Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17

ing expenses of their lines at about Q cents
per car mile. These estimates. however. do
not include the interest charges on the
funded Indebtedness connected with the
different systems
From the report of the railroad COM
missioners Of the state OF Massachusetts
LOT the year 1885, have selected five OF
the street railways operated by electricity
overhead trolley system) having the near
est approach In mileage of track operated
70 the lexington and Belt lines and find
me average cost OF operation. per car mile
OF THESE nVe lines to be about la. cents
Comparative Statement.
Assuming. therefore. for the sake OF
comparison. that IL the lexington AMI
Belt lines were equipped with air motors
they could be operated at a cost of IA cents
per car mile. with an equipment of eighty
cars. seventy Of which would be In con-
slant operation for eighteen hours per day
al the average rate of seven miles per
hour. at IA cents per car mile the yearly
COST or operation would be $3.50 702, against
tenn under similar conditions. at the rats O.,
cents per car mile, or an annual differ
ence In favor Of the latter system of sI,I
g65. VI S'"i'
Including the interest charges fat nor
cent? on cost Of equipment under The Har-
dle, Hoadley-Knight and underground cleo
trlc systems, comparative statement
would be as follows:
Hardie. annual cost of onera,;on s..,
!OZ: annual interest charges. S45SSO. total
s4.@5S2; Hoadley- knight, annual COST of
operation. $50 It2: annual interest charges
.y' total sE'l,%2; underground electric.
annual cost or operation, $.s,a, 731: annual
interest charges. $l01, 9lO: total Ssw.7I1
me report of the lexington road for
1890 shows 4.Ud6.033 passengers carried and
t VI 'He Belt road for 1885, report of the lat
Ter LOT 1876 not being availabie) 3O;6 13I
making a total of T. H., 73I passengers car
req annually by the two roads, which at
the rate Of ABB cents per passenger uhe
a az. OF the Metropolitan railroad of
THIS city,. would make the annual gross
r r from passenger traffic amount to
$'Z' ,f92''5. This however does NOT allow
Ior a large percentage of increase in traffic
Wmcn would undoubtedly result from TN.
these lines ~ i vi
- but from reports of the president of the
M1etropontan railroad for the month of
June, 1896 and 1887 under horse ana a,.c
tr1c power, respectively the gross receints
STOW an increase of 81 Der cent on the
georgetown line and 30 ner cent on rho
Connecticut avenue line. 1t would. there
lore, Seem reasonable to allow 20 nor I'm,
increase for these lires On which h,s;s
the gross annual receipts would amount to
S431 USS.J2 ~ "''io"4it ~
Lack of Datn.
AS to the advisablity of the abortion of
the Hoadicy-knight system of COMPRESSED
ar propulsion i'm preference to the Hardfe
system, IL Is TO be regretted that there are
no data available showing very recent re-
SUITS Oh the experimental operation of the
former in New York CITY, while there ,re
number of papers on file in the office of
the Engineer Commissioner relative 10 the
operation of the latter i'm that CITY and
state, dating from the report of Captain
&. j. Fteheger, CORPS of Enr;naers rs A
on the tracks of the New York Central
raiiroad at Rome y. V, February n lsu,
,"here speed OF about eighteen miles per
hour was maintained for a distance of
twelve miles, and not the sffphfes; dim
Guilty experienced in starting or s,onninp
the ear or regulating its speedy down TO
the present time. witness communica-
TONS of Gen. Herman Haupt ,No 436I)
and Mr.. Arthur w. Soper (No i..o. incIoe
ing copy of letter from the president of
the Third Avenue Railroad Company i'm
New York city,, all of which give MOST
favorable reports of the operation OF the
Hardie air motor.
Upon this report and the report of En-
Gineer Mcfarland, Commissioner Black
evolved his own deductions. which are set
forth In his statement addressed to the
Commissioners of the District, and which
is follows:
The act approved June 10. 1885, requires
the commissioners 10 judge whether the
compressed air motors experimental with
or adopted by the lexington and Soldiers
Home and Belt Railway companies prove
10 be in all respects a proper and salts
factory motive power for the speedy and
convenient propulsion of street cars
Difficult Problem.
THE prohlem presented to the Commits
sioners is most difficult in the absence of
the exact data to be obtained only from
the experience of line in regular operation.
Claims, often unreasonable, are made for
and against the system of air motor pro-
puison in general and the Hoadley- knight
system in particular. Under these circum-
g fan is To ha .aI h.s -l,,..
the conclusion aimed at, the evidence pre-
scented will not be satisfactorily convincing.
TO meet the requirements of the act the
motors in question must be safe, comforta-
bic, sure i'll operation and adapted to the
work. Attention is invited to the accom-
panying reports Of Assistant Engineers Nc
Fan land and Emack which present details
of great interest. From these reports the
following deductions are made:
"Comfort-The features which the pro-
posed cars have in common with all of the
ordinary forms of street cars may be con-
sidered satisfactory. Those peculiar TO the
car arise from the motive power. Heat
band fumes of combustion have been COM
planned of in the first type of car used, and
with reason. In the second type the substi-
tuition of hot water for the furnace, it is re-
reported, has removed these defects.
The noise produced by the machinery
while in regular motion is not excessive
In starting and in ascending grades the
exhaust produces puffy sound similar to
enough 10 be seriously Objectionable. The
weight of the car is favorable to smooth
riding, and the car vibration and pitching
on the wheel base in use is not excessive.
1t should be noted, however, that this base
is too long for the curves now in the lines
and produces grinding and loss of power.
1t can be reduced, but If reduced may in
crease the pitching motion of the car. The
dust thrown up by the exhaust has also
been complained of, but apparently with
slight cause, which can be remedied easily.
Solid Track a Factor.
"A most important factor in the comfort
Of passengers is solid track. The pres
ent tracks Of the lexington and Belt rail-
ways were not designed for motors as
heavy air motors, and probably would
require considerable reconstruction before
being fit for the proposed use. 1t may be
added that a rigid track is necessary also
to preserve the pavements adjacent.
Safety-This comprises safety to pas
sengers and safety to passers-by. The
&C compressed cir which provides the power
is carried in from 81 to 81 seamless steel
Mannesmann tubes, called bottles, with a
capacity of IL cubic feet each, said to be
tested to a pressure of 6,Uw pounds per
square inch. They are charged with air
under an initial pressure of 1000 to 300
pounds per square inch. This pressure is