New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-14
ELECTRIC TRACTION NOW.
THE PLANS ADOPTED BY THE METRO
PoLITAN COMPANY.
TUE ,rvox.,vr SYSTEM. WITH NOTIFICATIONS
AsIr WILL. DE USED IN THE HEANr
oF THE CITY.

oF THE CITY.
Whom the Metropolitan Traction Company
A.. h.ca, rrnninr cars on LenoX-aYe, ana up
INV ,exinrton-ave by electric power oeINeu
,,o,, -, conduit underneath the surface VI '"o
,roo, tho enterprse was regarded as an eN
,,or,,,ert The scene of operations was away
un.own. and within comparatively I'i'''oN
zion. For these and other reasons '"o 80
public gave only scant attention ~ Wv. -oo.os
Now however il has assumed ered"' -" -,
,,nnortancc Four more north an" S'"'1 -,
.,d q crosstown line arc about 10 'e
With the new motive power. Inc "'"0' 800
,ro,,av" as il is called, is to reac" """' ta
.S h,,e,ross districts, traversing more IMAM
,v4ptv miles Of double track Ill "uu'',0
.,o four or five to which it is now conIiheu
49, e. time in its history the Older part u '"e
To-. ;u oriov the blessings of wholeSale CIV
49,, .o,,;or This vast development OF V'o '''
49,, ooo,rc only after the latter has tWioe 'ee"
,,,oa ~ the eccentricites and enlnall"o'
80. =, winter season: and it is prous"'
about ZOO under the auspices OF oo' PV' ',.,o.
,,,h,ch oneratos street railways III o'".' ..o,
&c v,eu as New-York. and when mas 49,
renutation for shrewdness anu .air;t Tho
oc,, interests and for its enterpris'"s 'F
even, is full of import ..;a,roned
r,o metropolis would nave pe1" So 49,.
,,,, che ordinary trolley roads years de- .,r.
Gov the city authorities prohipi'Io"' org ,a,
- ,ho drawbacks to the oVerhedu WY -
% 81" o..o,, n wait therefore, until the con-
duit system had been brought u 90
.eo,ion which would adapt II u 'i'' ,.o,r;o,tv
'eV'o" ,Y,o Sow-York before elec'rlcl'S
.',a ho ornnloved here. That such leS"''
49,. .o,,,ad at ct is largely due to the sdsH'i-
49,, 800, of President Nreeland ai'hout" i
- .o, ,robable that his efforts nave 0''
..r,uaa nv any special regard for 'he oo"' 0"'
once Of the travelling puolc' ,,irr the
s.. that there is q prospect oil haN'"e
,a,,va,ent of fifty miles Of single uaoN ops
-, Tho Lenox-ave. plan IN tno n9' ',e,ara,,t and
-, many neople who have been iiluiH'
- ,,,berto are asking just eNac'N "''''
-, to. while some others, VINO oN'o -
Good il, are glad to have '"'"
,resbed in regard 10 certain De'''' --,,,,,
>.ovr1 FEATURES OF lHE
49,, What Is novel in the new system % sttor
a,ion will he better appIcOi" =
.u,ne the essential features OF 're ..t,
-, a,oo,,ical,v propelled cars carry ,tors
a.. ono or two machines, c"'i' -,
,.,s,;nr Of two principal parts W ord
49,, drun,like combination OF He'', la,iororv
,,.i,es called an "ermature' anu ,,.;ra
WIZ oo,ots surrounded by coils oil WIZ
al
-,' oonira il compels the arha'u'' aor
this fr'"c"'".' ,oors of gearing, obliges the car
tate anu ~ pafora entering the motor '"e
a. l. ,ed bv hidden wires thFouEn
c"' .nor+ platform. called "cohtroHei'
o' hitch is surmounted by cram"
tho crank around through all "'N
INV -. ,ess amplitude. the mo'oIih"H 80
h'e"'N ononpt of electricity when Is "u
i".e' ., tho motor. and consequently co"'io-1
', - the car All styles OF elec'i'' '"'1
- tho motor and controller; pu' '"e -,
.1aoronces in the way in when inc cur
"a into and out of the mechanism
80 batteries are used. these are pIa0er 49,.
a., COATS and. perhaps, in any av'i'''''o "a
-, tho floor. The wires are 'hen "' '''.~
- that the electricity flows from tHe PO''e :
lido NJ the battery, through coH'i 0''e-
,,,otor hack to the negative SIDE - l-e',
,;,c,,it js absolutely necessary u
Az the source Of power Is IN 'he
COW itself in this case. of COURSE 'iie 49,,
aoae NOT go out into the rails. bu' WHY"
,,oc,r,citv is developed by dynamo al o
..,, roner station. 1t becomes necessary to ma
q WAY TO bring IT to any point on 'iie INV VI
road where it may he needed ana "so ~
vide a suitable return route.
rho Brooklvn trolley-cars get their current
-. . conner wire. which is suspended over
,ho middle of the track, and when Is HSeii 'ur
=. Intervals of 100 or 900 feet. through
- oorductors called feeders, WHICH arc
s,os along the side Of the street on poleS' III
,,Luso,cbia the feeders are all buried a u"i'-
- olo on ton Of the car bearing a groove" M
Ut ,rbenl at its end and thrust up"di" w
powerful springs provides CONTACT WIN
ovorhead wire and affords route Ioi '''', -
wires leading down INTO 'He H''