The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-06-26
AN AERIAL ELECTRIC ROAD.


The HApld Transit Scheme Proposed ~ .
San Francisco Capitalist.
A railroad on wire.
Such is the scheme which D. R. P.
Thomas. a San Francisco capitalist,
now has on foot. He proposes to build
what he calls an aerial road from San
Francisco to Los Angeles up the cele-
brated San joaquin valley. The cars
will be suspended on cables and operat-
ed by electricity. They will run at the
rate Of 100 miles an hour. No grading
will be necessary for the construction
Of this road, no ties, and no rails, no
bridges and no fencing in Of track. No
section gang will be required in its
maintenance.
It will, SO its protector thinks, be the
first road in America to be absolutely
free from smashups. The cars can't
collide head ON because the road is o
double track, and they can't be tele-
sooped because, by a simple little mech.
anism, If n train comes too close to
another the electricity is shut of. No
distractions or blockades can interfere
with its running. The cars cannot Jump
the track. The wear and tear on its
mechanism and rolling stock is compar-
atively slight It costs from one-third
to two-thirds less to construct and
maintain than any other kind Of rail-
road. It almost solves the question of
the right of way. The road may be
quickly constructed and will be slightly
when finished.
This new railroad is not the invention
Of the capitalist, but Of his blind broth.
81. "He planned it all out in his dark
ness" says Mr.. Thomas, land you will
see, n Of these days, that it is such q
perfectly feasible and admirable plan
that it will n day supersede the sur
face roads, both in the city and in the
country.
1.-THE cheapness of construction and
the high ratio Of speed ~attainable by
such railway are Of course its main ad-
vantages. AS far as speed is concerned,
it is now only a Question Of atmospheric
resistance. And this natural factor can
be largely overcome by constructing the
cars either o n shaped or with pointed
ends like the prov Of a boat. But that
Of course Is an after consideration, and
no such device will be needed to attain
a speed, say, Of 100 miles an hour. And
such q rate can be maintained easily
and with entire comfort and safety to
the passengers in this midair railway.
There can be no distractions on the
track, for there Is no track. and no
SHOWS or washouts q retard the trains.
There are no dirt and dust or smoke and
SCOT to make travelling . hardship. nc
jarring and rumbling and ear splitting
noises to make one deaf"
Concerning the motive power, MI.
Thomas believes that we shall eventual
~ find a force superior to electricity
that is, compressed air. the possibilities
Of which, Mr.. Thomas declares, are as
yet but little known.
my plan, says Mr.. Thomas, would
be to build compressed air tanks along
the road in the country where trains
could stop for q moment or two and re.
cuperate the motive supply. / am salts
fed that in the end compressed air would
be cheaper and more satisfactory than
electricity"
The road will be elevated from 10 tc
20 feet above the ground, according te
the requirements Of the grade and
whether the road be passing through the
country or the city. The cars will be
considerably smaller and lighter than
the present railway cars now in use.
They will be lighted by electricity and
heated in this way also, and, for that
matter, could easily have telegraphit
communication all the time with tn
outside world.
The California idea does not vary in
its essential particulars from two rapid
transit systems which were exhibited al
the Worlds fair. One of these, known
as the Cook system, proposed to have
cars suspended from a single track,
placed at the top OF q series of poles.
The idea was that the cars were to be
somewhat in the shape Of a present rail.
way car cut l~engthwise in twain. One
set would move in one direction on one
side Of the pole, and the other set on
the other side in the opposite direction.
This was An invention of L. D. Cook Of
Tacoma, who constructed q trial track
on the outskirts Of Tacoma and claimed
to have run his cars successfully at the
rate Of 100 miles an hour.
The only difference between the Cook
system and the Thomas plan is that the
latter would suspend the cars from a Sc.
ries Of cables instead of from an iron
track. Electricians believe that some
such elevated or suspended railway ope.
rated by electricity will soon supplant
our present surface roads. They believe
the day 10 not far distant when it will
be possible to make the trip from Bos.
ton to New York, or from New York to
Washington, in less than two hours,
from New York to Chicago in less than
nine hours, and clear across the CONT
nent In a single "a hour day. The most
wonderful part Of all this is that they
insist that these electrical railroads can
be built 80 as to run trains at 100 to $50
miles a hour, with far greater safety.
comfort, ase and far less expense than
the steam roads, which nuv adake not
much oyer 80 miles an hors. They hold