Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-07-22
BENEATH BUSY STREETS,
The Electric Underground Col11lL
Railway 10 New York City,
Etrs, Of Its Kind 10 be Operated sue
ccssfuIIy IN the New worid-H""
ttis bone NO overhead trolley

IL now In operation IN New oth ivy
connected to the great csblv'ttactipn
system Of the NelrIpJlilln Traction
company. The public can now travel
rom two Battery TO iipin street win
one transfer, from tue cable car to tho
electric car, ut W,st iu5lh street.
The underground electric sy'tsm
employed differs radically from all
other .ystem, Of electric underground
conduit railways both Ia the cJnstruc.
ton VI the conduit it,cli and the
method n taking the current from tbs
conductors Tor the motors. IL has been
opora,si more or lees tAperlmentslly
Tor the last month, aud Ne success has
Justified the sauRuiuu pre- lotions ~
the electricians aud engineers VINO
effected the Installation.
The Introduction Of this sysiom upon
the tufiaco lines Of the city is tue T.
suit Ui the uytefminatid OF toe Metro
polllgn Traction Company TO gave New
York satisfactory e'ecfch system o.
prol. lsiun which would not 10 lhe
subject of that peculiar popular pf'lu-
dice which has acted ~ uUbar 10 ifum
the advantage OF the yvefhend'trolloy
Iystsfl. Consideration VI the question
resulted IN me selection Of conduit
system designed and Manufactured ~
the Guuo.Ni Electric company, anu
the long s;feich Of road on LeuON
avenue was Oh sen as the scene Oi lhe
experiment..
In formulating the ~ JtCt the Tree.
tion company Proceeded uIOn them
conservative lines, aud seturmlhed to
reduce tho con Uiuenc OF failure u
the minimum OF dutnHgn which wuull
inevitably arise if1m any HlBVasu IN
the service. The plan thoitiOto cJn'
iemplaltd the construction VI tho Hue
as II fora cable TUau, Ia Order that
should the electric system prove I'M
successful, the electrical portion could
10 tnk n cut, and the cables and pull
Irys Of the feguler cable system iuttt-
duced Into the conduit without Ices ui
time aud At comparatively small "a
ponte.
The LenoK avenue line IL double
lThck road, starting at tho car house ~
li8th street ana running directly south
tO ll0Ih street, into which II turns aud
proceeds us TAR west aH Mauhat'
tan avenue. IL turns horo aud
runs a. far south rs lOsth street,
along which 1t il carried 10 the
junction OF that street and Columbus
avenue. The district which this line
will serve Is ut present somewhat
spafsoly settled; but the facilities Of
transit which ~ will afford will proba-
bly, result 10 tho rapid development Of
new resided 90 section lot Now York
era ON both siies OF the Harlem.
The power house Ia located on iiB,h
street, few yards west Of LrnOx
avenue.
steam IL supplied from two Babc0ek
4 Wilcox watet.tube boilers To The
horlLInlal cross.coml ouud $50 horse
power Alliss.Curlis, machines. To
each OF the enRites IN coupled Gen.
pssl Eienifiu 400 XIV. dynamo VI
standard construction, but wound for
$50 volts instead OF 900 wolfe, Gs Ia the
usual practice IN railway work. This
machine Ia placed between the high
and low pressure sides Of the engines.
From the generators the cables run
10 the switchboard ami thence to n
subway under the sidewalk on lijth
ttreet, extending as far as LenOK
avenue, where they are Introduced
into the five-inoh iron pipes running
IAlhlltl Nlth hnt tOnuulNs r VT NHt
present the line will be operated
directly from the power house, but
feed Wites will probably be placed In
the pipes and Will be Joined ~ the con.
uuotor at the necessary pUints, anu thu
line viii then be divided up into soc.
tlons.
The construction OF the underground
contact system In simplicity itself. Tue
All naA hR ts.l
passes through the slot In tbs center o
the track aud presses against the lN
surfaces VI two iron conductors fuu
ming tue entire length OF the conduit
These conductors are placed each tire,
inches ON each side away from
tbs ctuter Of tue slot 10 avoid
deletefiuus effects OF any drip whict
would otherwise reach them, anu nTt
Of channel iron four inches deep and
thirty feet long. They are suspended
from tho ceiling OF the conduit by
meaus u lnsulatOts devised Tor THU
special purpose, and are At depth ol
thirteen inches below the conduit slot
Eaoh conductor IL sufficiently rigid L
require suspension at tue ends anu cen
tefs only, Tue ends are OcAted Ia thi
mRuhJics and hnndhples are placed
at thn ccniefsi inspection and repai
are uhus rendered comparatively easy
A modification Of tins system o
sus yrls.On Of conductors Ia introduced
for = length OF about one huude,
yaTus uf single track on llB'h Etreet
between LenuI and Seventh avenues
At ths inHuhulor, instead OF inSu AtOt
suspended from the ceiling OF the con
duli, the COuduclofs are supported by
soALGtuue pillar, provided with an itOI
cap FURNISHED with brackels, 10 whiCt
COnngutOr, Are bnltsl, ami C0ntiuuDu
connection ~ secured by means OF
bond OF Hat copper strips rlyeted 10 TN
webs. IkU sgspstuuc hlucks are rot II
iron bases erected IN the mgnhUlrs.
Ey,iy twelfth mEnnole lie connected
with tho power house by telephone
Quick break electric switches are 10
Gated At intervals Ia these nabh0lts, Il
order that any section OF this line MAJ
be cut cut In case Of trouble oUacuidsut
At the track switches each O1nJuylU
Is provided with a ilRring nose IT, taC0l
itlts the entrances OF the plough int
tue conductors. The mauhOIrs IA
which the lusulRtuIs are placed az,
constructed OF brick win wslls thAi
teiI ON CIuUretr iOundn Ions. Tue floor
are lit with TX Inches OF Gyugr.ls aui
prOviuou Win uTairs for cauyu g Il
wafer WAN lhis prov sion lgT ,Iu,
axe NJ trouble from wnlvr ~ the 40,
uuu Vii, 10 Ia bel eyed, De- uXper euCed
Tue conduit Wa uullt blu.s tue gTAui
Of thr street, but with sufficient Litol
~ permit any water flowing into tu
uluuuil 10 hud lls way INTO the man
al IA