The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-05

Incidents Of . Trolley Ride Through the
Large Sewers Of Paris.

Incidents Of Trolley Ride Through the
Large Sewers Of Paris.
The main sewers of Paris are periodical.
~ cleared by means Of scrapers carried on
boats or cars. These conveyanoes arc also
used for conveying visitors through the
large sewers under the Rue dc Rivoli and
the Boulevards Sevastopol and Des Males.
herbes. These exhibitions take place four
times . year, In spring and autumn, and
about 8, 400 visitors are admitted yearly
Until 1894 these cars and boats were draw
by men, but the labor and expense were
found to be 30 excessive that now the trac-
ton Is done entirely by electric motors
taking current from accumulator batteries
on the boats or cars These main sewers
are In section very similar to an ordinary
tunnel; but In the floor ID formed tho rec
tangular channel for the sewage, while
round the roof are fixed tho water and
compressed air mains, the telegraph and
telephone wires, etc. The sewer under the
Boulevard des Malesherbes Is the largest
1t Is 18 1eet ~ inches wide, 10 feet high
from floor to roof, and the sewage channel
in the floor is 8 feet 81 inches deep and
feet 10 inches wide Boats are used In this
channel.
The other sewers arc smaller, the chan,
nels In them being only feet IL inches
wide and from 8 feet IL inches to feet 4
inches deep. In these, cars are run, the
flanged wheels Of tho cars running on the
edges Of the channel, which are protected
by angle bars, and from the rails The ap.
proximate weight Of tYain of five cars
with 1C0 passengers on board is about 2
tons 12 hundredweight, and this travels at
the rate Of 80 miles per, hour. The accu.
mulator battery consists of 28 elements
and weighs Ia hundredweight, and its ca.
pacity Is 100 ampere hours, with mean
discharge Of % amperes at 90 or go VOLTS
The motor, which Is series wound, develops
3 horsepower and runs at 1000 revolu.
tions per minute, this speed being reduced
to so by means of pinion and wheel and
chain gearing to the driving axle, the
wheels being l5A inches in diameter on
the tread.
The boats are towed by means of a chain
sunk In the sewage channel, which Is
brought to the surface and passes round a
pulley driven by means of a double reduc-
tion gear from the motor. The chain, by
means of guide pulleys, makes three-quar-
UerS OI Jurn rOuuu Une urlNlu8 puiiey,
this pulley being magnetic one, magnet
lied by means Of two coils, one on each
side of 1t, on the axle. Each passenger
train consists of six boats, In the first OF
which are carried the accumulator battery
and towing apparatus, while in the last
boat. which Is a smaller one, there 10 an
other towing apparatus.
The battery consists of 80 elements, Civ
ing an output of 60 amperes for eh hours
at from % to 1876 volts. 1t Is divided into
two parts, which can be connected In series
or parallel, as required. The motors rur
at $50 revolutions per minute, but this
speed Is reduced by means of the gearing, sc
that the boats travel at about Il miles pei
hour The power required for this Is from
about 2 horsepower to 5H horsepower, &c
cording as the boats are travelling with OF
against the current The total length OF
the sewers open in this way to the public
Is about two miles, and they are lighted
partly by lamps on the footpaths or by oil
lamps ON the boats. Genie Civil.