Evening star., 1897-06-01
The Commi..ioner. and the Air Car.

The COmmissiOners and the Air Car.
A month now remains in which a decision
may be reached as to the availability OF the
compressed air system for use on the Belt
and lexington lines in this city. The Com
missioners have assigned a mechanical en-
gineer to examine the solitary car that now
constitutes the experimental plant. They
are confronted with the failure of the mo-
tor in another city. and with scores Of pro-
tests from citizens who have had daily &C.
oesion during the past month or two to ride
on this car. and to observe its workings
and its peculiar antics, and have come to
the unanimous opinion that SO far as the
system can be judged by this one car-upon
which the company seems willing to base
its final test-it is not suited to local urban
conditions, or in fact to any other condi-
ticns.
These citizens may not be experts in the
matter of mechanical engineering. They
may not know whether there is a loss Of
ten or fifty per cent in power trans
mission. and they may be utterly ignorant
of the details of construction and manipu-
lation. But they are competent to judge
upon the larger and ultimate question of
the praC ticability of the motor. and it's
suitability as conveyor of passengers.
They are entitled to be credited with de-
sire that some form of rapid transit should
be adopted, for they are the present suf-
fcrers from the lack of such facilities, and
tfeir verdict must be regarded as unpreju-
diced. 1t is to be borne In mind that these
citizens have observed the workings of the
car only ON its most favorable basis, that
the motor has not yet been put through
the PAGES that are called for by the legis-
lation and that the severe test of actual
performance over complete sections of the
two lines, with normal and abnormal loads
has never been undertaken. Thus the bur-
den of proof is today all resting upon the
motor
AS matter of fact, The Star has already
shown that this motor is not worthy of any
degree of faith. 1t has been demonstrated,
through the unimpeachable testimony of an
expert observer, that the car was an utter
failure in New York before being brought
to this city. This may be taken as start
ing point, increasing the burden of proof
The testimony of citizens and the reports of
the mechanical engineers are to be finally
construed in the light of the fact that the
company brought here. on the pretense of
making formal and determinative test a
Motor that stood condemned in the traction
ciucles of New York, and was discredited
in the eyes of experts.
1t is to be noted that just at this inter
esting point documents bearing on the
Eierits of certain compressed air system
presumably different from that now un-
dergoing the alleged test here-are being
poured in upon the chairman of the Senate
District Committee 1t is evident that an
effort is now being made to distract Con-
gressional attention from the real issue in
the case. Congress or the Commissioners
have nothing whatever to do with the me--
Its OF individual systems of air propal-
sion They face merely the fact that the
company was given full swing in its selec-
tien of motor for experiment, that it de-
Hberately chose a certain form that offered
many serious objections, and that so far as
has been observed, it has not succeeded in
doing what was expected of it. What
might have been the result had another
klnd OF motor been chosen is wholly i'm
material. If mistake has been made, the
community must not be made to suffer
alone for 1t by continued delays while fur
ther time-killfng tests are made If the
CHOSEN form of air motor cannot succeed
well enough to win the approval of the
Commissioners. whom the law makes the
Judges of the tests. the only alternative is
the equipment OF the roads with the under
ground electric system, which has been
proved perfect success, and Is far be-
ycnd the range of experiments There
Should be no credence given by the Con-
&.essional committees to such efforts IN
divert notice from the dilatory tactics Of
the present management of these cornora-
ticns.