Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-20
THE FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Expert Opinion on Electricity on Steam
Railroads
WEAR AND TEAR OF TROLLEY WIRES
The Horselcss Carriage and the Elcc-
tric Stair-Climbcr-Scnli the
Alps with Electric
Railways.

The American Institute OF Electrical
| Engineers has at recent meeting been dis
cussing the subject OF electrical traction
under steam railway conditions. and has
come to the conclusion that while electrcitS
may take the place of steam for suburban
passenger transportation there is little rea'
son to believe that II will ever be used sof
long distance travel. The argument was
made, says the Philadelphia Inquirer, that
! the equipment of great railroad system
with electric motive power would entail a
vast outlay, and that the cost of maintenance
would possibly be as great with electric
motors as with locomotives There would
| of course, be considerable saving in fuel
but after taking this into consideration the
| gain would result in a saving of less than
| per cent in operating expenses. Nor is 1t ex-
| pected that electric motor trains would be
| lighter than these now in use, the tendency
| being to increase the weight of the passenger
| coaches, because riding is then easier.
The question of speed as between loco
| motives and electric motors was also dis
| cussed, and the general opinion was that an
| electric motor had not yet been constructed
| which would be superior in this respect to
| some of the locomotives now in use. If
the views of these engineers count for aught,
| and they certainly cannot be said to be
| favored with self-interest 1t is scarcely
| probable that at this etage of advancement
| in electricity any great railroad system COW
| ering thousands Of miles will be equipped
| with electric motive power.
| ELECTRIC RAILWAYS ABROAD.
Electric railways are spreading over
| Europe almost as rapidly as over the United
| States, while the use OF electrically pro
| PEELED carriages on ordinary roads is in
creasing much more rapidly there than
| here. Last year the number of trolley, or
storage lines. in Europe grew from seventy
! to Ill. while the total amount of rails used
went up from 4371a miles to 56i. Germany
/ heads the list with a total of 255 miles and
| S57 automotor vehicles France being second
! with eighty-two and a half miles and 223
| vehicles, England third with sixty-seven
| miles and l6S vehicles, and Switzerland
coming fourth with twenty-nine and a half
| miles and eighty-siX vehicles. Bulgaria
and Denmark are the only European coun-
| tries which have no line with electric trac-
| tion. OF the III lines now worked ninety
! one are driven by wires overhead, nine have
| central rail, eight have accumulators and
| three are underground current.
HoRSELESS CARRIAGE.
1t is generally understood that we are on
| the eve OF an enormous development Of the
| hOrseless carriage, and that the solution OF
| the question of a practical and popular au-
| omobile vehicle is at hand. Joseph Sachs
dssents from this view, holding that the
whole question is as yet barely opened. In
view of the fact that a large number of
| manufacturers in this country are now
seeking to evolve cheap and effective
| motor car Mr.. Sachs has outlined some Of
| the points which have to be borne in mind
in the construction of such a vehicle. He
locks upon the tubular form OF construction
as that to be early adopted. The speed Of
the ordinary vehicle will be ten to fifteen
miles an hour, and for special cases ma
chimes will be made to go twenty to thirty
miles an hour. The element of danger
steering, handling etc.-increases with the
speed, and for road work the eractments
regulating the speed will have 20 be very
stringent. The motor car tire will be pneu
matte and provision will be made to make
1t puncture- proof. The steering apparatus
will have to be greatly improved; lis vital
Importance, especially in cases of high
speed, is evident. Fifty per cent OF the
whole motor car question is dependent on
the motor. Inventors will have to concen-
trate themselves on the construction or the
motor and its connection to the driving
wheels. In many of the old machines the
gearing weighed more than the motor. Al
though the various types of gearing are
being rapidly modified. there Is nothing eff
ficient, commercial and entirely satisfactory
on the market, In electric motor cars, 1t
is more than probable that gearins will be
dispensed with. The rivalry In tha matter
and electricity. In all probability steam
will be used for very large carriages. Gas
has many advantages. 1t is complete in
itself and 1t needs no boiler; but on tie
other hand, it is hampered by it's non-ya-
ration of speed. Mr.. Sachs thinks that the
popular form of automobile car will eventu-
ally be a combination of gas and electricity,
The electric motor car cannot blow up;
and it cannot be stalled Its great OBJ
lection Is the uncertainty OF the supply of
current which now exists in this country.
Given a reliable course OF current, the cleo
trio motor is unquestionably better than
anything else; but until this is reacf ed
electricity will take subordinate place as
a motive power for horseless carriages.
ELECTRIC STAIR-CLIMBER.
Most modern houses of several stories are
equipped with elevators for which cleo
tricty is coming into vogue, as being cleaner
and more convenient than hydraulic equip
ments But in smaller houses. of two or
three stories. there is often no provision
for the carrying of the inmates up and down
stairs. The ascent OF stairs in such cases
may be a serious strain on the strength Of
invaids and aged persons, and it is surprising
that before now no efficient means of meeting
this difficulty has been presented in prac-
tical shape The electric stair-climber
seems to meet the case In a satisfactory way
1t consists OF car running on two rails
fixed at the top and bottom of the balus
trade Of the stairs, and box upon which the
person stands. The car is actuated by an
electric w!ndlass through a steel cable
guided by rollers. 1t has the advantage Of
occupying in width only about twelve inches
of the steps OF the staircase. The person
using the climber controls all its movements,
while standing on the box through the shift
ing of lever under his hand around which
are marked the words up" Stop" Down"
Buttons upstairs and down enable the ap-
paratus to be brought to any point where it
may be required, 30 that person on the top
of the house can. without assistance. cause
the car to ascend and take him down. The
car stops automatically at each floor. and
only starts again on the moving of the lever,
or. II empty, the pressing of a button ON
another floor. The motion OF the car Is per-
fectly smooth and gliding, and there is no
chance of shock from the current.
TO THE JUNGFRAU BY TROLLEY
The forty mountain railways already laid
in Switzerland seem only to have whetted
the appetite of electrical engineers for
greater achievements. The latest scheme
is a railway to the top OF the Jungfrau
peak. This peak is $40 feet above sea |
level. Although heights approximating this |
have been attained In some OF the rail- |
roads in the Andes. and in the mountain |
Gus districts OF our own western states |
no such grades as will be here employed !
have been attempted vivid idea OF what |
the undertaking involves may be gathered |
from the fact that from the lower terminal |
at Scheidegg. to the Jungfrau peak, the |