Evening star., 1896-08-07
PROPELLED BY AIR
Constructing Motors for the Ecking-
ton Line in Pittsburg.
ROAD TO Be EQUIPPED SEPTEMBER 10
That is What the Management
Promise Their Patrons.
MATTERS NOT MADE PUBLIC

According to the terms Of contract
between the lexington and Soldiers Home
Railway Company and Messrs. H. K. Por-
ter & Co. of Pittsburg, Pa. the latter will
deliver In Washington during the first
week in September ten compressed air
motors ready for operation.
A request to the firm that Is building the
motors for description of the cars
brought the following response by mail
today:
1T is true that we are building some
compressed air motors for the lexington
and Soldiers Home railway l:ne. but at
the present time We think 1t is far better
not to make public this matter. and we
are not prepared 20 give a description of
the cars just at present. We have Ge-
clined to furnish such information to some
of our special friends of the technical pa
pers. as We wish to he q little nearer the
completion of our contract, rather than to
be making statements of what We intend
TO do. We are sure tnat you Will appre-
ciate our position in this matter. 1t will
be a great pleasure to US to give full in
formation to the press and to the public at
large, through the press. when We are
ready to operate the cars.
Vice President and General Manager
Symington Of the railway company when
asked for the name of the patentee of the
he was unable to give any information on
the subject. 1t IS understood, however.
that the patent is neither that Of Hardie.
whose motor was tried with much sue
cess last week in New York or Hoadiey's.
which has been tested satisfactorily in
Springfield, Mass.
Continuing. Mr.. Symington expressed the
utmost confidence in the practical working
of the Porter motor. and he further stated
that 1t is the intention oil the general Of
ficers to equip all the lines of the COM
pany In the District with the new motor
as speedily as they can be built and de-
HVered, provided. of course, the Porter
motor is as complete a success here as Il
is said to have been ii The factory in Pitts
burg.
Where the Power House Will He.
Mr.. Symirgton said further that 1t is pro-
posed to erect the house for comp-essing
purposes near the present electric power
house in lexington. AS for the route to
be adopted for the running of the first mo-
tors MIR Symington said this was a mat
ter which the management was consider
ing. but had not yet decided upon. Mr..
SymiESton's attention was called by The
Star reporter to the fact that in a recent
interview Mr.. Dolan of Philadelphia one
of the principal stockholders of the Eek
ington and Soldiers Home and Belt Line
railway companies, stated that 1t was his
impression that while the lines on North
Capitol and G streets northwest and c
and ID northeast were in such condition
that compressed air motors could be op-
Grated upon them whenever the manage
ment desired to do SO. those on the streets
occupied by the Belt Line would have to
be almost entirely relaid before they would
be suitable to have rapid transit cars run
on them.
To this Mr. Symington replied that
thorough examination of the tracks of the
Belt Line made within the past few days
disclosed that the repairs needed to bring
rapid transit line were very little. indeed,
and could easily be completed by the time
the motors arrive here.
by the 10th of September.
Under the terms of the act of Congress.
passed at the last session. the railroad
company Is required to have compressed
air motors running on their lines within the
District by September 10. and Mr. Syming-
ton said there would be no failure to COM
ply with the law on the part Of the railroad
company.
The movement to secure compressed air
motors by the Belt Line company Is at
tracing much attention in Baltimore where
the president of the road. Mr.. d. NJ New
bold, resides. and one of the papers has an
nounced that "the experiments made in
Washington with these motors have proven
TO be complete success" So impressed
has President Blackiston of the Central
Electric Railway Company of that city be-
come that he has had an ordinance passed
by one branch of the city council author
izins him to change the motive power on
his lines from electricity to compressed air
MIR. Blackiston has assured those who
have talked with him ON the subject that
if compressed air motors prove a success in
Washington he will guarantee to have all
his trolley poles off the streets occupied by
his lines and his cars running by COM
pressed air inside of twelve months.
Mr.. Blackiston plans will undoubtedly
meet with considerable opposition from Ihe
other trolley companies of Baltimore, who
Low have a network of wires on nearly
every Important street in that city.