The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-15

is claimed by the sponsors OF the new
agent, however, that these cars can be
run more safely than any others since
| they can be controlled far more effec-
| lively, and with much less eXertion on
! the part of the motorman. On most
trolly and cable lines this functionary
is obliged to bring the cars to a stop
| by main strength, the air brake not
| being generally introduced on surface
/ lines as yet, because Of the frequent
stops necessary, which make accumu-
| lation of air for brakes difficult But
on lines operated by the new agent
air brakes of the utmost efficiency can
| be used, the air being furnished di-
rect from the tanks and the entire
pressure of 1000 pounds to the square
inch being available if required, while
| the eXertion on the part of the motor
man in bringing his car to a full stop
need only be that necessary to turn
! a little hand lever. Tt is claimed also
1 that the new cars will climb grades as
well as electric cars, since a great in
crease of pressure, even the entire
! 1000 pounds maintained in the tank,
can be turned loose upon the engine
when occasion demands it.
Transmission OF Power by Air.
Next in interest to compressed air
| traction, perhaps, is the proposition
| to utilize the new agent for the trans
mission of power over long distances.
| This is not a new idea, having come
up years ago, long before the proprosi-
ton to transmit power electrically had
come to anything practical. 1t is now
revived, however, and Herman Haupt
a compressed air expert, declares that
| he has proven by experiments and de-
duction that the cost of producing and
transmitting $500 horse power 100 miles
in pipes. exclusive of the cost of coal
and including interest, repairs and de-
probation of boiler plant, wages of
firemen, interest and repairs on COM
pressor plant, interest on pipe line and
wages of engineers, would be S43,O75 or
81 per horse power per annum, about
$40 less than the cost of steam power
generated locally. In lis calculations
Mr. Haupt leaves out the cost of the
coal to operate the compressors since
his proposition is to erect the plants
in the coal regions where hundreds of
thousands of tons of coal dust now go
to waste evey year, but might be
utilized by the adoption of his plan.
However, as this use of compressed air
is only prospective, it need not be en-
tered into further here.
Of the use of compressed air in the
operation Of rock drills in mining, cum
melting, etc, it may be said that it was
first introduced during the boring of
the Hoosac tunnel, that it was only by
it's use that this work the thirty mile
tunnel of the New York aqueduct, all
the Alpine tunnels the tunnels at Mia
CARA Falls for the great electric plant,
and many great mining excavations
have been possible. By it's use the
drills can strike the rock at the in
credible rate of 400 to 800 blows min
ute or &c to 1873 times a second, and
each machine can do the work of from
eight to twenty men. AT the same
time the air released by the working of
the drills causes much more complete
ventila ton of the tunnel or mine than
could be secured by any other method
whatever Compressed air is alSo used
in coal cutting, in locomotives for haul
ing out coal and ore from mines and in
many other varieties of mining ma
chinery. Its use in caisson work for
the foundations of bridges and build
ings. and by railroads as the power to
operate brakes are too we'll known to
need more than bare mention here.
The two largest compressed air plants
in the United States ere at the Ana
conda copper mines IN Montana and
the Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal COM
pany's shafts, Plymouth, Pa. At both
these places air is used for many pur-
poses besides the operatio of drills.
other Uses of Compressed Air.
"A most important use of compressed
air is for the operation of signals al
railroad terminals and other points
where the air is furnished through
pipes from the central compressor tc
small cylinders, each of which oper
ates a signal and a switch, and is con
trolled by lever in the hands of E
/ signal man located at some centra
. point. The introduction of this sys
: tenn has been. found to greatly increase
both the safety of trains and taeil
rapid dispatch. Compressed air is al
so used to operate many small ant
: large and small machines in many O
the great railroad and other shops O
!, the land. 1t is especially fitted for tn,
2 operation of travelling cranes, HOSTS
punches, etc, and a large machin,
shop has recently been fitted up in st
Louis in which every machine is oper
ated by compressed air, furnished