Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-18
SCHEME OF A WOMAN.
TRAINS 70 RUN FROM NEW YORK TO
CHICAGO IN TEN HOURS.
Great Electric System Proposed by Chi"
csgo Woman nDesigner-Ezpected 10 De-
veiop n speed of q Hundred Miles Per
Hour--specisIIy Made Cars.


n Its projectors are able 10 carry out all
they claim, work All entire revolution In
railway travelling.
The primary purpose IN the construction
Of an elevated electric railway In prac-
tically straight line between Now York
and Chicago, and, II successful, It's contin'
uance TO San FRANCISCO.
The design, In which great many new
methods Of working are included, owes its
conception TO the genius the pluck and
the perseverance Of Mrs. Maria E. Beaslcy,
formerly OF Philadelphia but now Of Chi
cngo. Mrs. Beasley considering the rapid
progress electric traction was making,
fOresaw steam as "a motive power for rail-
road travelling was doomed In England
the Liverpool elevated electric railroad
was brilliant success as was also the
south London system. To the woman, an
60 the man, Of vigorous faculties proba-
bilities speedily became possibilities and
possibilities certainties
To demonstrate the practicsbility OF her
suggested methods she built an expert
mental line, q quarter Of mile In length,
around her residence and showed the ac-
tusl working. OF course she discovered
many notifications Of existing appliances
were necessary when the rate Of travelling
M64 luCIo0Scu W lVV 01lcb al uouI ono AZ
order TO counteract the additional wear
and tear of such rapid travelling, and those
alterations she at once set herself TO de-
visa Tho moro thorough investigation
she bestowed ON the various transportation
systems of the day the larger grow her de-
siRns. From Chicago to New York In ten
hours was q solving Of one Of trsnsporta-
lions greatest problems.
Mrs. Deasley, convinced the west was
tho best held for such an enterprise, had
IA the meantime settled In Chicago. After
much thought and consideration she de-
cided to make her trains Of six cars and
motor. The front Of the motor was TO be
OF semiwedged shaped, thus minimizing
the atmospheric resistance, which Is one
of the most important factors Of high speed
travelling. In front and for the use OF the
engineer In charge there would be ar
ranged powerful telescope glass COM
manding long range and decreasing to
great extent the danger attending the high
speed.
The passenger coaches are all to be OF
special design, and the sleepers have been
projected on an entirely different plan to
those ordinarily In use. In each sleeping
car there are to be eight iron bedsteads, so
arranged as to fit into the wall of the car,
and when drawn out TO be attached to the
hoor 80 there shall be no fear Of the speed
causing the springs to react at unpleasant
hours. Between each Of these bedsteads
curtains are to be drawn, and in each OF
such compartments, also drawn out by
springing catches In the wall, Will be found
all necessary toilet arrangements. In the
deytime the sleeper will become sitting
room, for which special closing up elegant
ly upholstered armchairs have been In
vented.
The cars are all of new shape, decreas-
ing In width at the top and being made
heavier from the center downward, SO ex-
cessive motion and the rolling and sway
ing may be as far as possible avoided. To
do away with the danger of hot boxes the
axles will be made considerably larger
than at present, and contrivance has
been introduced by Mrs Beasley by which
water and cold air are continually in mo-
tion inside.
In the freight and fruit cars special sys-
TEN of ventilation has been made, and
grain so treated will, it is claimed, be
greatly improved in quality by travelling
rather than as at present deteriorated.
Owing to the elevated character Of the
line the right Of way should be compare
support of the elevated track are to be so
feet apart, and the track 16 feet above the
road level
The cost of construction, estimated by
the corporations engineers, Is sos, 900 u
mile, and for rolling stock an additional
eBb, 600 mile making total for the es-
timated distanoe-Chicago to New York,
9S2 miles-s9S, 200,0 600. Between these
points only three or four stoppages will be
made - Buffalo, Cleveland and Toledo.
There will be q power house at each hun
dred miles. The trains, passenger and
freight, Of the various types will start
from each terminus at intervals Of Is min
utes.
A large subscription toward the project
has already been made from England, and
the shares arc now being prepared for is
sue. The scheme will, Of course, have the
strongest opposition from the vested inter
ests Of the railroads, tho packers and ele-
vator proprietors. The capitalization Of
the company, $500, 600, 900, seems by no
means an exorbitant figure for such q
work as projected.
The charter, which has been secured
from the state Of Illinois, confers upon the
corporation the right to build and operate
railroad, to own property and mines,
and, in fact, everything u railroad com
pany can do use or require. Mrs. Bcasley
declares IL TO be more liberal and broader
in its conditions than any she has yet
heard of and says she has carried her prof
ect over the most difficult ground, the in
tcresting Of business men with sufficient
capital to carry the scheme through, and
che hos now no fear of an unsuccessful
termination to her great work.-Chicago
Chronicle. -