The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-14
UNIQUE RIDE.


a Trolley Journey Thrs.eh the ssvsss
Of Paria
The main sewers of Paris are period
kcally cleared by means of scrapers 60
ried on boats or cars. These convey.
ances are also used for conveying vis-
isors through the large sewers under
the Rue de RivoH and the Boulevards
Eebastopol and De Malcsherbes. These
expeditions take place Il times . year,
in spring and autumn, and about 8, 400
visitors are admitted yearly. Until 1924
these cars and boats were drawn BY
men, but tho labor and expense were
found to be so excessive that now the
tracticA Is done entirely by electric
motors, taking current from accumu-
lator batteries on the boats or cars.
The "Gcnie Civil" which describes and
illustrates tho plant, says these main
sewers are in section very similar 10 an
ordinary tunnel; but IN the floor is
formed the rectangular channel for thu
sewage, while round the roof are fixed
fae wdter end compressed air mains.
the telegraph and telephone wires, etc.
The sewer under the Boulevard de
Maiesheroes is the largest; it is is feet
y. inches wide, 10 feet high from floor
to roof; and the sewage channel in tha
floor is feet 5A inches deep and fees
20 inches wide. Boats are used in this
channel. The other sewers are smaller.
the channels in them being only fee.
IL inches wide, and from feet II inches
to feet Z inches deep. In these cars
arc run. the Hanged wheels of the cars
running on the edges of the channel.
which are protected by angle-bsrs. and
form the rails. The approximate weight
of a train of five cars with 100 passen-
gers on hoard Is about tons 10 hun
dredw@ght. and this travels at the rate
OF 3X miles per hour. The accumulation
battery consists of IS elements AMI
weighs IA hundredweight. and its ca
pacity is 100 ampere-hours, with mean
discharge of 25 amperes at so or 6n
volts. Dhe motor, which IS series
wound, develops two-horse power and
rms at 1900 revolutions per minute.
this speed being reduced to so BIZ means
of pinion and wheel and chain-gear-
ing TO thedriving axle, the wheels being
15% inches in diameter on the tread
The b0ats are towed by means of a
chain sunk in the sewage channel.
which is brought to the surface ami
passes around pulley driven by means
OF double reduction gear from the
motor. The chain, by means of guido
pulleys, makes three-quarters of a turn
around the driving pulley, this pulley
being magnetic one, magnetiZed by |
means of two coils, one ON each sida |
of II, on the axle.
Each passenger train consists of six |!
boats, IN the first of which is carried |
the accumulation battery and towing |
apparatus; while in the last boat. which |
is smaller, there is another towing ap- |
paratus. Tho battery CONSISTS Of 60 |
elements, giving an output Of 80 am.
aeres for 81. hours, at from % TO Is5 |
volts; it is divided into two parts, which |
can be connected In series or parallel, |
as required. The motors run at $50 |
per minute; but this speed |
Is reduced by means Of tho gearing.
so that the boats travel at about rs
miles per hour. The power required
for this is from about two-horse power
to 81 -horse power, according as tire
boats arc travelling with or against the
The total length Of the Sewers
open Ia this way TO The public is about
2 miles, and they arc lighted partly
by lamps on the footpaths, or by oil
lamps on the boats.-Paris Letter.