Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-12
POWER by THIRD RAIL.
Experiment Which AstOnished Elec-
tricaI Experts.

NEW HAVEN, CONN, May 1.-An ex-
pertinent was made yesterday between
Hartford and New Britain, on the New
England road, that, according to the tes-
timony of experts who witnessed 1t, VIII
revolutionize motor power In railroading.
II was an official test of the thrd-rail
electric system, and was the nrst apph-
cation of this method of using electricity
instead Of steam for long and heavy
haul A run of ten miles was made In
IL IL minutes, and with less jar than Is
experienced in an ordinary railroad pas
senger car. President Charles L. Clark
OF the New Haven railroad, occupied the
front seat of the car.
Put briefly, this test means the attain
ment of a speed Of sixty to seventy-five
miles per hour by using electricity as
a motive power. Financially, 1t means
getting one-horse power out of two tons
of coal. In a steam engine it takes from
seven to eight tons of coal TO get one
horse power.
ONE FIFTH THE COST OF TROLLEY.
The experiment was begun three years
ago on the Nantasket Beach road. which
was selected because IT was not believed
that electricity was practicable on any
surface of any great length, owing
IN the waste of the current in transmits
sion. which would necessitate power
houses every few miles. But after many
experiments the New York. New Haven
and Hartford electricians discovered that
nv q heavy rail. that looks like capital
"Av flattened down, and laid on blocks
Of wood. the electrical current could be
transmitted without any appreciabe loss
of novver and at one fifth the cost OF
trolley line.
II was this discovery that caused the
New Haven road to spend so much
money on the third rail system from
Berlin to Hartford, thirteen miles long.
Yesterdays test was WITNESSED by cleo
trlcal experts from all parts Of the coun-
try and by professors from Yale Uni
versity.
President Clark. of the New Haven
road said: "You may tell everybody VINO
Is engaged in investing their own or
anybody else's money I'm lines compete
tive with steam roads, that they cannot
prosper when the day comes TO lay down
third rails in this country. There Is
neither malice I'm this statement nor
desire to injure anybody. our locomo-
tiyes may go into the scrap heap, as the
old stage-coaches had to 60"
HOW 1T Is OPERATED.
The third rails are laid between the
running rails and are banded together
and connected by copper wires. They
are not fastened to the ties, but are
laid on blocks of wood. The running
rails are used to carry back the return
current. The trolley block consists of a
fiat cast iron shoe, 12x4 inches, and
weighing twenty pounds. This shoe is
run along in the fiat top OF the third
rail. just as a trolley-pole follows an
overhead wire. Inside OF this iron shoe a
copper wire carries the power to the
motor, which is in the truck OF the car.
The current used is Of 600 volts, lco
more than in the overhead trolley sys-
TEN. and. although the third rail, when
carries the current, Is exposed, shock
cannot be gotten from 1t without touch-
ing the third rail and one OF the running
rails at the same time. Even then, II
would not be fatal. The company mas
fenced I'm all the stations ana pasted
danger notices along the tracks TO warn
pedestrians and workmen. The road VIII
be in full operation within month.