The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-12
GAINS IN SPEED OF TRAVEL.
They Are Continuous, and Every Year
Sees an Advance.
Boston Herald.

The Janaury number OF Scribner's mag
ezine contains some suggestive notes in re-
gard TO the gains recently effected, or
proposed, on the speed of travel There
was that sixty-five miles an hour train on
the Lake Shore from Chicago to Buffalo,
which demonstrated that the second lap
OF the one thousand-mile race between New
York and Chicago can be done quite as
last as the first, east OF Buffalo and which
opened up the possibility OF New Workers
being able at no distant day TO see the
same sun rise over Long island and set
over Chicago Then, there is Austin Cor
BINS scheme for an easy five-day Atlantic
run between Milford Haven and Fort Pond
pay, inside OF Montauk Point More am
bltious IN It's way than either enterprise
put entirely within the limits OF scientific
achievement, is the Washington scheme for
the construction of a mail and passenger
road between New York and the national
ospltai, on which the trains, shall shoot
over the no miles in two hours. There
is bill before Congress to grant the com
pany proposing this enterprise a charter
a sufficient guarantee should be given
OF It's ability to maintain this extraor-
oinary rate or speed. 1t is stated that the
promoters offer TO demonstrate on a test
line between Washington and Chesapeeke
pay, their ability to meet this self-imposed
power which can be poured into an electric
dynamo. the question of speed resolves it.
self simply Into the number of revolutions
wheels and axles will stand II Is proposed
10 construct the Washington line on The al
Ieady tarllhar bicycle plan; that is, with
@ single line or wheels running on a single
rail-, The track is to be elevated on a sin
gle line or iron posts, and an auxiliary rail
on either side Is to be provided to keep the
train IN an upright position in rounding
curves The trains are to weigh one-fourth
as much as. an ordinary express train and
aney are lntended TO carry passengers. mail
ana express packages only. II the mechan-
teal part of this scheme Is az thoroughlx,
prac'iSsl as its electric side. there remains
only the question or commercial return to
affect its execution. The promoters OF the
enterprise claim for IL a high degree OF
SAFETY, since no grade crossings will be nos
sloie: and considerable gain I'm economy
on the score or the amount OF land To he
occupied.
In actual operation such a road could
running OF trains. An eminent i eIectric
railway engineer. Mr. Frank J. SnragI,e
mas calculated that an electric railroad
ninety miles long. which the trains should
traverse In one hour, could be Operated
from two power stations. forty-five miles
apart He assumes the use OF the three
wire systematic rails as an auxiliary
between two trolley wires and the use of
a potential OF nine hundred volts But as
a matter or commercial return il is also
necessary 10 assume the running OF trains
consisting OF two cars each every ten min
utes- That is 10 say. there must be con-
tinuous movement over the line OF trains
waste or power would be so great as to
make the working of the road unproffta-
BILE. The bicycle road people may be able
TO figure OUT return the capital in
vested under less exacting conditions But
In the present stage OF development OF
electric raiiroading IL is an axiom that
electricity has a distinct ADVANTAGE over
steam only in cases where large number
OF train units can be moved at short in
tervals apart Given that possibility. and
the rate OF speed or the nature OF the SER
vice becomes merely a question OF detail
There can be no question about the ease
with which ninety miles an hour could be
secured on ordinary track and "
seems quite probable that 40 miles would
plan.