cent. grade arrived In Lieut. Sprague's 5
words. Arrived at the foot of the hill,
we stopped to survey the enemy. When
| expressed doubt Of the ability of the
machines to make the ascent, Burt said :
If YOU can get out of such curve as that
we just left. you can 90 up the side of a
wall knew that even if we succeeded
the machines would probably be wrecked,
but there was nothing to do but to try it,
and so putting on the current we steadily
climbed up this hill, then another, and
another. around several curves. finally
reaching the highest point in the heart of
the city But the machines were now
boiling hot, and suddenly there was pecu-
liar movement. then strange but after
wards very familiar, due to crossed ar
mature. and | knew that we were disabled
| Not caring to confess serious trouble, / told
| Greene in tone that was audible to the
crowd that there was some slight disarrange-
ment of the circuits; that he had better 90
and get his instruments Meanwhile,
put out the lights and stretched out in the
bottom of the car for a rest. The crowd
dispersed, and after long time Greene re-
turned with his instruments four big,
powerful mules, at that moment the most
effective we could get We had settled
once for all the problem that with all the
weight Of the car used for traction, ten
per cent. grade could be ascended. but the
question which had next to be grappled
with was how to make such an ascent with
out wrecking the machines Thisinvalyed
innumerable changes, the making of entire
" new tools. and weeks of delay. The
labor entailed in the various points Of detail
is suggested by the fact that before the
best form of trolley was decided on from
fifty to sixty designs were made and tested.
The behavior Of fixed brushes was anoth-
er exaspeatilg source Of trouble ItwHss
daily OCCURRENCE to see loaded car climb
a grade with lurid green glare lighting
up the track, but with no possibility oi
getting at It, although knew that Sl0a
worth Of damage would be the result the
| "Trip. About this time 80 worth Of brass
per day, miiled of BY the rough bars Of