The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-11
THE THIRD-RAIL ELECTRICS
SUCCESSFUL TRIAL TRIP MADE YES
 TERDIY.


 This was fully demonstrated by test trips made to-day. The first trip was made early this forenoon, to determine whether everything was in readiness, preparatory to the official test by the officers of the road, this noon. About S:3O, motor car was run out on the line at Berlin Junction, and was board- ed by Colonel Heft, who has general supervision of electrical construction on the Consolidated road; Superintendent Davidson of the Hartford division; Su- perintendent Fennell of the New Eng land road, and sevral others. The car was run over the Berlin branch tracks to New Britain, and then started, with an addition of several New Britain gen tlemen to its passenger list, on a test run to Hartford. The full power of the electricity was turned on in running to NeWington, and the four miles, it is reported, were covered in exactly four minutes. This was a surprisingly good showing, and it was especially gratify- ing that the motion, even at this speed, was easy and gliding. The car reached Hartford at 11:08 and then turned back.
 The run of ten miles from New Britain to Hartford was made in thir- teen and one-half minutes and with less jar than is experienced in an ordinary railroad passenger car. Owing to an unexpected delay, consisting in the temporary disability of a steam boiler in the power house, the start from Der lin was not made as early as was ex- pected At 1855, however the prepara- ttons were complete and the party boarded car No 3309. President Charles P. Clark of the Consolidated railroad occupied the front seat of the car and at 1:35 said "Gentlemen, the start is about to be made" There was great applause. A few seconds later, Colonel Heft, chief of the electrical depart ment, who controlled the motor switch, turned on the current and the car glided over the rails. The run from Berlin to New Britain, distance of two and one-half miles, occupied six | minutes, and the more important run from New Britain to Hartford was started at 1:53. The time made is given above and the run was made without the slightest mishap.
 President Clark at it's conclusion ex- pressed himself as highly pleased and to representative of the Associated Press, who accompanied the party, said: This trial has been looked upon with doubt by many, but for those who were in position to know of our plans there was never any doubt as to the success of the scheme, This means the development of traffic. We know what it will cost and we can afford to give better and more frequent service" 1 Telephone messages this morning | summoned several Hartford gentlemen to Berlin to join the Consolidated road l officials, who were coming up by the l Il o'clock express. As the Hartford ! train passed through Newington the | electric motor car was observed run ming on the New England tracks with large party aboard. Reaching Berlin, l the giant chimney of the new power house was pouring out a great volume of black smoke Its machinery was Whirring, and anxious men were oiling 1 here and there the ponderous shafts etc, which, being new, Were inclined to heat on the bearings. The Hartford party strolled over to the power house and spent some time in examining the machinery and building
 | It was a quarter before F when the i New Haven express rolled into the Der lin station, with the Consolidated off, cials and guests on board
 The party assembled at Berlin for the trip on the electric cars were: President Clark, Vice Presidents Hall and Mellen, i General Superintendent Platt, Traffic Manager Connor, Paymaster Little, l Executive Secretary Barnett, Superin- tendent Davidson of the Hartford di- vision Superintendent Waterbury of the Shore Line division, Superintendent Curtis of the Northampton division, Superintendent Hopson of the Berk- shire division, and Superintendent Payne of the Air Line division Treas urer Squire Colonel Heft, in charge of electric construction; General Passen- ger Agent Hemstead, General Freight Agent Wilcox, Master Mechanic Smith, Purchasing Agent Bishop, Ma jor Bromley, advertising agent; Direc- tors Brainard of Hartford, Bishop of Bridgeport, Robinson of Hartford, Os- borne of New Haven, Brooker of Tor rington, Brush of New Haven, French of Seymour, MT. Parker, secretary to the president; c. Peter Clark, general manager of the New England road; ex- | Governor Bulkeley of Hartford, George D. Curtis of the Times, Charles H. | Clark of the Courant, and Fred E. Ayres of the Post, many representatives of the New Haven and Meriden papers, and w. G. Bushnell of the General Eec- triccompany. A prominent guest was John Fritz of Pittsburg, Penn., formerly head of the Johnstone Iron Works. During the war he was sent by the government to establish a rolling mill at Chattanooga, and later was general manager of the Bethlehem, Penn., Iron Works. He is now retired from active business at the age of seventy-fve, but is frequently called upon as an expert by the government of this country and foreign nations.
 After the inspection of the power house there was some delay in getting the full steam power required. The force of workmen at the station were nearly exhausted by the strain upon them of the past twenty-four hours in getting the new machinery in good working shape and things went slower than they will when operations are go- ing on regularly. It was stated that
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