The times., 1897-09-08

The special report of Supt. Mcfarland.
Of the Water Department, detailed from
the District Building to make en- inspec-
ticn of the compressed air motor cars now
in use by the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company OF New York, and also of those
formerly Used on One Hundred and Twenty
fifth street, was made public yesterday.
Special attention was, of course. paid
TO the iIoadlcy Knight motor, USED by the
Metropolitan with which it Is IroIosed 10
equip the lexington and Soldiers Home
line Of this city. On these motors Supt
Mcfarland reports most favorabfy and
It is possible that this may be Instrumental
in turning The tide in their favor and IN
their Ultimate adoption.
In his report Mr.. Mcfarland says: At
the tine CT myvisit.. August 8, 90 and 2l,
there We're two compressed air cars fitted
with the Hoadley knight compound mo
tors or regular da y service between Lenox
avenue and utte .unnrea anu Forty-siHtt
street and One Hundred and Ninth street
and Columbus avenue. These cars are the
same in all essential respects AZ the No.
400 now in use in this city; they are run
between the under ground electrics with
which the line is equipped.
The total lebgth OF the run is said to
be five niles, with maximum Of Z 1 =
per cert on one Hundred and Ninth street,
and grade of 3 per cent on Manhattan
avenne. The time occupied in making
the round trip is SO to 40 minutes; time
for rooEarging with air. . minutes: time
for rereating water in heater 10 minutes:
the pipe used for introducing the steam
in rehea ating is small, and is said TO be a
temporary arrangement only: the time
needed for reheating can. without doub5.
be much reduced by a Encouragement in
this particular.
'EacL OF the two cars In use makes
about dozen trips a day, aud during the
time or my observation, made the usual
number of stops, maintained speed with
out difficulty, and climbed the steep
grade on One Hundred and Ninth street at
a rate rather better than did the electries.
The passenger traffic was light and tue
weather favorable.
The only point which was open
to criticism from passengers point of
view was the putting sound from the . x
haust, which as quite noticeable in start
ing and in Climbing grades, hut which
could not be heard when under headway or
a comparatively level track
Mr.. Mcfarland next gives figures show
ing the fan of pressure in the two cars,
from which he deduces that the greatest
possible run of car No. All is ten miles
and Of 426 fifteen miles. This difference,
he SAYS, is caused by the greater reser-
voir capacity OF 426.
In addition to the two cars used at
present. the report reads, there are
three Others in the shop at i46th street in
tended fer this service. two of them being
already equipped with the Hua dley Knight
motor.
"Pipinr: There is line OF extra heavy
one-inch iron pipe laid in the electric con
quit line along the route for rechargfng
tie cars at the southern end of the line
if necessary. This pipe line was not under
pressure at the time of my visit, and an.
Informed tnat it has not been all summer
There is, however, about the power
house at 14Gth street, a con 81 derable
auIDunt Of one and one and half-inch pipe
under pressure (gauge) Of 2,600 pounds
per square inch: an inspection Of some
four or five hundred feet or this piping
failed to disclose any evidence OF leaky
joints"
MI, Mcfarland also gives a favorable
account of the Hardie air motors and the
.Hardie locomotive with which it is pro-
posed TO equip the Manhattan elevated rail-
roaGs. The report closes with a synopsis
Of few tests made in Washington, after
Mr. McFarland's return, To determine the
amount of trailer lead motor car No. 400
is capable of Ira wing. Itshows that carry
ing weight of &c 500 pounds the motor
ran a distance OF 4.3 miles at mean rate
Of 10 miles an hour.
''On August 25," he further states,
"car 40. 400 hauled two electric cars,
Nos. 3 and %, from the power-house, ut
Fourth and T streets northeast, 10 cut at
Florida avenue and return. Time, II
minutes: distance, L miles; maximum
grade, 8 per cent. Subsequently three
box car trailers were added to the train
and hauled from Fourth and T streets TO
Fourth street and Bunker Hill road and
return. Time, IT minutes; distance, 3.5
miles; maximum grade, "A per cent
ION August 26 train of eight cars,
consisting of air motor 400, electric cars
Nos. 5 and 23 and five box trailers, was
hauled over the same route at fair rate
OF speed. Total weight of train stated at
50 900 pounds
Several trials show that the ma xirnum
speed or the air-motor car, running light,
is considerably in excess of that of the
electric trolley cars on the same route
These speed trials We're made in running
up the grade on Fourth street northeast
from Albany street TO the top OF the hill
maximum grade, IA per cent