Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-01-21
UNIQUE RIDE.
4 Trolley Journey Through '.hs Sewers
of Paris.

4 Trolley Journey Through ,.ns 6swess
Of Paris.
The main sewers of Parig are period
ically cleared by means Of scrapers car
ried on boats or cars. These convey
ances are also used for conveying Wis
itors through the large sewers under
the Rue de Rivoli and the Boulevards
Sebastopol and De Malesherbes. These
expeditions take place IA times year,
in spring and autumn, and about s,4oO
visitors are admitted yearly. Until 1894
these cars and boats were drawn by
men, but the labor and expense were
found to be so excessive that now the
traction is done entirely by electric
motors, taking current from accumu-
lator batteries on the boats or cars.
The "Genie Civil" which describes and
sewers are in section very similar to an
ordinary tunnel; but in the floor is
formed the rectangular channel for the
sewage, while round the roof are fixed
the water and compressed air mains,
the telegraph and telephone wires, etc.
The sewer under the Boulevard de
Malesherbes is the largest; it is 10 feet
to roof; and the sewage channel in the
floor is feet 81 inches deep and fee.
10 inches wide. Boats are used in this
channel. The other sewers are smaller.
the channels in them being only feet
II inches wide, and'from feet II inehes
to feet inches deep. In these cars
are run, the Hanged wheels of the cars
running on the edges Of the channel,
which are protected by angle-bars, and
form the rails. The approximate weight
Of train of five cars with 100 passen-
gers on board is about tons 12 hum
dredweight, and this travels at the rate
of 3A miles per hour. The accumulation
battery consists Of 20 elements and
weighs IA hundredweight, and it's ca
pacity is 100 ampere-hours, with a mean
discharge Of rs amperes at so or 60
volts. Dhe motor, which is series
wound, develops two-horse power and
runs at 1000 revolutions per minute.
this speed being reduced to so by means
of pinion and wheel and chain-gear-
ing to the driving axle, the wheels being
1874 inches in diameter on the tread.
The boats are lowed by means of a
chain sunk in the sewage channel,
which is brought to the surface and
passes around pulley driven by means
of double reduction gear from the
motor. The chain, by means of guido
pulleys, makes three-quarters of turn
around the driving pulley, this pulley
being magnetic one, magnetized by
means of two coils, one on each side
OF it, on the axle.
Each passenger train consists of six
boats, in the first of which is carried
the accumulation battery and a towing
apparatus; while in the last boat, which
is smaller, there is another towing ap-
paratus. The battery consists of 60
elements, giving an output of 60 ami
peres for 2h hours, at from 90 to 125
volts; it is divided into two parts, which
can be connected in series or parallel,
as required. The motors run at $50
revolutions per minute; but this speed
is reduced by means of the gearing.
so that the boats travel at about ~
miles per hour. The power required
for this is from about two-horse power
to 5H-horse power, according as the
boats are travelling with or against the
current. The total length of the sewers
open in this way to the public is about
miles, ard they are lighted partly
by lamps on the footpaths, or by Oil
lamps on the boats.-Paris Letter.