The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-29
ELEGTRIC RAILWAYS
An American Institution"
Soon to Rival Steam.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS
Boston Successfully Demonstrates
Usefulness of Electricity in
Freight Transportation.
EXPERIM MENTs

The question of motive power for trans
portatlon is becoming one of great in
terest and recent experiments would in
dictate that steam is in a fair way to
be displaced by electricity.
The electric railway has made so much
greater progress In America than 1t has
abroad that this country may almost
calm 1t as an american institution" +"
At the beginning Of this year there were
but 434 miles of electric road in all
Europe, and more than half Of that was
in Germany, France having less than
sixty miles. In the United States the
latest statistics show 10,S63 miles, while
in New England alone there is more
than three times as much electric rail-
road as in an Europe. Now that the
success OF the electric motor on short
lines hitherto operated by steam is as
sured, the mileage will increase still
more rapidly and Will very likely be
doubled within short time.
The feasibility Of the electric short line
has been demonstrated beyond doubt on
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad during the past summer
1t has been in use on the Nantasket
branch, and the officials maintain that
the increased facilities have created traf-
fic, AT any rate trains have been run
more frequently and rates have been
lower, yet there is an increase Of 800 per
cent in the traffic. There would naturally
have been some increase during the past
summer, just as there has been in ali
lines of business, but 1t would hardly
have been so great unless there had been
scme other reason besides that Of i'm
proved conditions. The statement that
experiments in the application Of electri-
city to freight transportation have been
successful, also comes from an official of
the New Haven system, and will be even
more surprising than the immediate and
extensive success of the passenger lines
The company is about to put electricity
on several other short lines, mainly,
Of course, the suburban lines running
into Boston. Wherever this is. done there
will be four tracks, the steam trains
using the two inner ones, which Will be
fenced in, and the outer ones being used
by the electric trains These lines win
test the advantages of the electric train
for ordinary purposes better than the
Nantasket branch, as they are in con-
slant use throughout the year. instead OF
being confined to the pleasure season for
their profits. Suburban traffic Is less like
ly to be augmented by cheap rates ana
frequent trains than that between the
city and the watering place The subur-
ban resident uses the railroad for busi-
ness rather than for pleasure, and while
frequent trains and reduced rates would
be advantageous to him, 1t is doubtfuI
whether he would increase his journey
ings to an extent which would make
1t profitable for the company If, how
ever, the electric line is less expensive
to operate than the steam line, its ad-
vantage for suburban business Is obvl-
Gus. The great thing was to show that
the electric motor was adaptable to reg
ular railroad traffic on short lines, and
this has been proved to certainty.