New-York tribune., 1897-01-15
COMPRESSED-AIR MOTORS.
SOON TO HAVE A TRIAL ON THE ELE-
WAITED ROADS.

The possibility Of having many miles of the city's
pavements torn up for the laying OF an under
ground system of electric railroads has caused
many citizen to look forward with anything but
pleasure to the months during which the operation
would be in progress provided that 1t took place
at all The plans now being considered pro-
vide for the ripping up OF Fourth. Sixth and Eighth
avcs. and Broadway itself for considerable dis
tance. and everybody knows what nuisance to
the public such disturbance Of the busiest thor
oughfares is most likely to prove. In view Of this
there are many who doubt the advisability OF
hastily committing the city to the underground
electric system OF transp ortation preferring rather
to postpone action until such time as more
desirable and simple motive power or adaptation
of such power can be employed.
Such power the advocates OF compressed air as
motive power believe they have discovered The sub
ject is by no means one. but 1t Is not until COM
paravely recently that 1t has been brought to the
attention Of the general public.
The American Air Power Company Is one OF the or
ganlzatons that has done most TO disseminate the
knowledge of the things that be done with COM
pressed air. This company has been formed about a
Its capital stock 81. 10000 and its officers
are as follow S: President. F. A. Willard: vice-pres!-
dent. Edward Comstock: secretary Samuel Lee;
treasurer. Henry Marquand; general manager. Henry
d. Cooke: engineer r. E. Pettee. Among the stock
holders many prominent citizens The .company's
factories at Rome, n. Y. The motor owned by the
company Is the Hardy motor. and 1t Is in use in all
the cars Of the company The company has had two
OF its cars In use on the ne-hundred-and-twenty-
hfth-st cable line since last August. These two cars
have run schedule through all kinds of weather
and have never failed to do what was required OF
them. They have 1853 miles. and have carried
5.0 passengers During the big storm that occurred
just before Christmas the compressed-ai cars ran
according to schedule all the time The Third Ave-
nue. Gable Company officials expressed themselves as
delighted with the performance of the new power,
and it Is likely that more OF the Will soon be In
use on the line
But the American Air Power Company represents
that its motor Will prove invaluable for e.evated
lines also. To support this opinion IT Is BUILDING I
compressing station at No. 100 Greenwich-st THIS
will be completed soon. and In about three week;
compressed air will have trial on the elevated
road The locomotive to be used IN the trials M. has
been finished and will resemble externally the ordi
nary elevated road locomotive. There will be no
smoke, cnders or dust made by the compressed air
engine. however and this Is one OF the advantages
claimed for II.
The promoters Of compressed air have great faith
in its future They claim for II simplicity and ef
fectiveness, Its chief advantages being in the
with which II can be operated. Each car. In the
case 'of surface roads. carries its motive
power. while the expense is about the same as that
OF the overhead trolley system. the cheapest form
Of electric roads. The trials of the motor Of the
American Air Power Company on the elevated road
will! be awaited with interest.