Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-20

mountain, and then rises sharply to a poin,
Just beneath the summit, From this an
electric elevator, with a lift OF $50 feet car
ries passengers TO the peak itself A re-
markable feature Of this and similar roads
Is that whereas inValids were formerly cut
OFF from the enjoyment incident to the
ascent OF famous peaks, even paralytics can
now be taken to any altitude and can avail
themselves OF the succession OF new and
unsuspected bits OF Alpine scenery, to which
even pedestrians could not in many cases
formerly gain access. Electricity will not
only be used for the propulsion OF the cars,
but for their lighting and heating. for the
elevator. and even for the drilling and
eNcavating of the six miles OF tunnels,
which have to be pushed often through the
solid rock The electric current Will be de-
rived from the waters OF the Black and
White Lutschine, a few miles distant In
winter these mountain roads are shut down
on the higher levels, the main sections be-
ing retained for ordinary communal traffic
The traffic IN fact, corresponds with the
season When the snow line recedes up the
mountain, the trolley cars climb after It,
and as IL extends down the sides of the
peaks and valleys, the operation of the cleo
trio car is confined to the lower ranges Sew
eral of the lines are controlled absolutely
by the condition OF the weather, due notice
being given by telephone as to whether II
Is desirable for the cars to ascend to the
upper parts of the system, and whether
view of the spectacular portions Of the road
can be secured by the passengers. 1t is
said that a scheme is on foot to run an
electric railway up Mont Blanc itself. Up
to certain altitude II would follow an in
clned plane, and the ascent would be COM
pleted by vertical shaft of a depth OF
2,539 meters, through which powerful cleo
trio elevators would convey the passenger
to the observatory on the summit.
WEAR OF TROLLEY WIRES.
Up TO a recent period all the street rail-
way managers and electricians in this coun-
try entertained the opinion that the trolley
wire possessed great lasting qualities 1t is
a commonly accepted belief says the st.
Louis Globe Democrat, that the passage OF
the fast revolving trolley wheel along the
wire has hardly any effect on 1t. Some OF
the electricians made investigations couple
of years or so ago. and then declared that the
wear of the wire by the trolley wheel was
inhnitesimal. True, the trolley wire breaks
rather frequently, as every manager knows,
but the parting is due to other causes. 1t
has also generally been known that the wire
would wear out at curves. switches and cross
ings. And more recently some of the man
agers have made the unwecome discovery
that the wire generally is gradually wear
ing away The subject has never been dis
cIs,sed at any of the meetings of the street
railway associations. either state or national,
or in any OF the railway papers
st. Lolis manager, in discussing the
wearing of the wire, said: 1.-THE depreciation
OF tracks and rolling stock is far greater than
it has been figured out l am not far out
OF the way In estimating the life of cars.
rails and overhead work at ten years. When
we first started building electric roads the
electricians used a small trolley wire, No.
4; then they increased the size to No. l, and
when a No. wire was strung some of the
electricians thought we were eXtravagant.
Well, now No. 90 wire is used. 1t was
adopted however. not from fear that the
smaller wire would wear out, but because
of its greater strength and larger current
carrying capacity. In this manner many
have buided wiser than they knew. The
wear of the trolley wire a straight line
II heaviest downtown, where cars are pass
ing almost continuously, and once started
there Is no let-up in the reducing process"
Trolley wheels are very uncertain in ac
tion, as they will fly the wire when least
expected" remarked another manager
They also worry the conductors to more
or less extent, while the car inspectors
must examine them daily for defects. Not
wthstandng all the attention bestowed on
them, they cause a great deal of trouble
and are productive of much mischief When
car is going at a rapid rate Of speed the
little wheel at the end of the pole fairly |
HUNS the number of revolutions being many
hundreds in a minute. The swaying of the |
car has tendency to throw the trolley pole |
and wire out OF balance. This starts the |
trouble ana the wheel and wire begin to |
wear away. OF course, the former to = |
greater extent than the latter. Some trolley |
wheels last only two days, some two months |
and some longer. II the wheels could be |
made to run along smoothly there would be |
little or no wearing away of the trolley wire |
even at curves and crossings" |
ELECTRIC POWER ON THE CANAL.
Now that the transmission OF electrical |
power developed at Niagara is in practical |
operation, and its utilization at Buffalo ar |
assured success. interest has revived in the |
plan to apply portion of the available en-
ergy to the propulsion of boats on the Erie |
canal. Tests made last summer at Tona-
wanda proved that the idea is perfectly |
feasible, and bonds OF the Erie Canal Trac-
ton company have been disposed of in Eng
land to the amount, it is said of 81, 500, 900
Some of this money according to the Buff
falo papers, is already at hand, and the work
of equpping the line is to begin at once.