Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-10
The New System, Of Rapid Transit
Under Discussion.
Mr.. KANE REPLIES TO Mr.. SHORFALL
Some Information as to the Porter
System.
NO WORK YET DONE HERE

1CTHlSn description OF the mOlOTS IoT
publication. In the Pittsburg Despatch of
June 6. 1896. the following appeared In
relation to the Porter motor:
During the past six years the Porter
firm has built number of locomotives for
Underground and surface use Of various
sizes and power. operated by compressed
air. These machines have been tested
by severe continuous service under adj
verse conditions and have proved so sue
cessful that in building their new shops
special department was added for their
construction. They now claim that they
can compete with any English firm in
equipping traction systems. The air is
stoI cd In two steel tanks beneath the seats
OF the car ard will be compressed to 1000
POUNDS to the square inch, and are from
eight 20 nire inches in diameter. Tie
enormous pressure Of air in the main
tanks Is reduced through hot water in
In case of an emergency the full storage
pressure could be thrown into the auxil-
larry tank. The car will be trifie higher
than the cable car. They will be operated
valves, as in a steam locomotive. The
entire equipment Of the car will be oper-
ated by compressed air from the whistle
TO brakes The air to charge the cars
WIN De carried through pipes para!leling
the traction line from central compress
sing station, and at points along the route,
as on hills, where considerable air would
pe necessary. subchargins stations will be
paced. These will consist simply Of pipe
connections with the main air line, and
all that will he necessary will be TO buckle
the supply pipe to the car tanks"
What MIR. Kane Says.
In speaking today about the introduce
ton OF compressed air as a motive power
for cars In the District of Columbia Mr..
L. +. Kane, who has taken great in
terest in the matter, said to Star re-
porter:
THE only place that 1 know Of where
the Porter system is in use Is at New
Orleans. The New Orleans and Western
railroad Company uses two Of the Porter
motors at Chalmettee, the terminals of
their lines, for hauling loads of cotton a
distance of 1000 feet. II. 1t Is claimed that
ninety tons. but they have never been
used in New Orleans for street pro-
pulsion." -
Referring also to an article published in
Saturdays Star. Ny, Kane said
Reply to ,Mr. shortnll.
In communication in Saturdays Star
Mr.. James E. Shortall takes exception to
what he terms my severe criticism rather
then accurate description of the compress
ed-air cars now in operation in New York
city. He seems, however, to base his crit-
accuracy of my statements upon the
ports Of what 'confpetent judges from all
over the country, whb have seen this motor
In practical operation, have said of it.
rather than upon any knowledge of his own
or persona! inspection on his part. What
this air car may have done in Rome. N. "
l DO not know, except what l have read
nor does that enter INTO the question now
When In Rome 1t may have done as Roman
air cars do, but in the cofnmunica ton
which l wrote The Star from New York /
described 1t exactly as found it there and
as any citizen of Washington will find it
II he will take the trouble to go there and
l challenge MIR. Shortall or any other man
who has ridden upon this in New York
city to dispute the absolute accuracy of
the statements contained in my communi-
cation.
Mr.. Shortall says that upon my head
rests the honor of first discovering that
there was a great deal of vibration in the
movement Of the car Although an ances-
tor Of mine made quite a reputation as
ncrth-pole explorer, l do not claim to have
inherited any Of his discovering proclivities
and therefore dsclam the honor of being
the first to find the vibration in this car
although I may have been the first to pub
licly call attention to it.
The Vibration.
"As far the starting and stopping of
the car Is concerned 1t could not be bet
ter. 1t responds to the motorman's touch
ped in like manner, and the air brakes
with which it Is equipped work to perfec-
ton, giving the motorman complete control
of the car, but it does not run smoothly
I have never ridden upon a steam loco
motive. but can imagine something Of the
vibration experienced on one. Now the
same sort of vibra ton, only to a much
reduced extent. is felt on this car In mo-
ton. On one of the trips which l made
over the line there were on the car Mr..
Hardie, the inventor of the system; a d.
rector OF the Air Power Company, who in
company with myself was taking his first
ride; two other men, the motorman, con-
ductor and a friend of mine, eight in all.
but said nothing. One of the two men who
were together said to the other: She
shakes a good DEAL and the director
ferred to inquired Of Mr.. Hard!e what the
he replied that 1t was due to the newness
and stiffness of the springs, which would
all disappear after the car was in use
awhile. He said further that If the car
had a sufficient number of passengers
aboard to bear the springs down by their
weight the vibration would not be felt. /
do not know what more convincing proof
my friend wants Of the correctness Of my
statement that there is a great deal of vi
bration in the movement of the car than
this explanation Of the inventor of the
cause of such vibration.
Explosive Force.
"Mr. Shortall further criticises MY refer
cree to the explosive force Of the concealed
power which propels the car, and inquiries
whether there is anything to remind a
nervous passenger On an ordinary steam
.ar that there Ia IN front Of the car N
which he sits an explosive power equally
as great If Mr.. Shbrtall Is under the i'm
OF ession that the explosive force Of steam
in the boiler of locomotive under an ex-
traordinary pressure, of even 800 pounds to
the square inch, which Is far above the
average, Is equally as great as an air
pressure of 1900 pounds to the square inch.
he had better get down his school books
again. But even Hthey were equal, the
nervous passenger inothe one case sits some
distance in the rear OF this hidden power,
while in the other be sits directly upon it.
Several months.-ago prominent ex-
Official Of the New York state government
was urged to invest some money In the
stock Of the Worcester Air Motor Com
pany. Before doing. 80 he concluded to
make little Investigation for himself. and
he told me that he found the difficulty to
be that when the air was forced Into one
end of the cylinder It blew the head out of
the other end. In the Worcester Spy Of
August 8 there appeared the following:
cone day last week the people living in
tina Vicinity of the American Wheelock
engine Company, on South Bridge street.
wora startled to hear the loud report of