Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-28
WAIT FOR THE WAGON
We Will All Take q Ride With Com
pressed Air--After Awhile
A Formidable Doubt as to the Prac-
tical Everyday Use of Air ms
Street Car Motive Power.
0 the Editor OF The Eyering Star:

Is another Richmond in the held on COM
| pressed air motors in the person Of Mr..
Dolan Of Philadelphia. Mr.. Dolan is the
same individual who, 1 understand, ap-
peared before the Senate District commit
tee at the commencement OF the present
session Of Congress and made known the
wants, or. rather. the demands. of the
lexington and Soldiers Home, Belt Line
and Maryland and Washington railway ag
gregation in the way Of extensions in this
city, and in reply to Senator McMillan's
suggestion that the citizens who lived
along the streets through which it was pro-
posed to extend these lines objected to any
car tracks on those streets, arrogantly in
quired. What have the people to do with
it?' and was very emphatically informed
by the Senator in reply that in the city
OF Philadelphia the people may have no
voice in such matters, but in the city of
Washington they have everything to do
with it.
In The Star Of yesterday Mr.. Dolan is
quoted as saying: THE people Of Wash
ington have been disposed to dsbelieve my
self and associates when we have stated
that we would successfully operate a COM
pressed air motor in that city, and some
persons have abused us without stint"
AS L have had occasion to appear in pub
| lie print several times the subject of
these air motors, / consider myself in
cluded among the some persons referred
to. and therefore wish to say that in none
| OF my COMMUNICATIONS have / attacked
questioned the practicability of the air mo-
tor system. but have simply endeavored to
show by reasonably satisfactory evidence
that there was no foundation In fact for
the statements and promises of its advo-
Gates and promoters as to its present stage
or development or its successful operation
| In the places where it was stated to be.
Coming at this time. while bill is pend
ing In conference committee which has
passed hnnSaG nf -,
this combination to equip its lines in this
city with the underground electric system,
In the event of the failure Of this alleged
| 'successful' rival of electricity to give sat
isfactlon within three months, this inter
view would seem to be significant espe-
cialiy in view of Mr.. Dolans statement
that 1T would never pay to convert the
lexington and Soldiers Home and Belt
Line railways into the Underground electric
system"
Mr.: Dolan states that he expects to have
rapid transit on the lexington line within
Two months. contamination most deyout-
ly to be wished, and that for several months
ne mas mada occasional, but very quiet
trips to a town in Massachusetts, where
lhe cars Tor the New York line are being
manufactured and tested. Expert engineers.
ne says. who have been taken into the
secret and permitted to view the opera tons
OF the motor have become enthusiastic"
de does not, however, name the town
One of the enthusiastic engineers to whom
MI. Doldn refers as having been taken in
to the secret is Col. Douglass of Baltimore
VINO stated publicly to the House commit
tee on April u that he had been to the
town In Massachusetts where these cars
are said to be in process of construction
and that its name is Worcester. The only
place In the state of MaSSa chuSetts where
any known experiments are being made
with compressed air motors is at the shops
OF the American Wheeiock Engine COMPANY
at W orcester. This company is a New
York concern, composed of Edwin s.
Cramp. president; Alfred II. Hoadley vice
president: Joseph H. Hoadley, treasurer.
and Edward K. Hill, general manager Mr.
expert In these shops who is making the
experiment with the compressed air
motors l reproduce here letter which /
received from him. under date of May 4
and which was published in a communica-
ton of mine in The Star of May IL, stating
" hat he knows about this motor:
.! received your letter of the % instant,
seeking information in regard to compressed
air motors l can confidently say that no
company has them in operation in the
United States. and that no company in
w orceSter Is manufacturing them. At the
present stage the car is running smoothly,
and. with few more alterations will be
complete success. but It will be cheaper for
You to manufacture them yourself than to
buy them
Perhaps the few more alterations" have
since been made and it is now a complete
success, but If the Worcester air motor is
such great success, Why did Col. Doug
lass, on May 6, at the room Of the House
District committee, state that the Ecking-
ton company had ahaI doned the idea of
getting these motors from the Worcester
company, and had made ARRANGEMENTS
with H. X. Porter & Co. Of Pittsburg to
supply them?
In connection with this last statement of
the representative of the lexington COM
pany, l invite attention to the following
correspondence in regard to the Pittsburg
concern:
I'VE have yours of the 9TH instant The
compressed air street cars proposed We
believe, Will lie found to be most entirely
satisfactory in every respect, having all
the advantages of storage battery electric
ity without the disadvantages
Probably you could get better and more
complete information from Col. Douglass
president Of the Baltimore and Cations
vile Construction Company, than from
any one else, he has the most thorough
knowledge of the route and the equip
ment."
1 did not apply to Col. Douglass, as sug-
gested as be has already told the public all
he knows about air motors, and evidently
mora, too, but wrote again to Pittsburg to
prominent business man in that city, and
asked him to make an investigation of the
matter for me. Under date of May II L
received the following reply:
II called at the office of H.. K. Porter e.
Co.. manufactl rers of light locomotives,
and find that they do manufacture air
pressure motors for mines. pumping sta
tons. etc, but have never yet manufac-
Informed ne that he had inquiries from a
street car company in Washington, d. c.,
ard that negotiations were pending but
he had heard the company was in finan-
cial trouble, and the contract was in abey-
ance. Nc written contract had been made,
but sort Of an understanding. condi-
toned grades, lergth of line etc. /
learned that the motors cost about $1,000
for each car"
So much for Pittsburg.
Mr. Dolan. in one part of The Stars in
terview. ststes that he expects to have
rapid transit on the lexington line within
two months" In another part of il he
says: THE Introduction of the compressed
air motor into Washington al the earliest
possible moment is dependent on but one
thing, and that Is the success which 1t will
attain on the tracks of the Metropolitan
Company Of New York, with which COM
pary we have a contract to operate a
| number Of on some Of its most i'm
| portant lines"
In the New York World Of May "a there
appeared account of interview q
| repor ter of that paper had with the Metro
poltan Traction Company on the subject of
the proposed equipment of that line with
compressed air motors, from which quote
the following:
Gentlemen who heard Mr. W. G. Whit
| tol IN ba ,,,oit foo re oi. Old