The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
COMPRESSED AIR MOTORS.
TMBR lDTlNTlGES DEsoRIBKD BT
GEN. HERMAN HAUPT.

Hhneu, ne says, Thoy Are euperteF 20 netn
E1sotrtotty ana Cable sna Are the Ceuipr
PswerLHhetF vsise rested In Practice.
TIE opposition excited By the-reportsd dc.
pision 70 tear up MANI of the principal streets
In the resident and business portions OF the city
for the purpose Of laying conduits for under.
Eround electric lines. with the attendant dis.
turbance Of gas and water pipes. the dangers
of destruction by electrolysis. the malsrial ex-
halations from the trenches. and other annoy.
ances and dangers. have caused an avalanche
Of protests from citizens whcsa health and COM
fort will be seriously affected uy the proposed
construction.
There arc many who believe that tho supe-
riority of the underground electric has not been
Demonstrated that. like the liable. IL MAY bo
superseded By something better, and that II 10
in the highest degree impolitic to waste mil
lions OF capital and subject citizens to annoy
anoc. discomfort, and possible injury. unless
the fact has been clearly demonstrated that
the proposed system 10 the best possible and
cannot DO superseded by a better.
It has been claimed that compressed air mo-
tors have boon in oneration on 125th street in
this city for seven months: that they have run to
schedule on the tracks Of the sable line. that they
have never lost . trip and that they continued 70
run during the recent blizzard, when tho under.
ground electric lines failed and were blocked
BY snow drifting into the slot. which destroyed
tho insulation. The claim has been made that
the compressed air system ID the result OF TWEEN.
ey-dve years Of develop nent by one of the frtt
mechanical engineers Of tho age. and that It
now fulhls every condition that could be de-
sired in a motor for city and suburban service.
II these claims IAN be supported by facts. 1t
would seem to he supreme Jolly to adopt an In.
ferior and far moro costly system with the pos
sibility that another change may be required In
the near future.
To secure trustworthy information We have
asked Gen. Herman Haupt. who has for
many years made Il speciality OF the applications
of compressed air. to consent to an interview.
the result OF which will no doubt prove of ln-
terest to our readers.
O. When did you commence the inveetiga-
tion of compressed air motors?
AIN 1870 l was employed TO examine. test.
and report upon some motors constructed by
Robert Hardie. They were entirely success
full. ran ten miles with ouc cherge of air. and
were perfectly under control. tho expense being
less than half the cost of horse power. My re-
port was very favorable.
OF a favorable report was made. why ~ero
net the motors adopted?
Al could get no company oven TO exam
Inc the syste n. the only objection being that
. car run without horses would brighten teams
and cause suits for damages. l was soon after
appointed general manager OF the Northern Pa
cific Railroad and gave no further attention to
comuressed air for some years.
o.-when did you renew your efforts to in
troduce Il?
AIN 1909 I met Mr.. Hardio again. He
was employed as a mechanical engineer at tho
Worlds Fair. The meeting revived my In
terest and during the next winter l prepared o
book giving comparative estimates of all tho
different systems known used or proposed for
city traction. Compressed air was show n To
be superior TO any others In cost OF plant aud
IN economy of opera lion. This book wa pub
lished by Henry c. Baird d Co. of Phfladel-
phia and attracted he attention OF 0 number
Of prominent gentlemen who formed q syndicate,
-aised money. oreanized q company. and pro-
ceed,d to construct motors at Rome. ". Y.
These motors have been examined. tested. and
United States and Europe. without an unfa-
vorablS report In any instance.
compressed air motor?
,A.-Brtenv that they fulhl every condition
SUBURBAN ~,ervice with no defect Whatever.
Q.-Thatss ccrtainly.a very broad claim. Can
A.-The motors can be constructed to fulfil
any condition that can be named US desirable.
High epeed requires large waeels and cylin-
ders: Steep grades require adhesion. and cyiin-
Ger caoacity: long runs REQUIRE reservoir ca
pac'ty. Any z ade eau be overcome by an air
connective.
Q:-Are these motors entirely under con-
.A.-More completely than any other. The
Air brake Is the most powerful in use and can
stop ashr almost instsn!ly: A remarkable
line. A lady alighted from q :Abie car with
an infant in her arms. The little girl. four years
rectly in front of one OK the air motors. The
lnouornan was startled: no thought 1t imDos-
ale motion of a short lever. reversed. an. at the
same time applied tho brake. and Stopped the
c clarsa a't 1has hi this i Roa!d not %, i have BEEN besn p as De,
With the electric. cable. or any other syB EN-.
Q.-ls not the overhead trolley cheaper than
A.-This lie constantly q serted by electrical
engineers, and parties interested In electrical
karrki or any of the other compressed air ays-
TENS heretofore known or used. but II Is not
orovenent; ard II doas not require an expert to
under,t'nd tn. reason. remark:
i. To overcome n vtven resistance precisely
the SHINE amount OF power is required. what
over may be the system.
the power house . small p,roentaee can be
utilized at thu rail. var,ously estimated at
from % To 80 per cent.
8. There is no loss in transmission with |
compressed nil.
=. There i'a loss in the mpro, scion Of
cent. but now. By improved nrrangemenrs
the loss has been greatly reduced.
.: The loss In compression now IL almost
entirely revained by relocating DO ore use.
T.. Compressed air requires NO separate
steam engine. shafttng. bs. ting, dynamos, |
converter. transformers. o. other machinery. |
Nothing but a steam pipe come sting tho boiler
WITH the COMPRESSOR: As a CONSEQUENCES. tho
Eith electricity; and II is not possible. for these
reasons. that the air. plant with the present
Improved system can BIO more expensive than
Hiectricity. At The sane time. i am not sur
pr, cd that the opinion in regard to the su- ,
perior economy. OF electricity 10 SO general. '
In fact. II would have been Impossible for any .
Intelligent engineer familiar with the Mekarekf,
the Popp. aud other European systems 10 reach !
any other conclusion. 1t 10 only in conse-
quence OF the recent Inventions OF Robert Har- !
die and Others that such economies result as
are now claimed for air. and these results
were not known outside of the engineers Of
tho company Electrical engineers were.
therefore. perfectly justihable 10 entertaining
and expressing opinions In favor Of the su-
perior economy of tho trolley.
Were not estimates submitted for tho
equipment OF certain roads recently in tho city OF
Washington by compressed air and electricity .
A. Yes. The receiver OF the Belt and Ecking-
ton lines invited proposals from the American
Air Power COmDanV and aleo from the General