The record-union., 1897-03-28
THIRD RAIL SYSTEM.
Wonderfu! Advance in Running Elec-
trio Railways.

| The following article from the South
| ington (Conn) Phoenix" will be read
with deep interest by all as showing
| the possibilities in transportation by
electric power:
The matter of parallel railroads.&c.
| they operated by steam or electricity
is the NEST interesting and exciting
| topic of discussion at present in news
paper and legislative circles. 1t seems
| that projected trolley companieS-and
particularly the New Britain Electric
Company-are fighting hard in the
General Assembly for the repeal of
Section s, which provides that no steel
railway shall hereafter be built or eX-
| tended from one town to any other
town in the public highway, so as TO
parallel any other street railway or
steam railroad, until the company de-
string to build, construct or extend such
railway, shall have applied to the Su-
perior Court or any Judge thereof, and
shall have obtained a finding that pub
lie convenience and necessity require
the construction of such street rail-
way"
The question of the repeal of this
section is one whose two sides have
been energetfcally and fairly presented
this week before the committee on
railroads, and the personnel of legal
talent representing the phases of this
matter was one that ensured an eX-
haustive array of facts. and many
brilliant arguments at their presenta-
ton.
Chiefly interesting at the hearing
was the statements of President Clark,
of the New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad, concerning the
electric apparatus now in use on the
Nantasket Beach branch at Boston,
and the possibilities of further devel-
opment and application of electricity
to the now steam lines of the Consoli-
dated plant. He prefaced his remarks
by explaining the methods in use on
the Nantasket Beach road-first. the
use of the trolley system which was
successfully employed, and the later
use Of the third rail system. which was
entirely new and which has not yet
ceased to surprise electricians all over
the country, but the results from the
use of which have been in the highest
degree satisfactory.
He said that it had been actually
demonstrated that the cost of trans
porting passengers by the means of the
third rail system was only one-fifth as
much as the cost of transporting pass
engers by trolley lines and this aston
| ishing discovery and the fact that it
had been demonstrated to be entirely
practical by tests made by hauling cars
| loaded with granite and by every
known method by which cars could be
thoroughly used in a practical way
made it as certain as anything could
be that in the very near future the To-
comotives now in use on the ConSoli-
dated road would have to go into the
scrap heap as the old stage coaches
in Pomfret made way for railway
trains several years ago.
He stated that there was no limit to
the speed at which cars could be pro-
PEELED by electricity, except that which
had to do with safety. Electricity could
propel cars as rapidly as they could go
and stay on the rails.
The Nantasket Beach road having
proved such an entire success, it be-
came the duty of the directors of the
great Consolidated road to extend that
system because it would accommodate
the public better and because it would
bring a greater return to the stock
holders, of which there are over 1000.
The N Y, N. H. and II. r. r. COM
pany is now building an immense pow
house at Berlin, in which power
will be generated TO drive trains by
the third rail system between New
Britain and Hartford, and between New
Britain and Middletown, and in Mr..
Clark's opinion very soon cars between
all points in Connecticut and along the
line of the Consolidated road.
The committee then closed the hear
ing. The chief point in Mr.. Clark's ar
gument is that the future of railroading
in Connecticut contains many surprises,
not the least of which will be the total
disappearance of locomotives and the
substitution of the third rail system.
which will cheaper the cost of trans
portation and freight