The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-15

and for short suburban lines, a road
runnig through, fast trains for twenty.
fifty or hundred miles will probably
employ the alternating current. This
Is the only one suited for economical
long distance transmission. All. or
nearly all. the great electric power
plants of the world employ it.
Another matter on which opinions
are not unanimous is the best way Of
leading a current into a railway motor.
One serious drawback to the overhead
wire is that 1t does not afford as broad
surface for contact with the trolley
wheel as could be wished. When
large volume of current Is to be trans
mitted from one electric conductor to
another 1t Is essential that there be a
good contact. For single cars the pres
ent system is well enough. although
none too good: but when 1t comes to
moving train Of several cars, more
current is required. The Intramural
railway at the Worlds Fair employed
third rail for supply purposes; so does
the Metropolitan Elevated, Of Chicago.
In both these cases the rail was outside
the regular track. In the Nantasket
experiment now being made, the third
rail is placed between the two on
which the cars run. But the third rail
plan has objections of It's own. It.
works well on the elevated or entirely
inclosed structures, but II presents Diff
ficulties at crossings, where the con-
ductor must be severed. Again on sur
face roads 1t would be possible to
short circuit" current and paralyze
the road by laying an iron bar across
from the third rail to another rail un-
less some special precautions were
taken. And on the Nantasket branch
upright boards will be erected on either
side, reaching high enough to preclude
any such possibility as is here suggest
ed. and yet without interfering with
the shoe which will come down from
the car and take the current. But this.
again, is largely a question Of detail.
Human ingenuity will sooner or later
overcome the difficulties involved.
A FORECAST.
1t should surprise no one. therefore.
IL some such state OF things as this
should be seen in Greater New York
five years hence. Substantially all of
the surface roads and elevated roads
operated by electricity; all OF the SUI
burban passenger travel, within a ra.
dius Of forty or fifty miles Of the city
hall. conducted in the same way; a
through line to Philadelphia over
which a trip could easily be made in
less than an hour. and electric swithch-
ing engines exclusively employed in
bringing the great expresses into the
Grand Central station. People would
no more be getting cinders in their eyes
nor be stifled by smoke when the heat
compelled them to open car windows.
Not even tunnels would restrain them
from the latter Indulgence. If not here.
at least in other great cites. 1t seems
crcdtable that local ordinances will re-
qure the suppression of the steam
locomotive entirely for moving all
trains within municipal boundaries.
Nor is 1t hard to conceive of another
possibility. Instead of hundreds OF
separate corporations each manufact-
uring its own electricity for light.
traction and other purposes. they may
unite In buying supplies from some
wholesale producer. just as Sacrament
to, Portland or other big cities will
soon be doing. Economy may dictate
this change. as we'll as many others In
the fight of electricity, before the
twentieth century is five years old.