New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30
SAFETY WITH THE THIRD RAIL.
NEW THING IN ELECTRIC TRACTION
SYSTEMS
RECENT INVENTION ATTRACTS MUCH At
TENTroN ELECTRICIANS AND RAILROAD
MEN ASK FOR FULLER EXPLANATIONS
AND GET THEM - NO MORE
SHORT C1RCUITTNG."

Since The Tribune referred fortnight ago TO
the new third rail system Of electric traction.
invented by william A. p willard, jr, he has
been beset with visitors not only at his office In
the Lords Court Building. at the intersection Of
| William-st and Exchange Place but also at his
| hotel
| This fact is only one evidence Of the great In
terest taken in the subject not simply by the
| general public which rides on cars but also by
the capitalists and engineers who build and
| manage II they do not own our railways. and
| who are therefore anxious to keep fully en-
| Iirhtened as to the latest advances In traction
| methods Electricity has already made great
| conouests to he sure. in this department OF
| human activity especially In our country. For
| ejen scientists and engineers coming to this
| side of the Atlantic. marvel at the progress we
| have made and the superiority or American
| appliances and systems over those OF the Ola
World All the same. there are new helds or ac-
tivity that have hardly been invaded as yet
| Thtre Is scarcely n good sized village east OF
the Mississippi River that has not It's trolley
road Not only has electricity displaced the
horse on old street railways but 1t has so capti-
waited the public fancy that II has inspired the
construction Of trolley lines in many places
| where there were streetcars at all before.
| From this time on, consequently. there VIII be
a. much slower development Of the trolley sys-
tenn The amount Of territory now left 70 be
| invaded is comparatively limited
THE FUTURE OF THE THIRD RAIL
The third rail- on the other hand. has only
lust entered upon its career OF conquest This
is not due TO the newness OF the system. to any
| great extent but TO the fact that attention has
| not been concentrated long upon the particular
field In which its chief development Is likely to
come II Is hardly necessary TO point out 70
| any one who has read The Tribune for the last
| three or four years that the third rail Is
peculiarly adapted to service on the steam roads.
Moreover. It IS to the suburban department OF
| railway traffic that electricity will first be ap-
piled Experts are pretty well agreed on that
point The time may not be far distant, perhaps.
| when express trains will run from New-York to
! PHILADELPHIA and even to Chicago, with cleo
! tricity for their motive POWER But those who
| are best qualified to express opinions in such
matters have pointed out that the special adj
yaptages which belong to this form Of power
are much more obvious with light trains dis
patched frequently, and running for only few
miles than with heavy trains, running long dis
tances and at considerable intervals OF time
| Naturally. them the suburban service Is the
| place to begin with. Then again. this branch
| Of the business Of steam roads which run into
large cities was once large and remunerative
but now has been stolen from them almost en-
tirely by the trolley roads. And the managers
OF the former corporations have only this choice
| left TO them: Either to let the lost traffic go
forever or to try to recover 1t by adopting cleo
trlcty and lighting the devil with fire
WHO MR. WILLARD is.
or course the introduction Of electricity into
use on suburban steam roads must come about
| gradually and only after a certain amount Of
experiment. but soon as a few features OF
the system which Is especially suited to those
| lines-the third rail system-are fully worked
out 1t will be reasonable to look for a rapid de-
veopment OF that form Of construction and
operation The Tribune has had occasion re-
peatedly within the last two three years 70
| commend the New-York. NewIiaven and Hart
! ford Railway Company for its progressive spirit
In this matter And 1t Is interesting to note
that Mr. Willard. whose invention is just now
| attracting so much attention. was for two years
| IN the employ Of the Consolidated company. and
! laid the first third rail line at Nantasket Beach
| Mr. Willard speaks very graciously both about
| that corporation and President Clark And 1t Is
| impossible to entice him into criticism OF the
Nantasket Beach system. But 1t may be In
| ferred from his intimate relations In the past
| with the New-Haven road that ne Is thoroughly
| familiar with the subject In hand and under
stands the problems that are to be solved. These
! circumstances put him in class by himself,
and distinguish him from the vast horde OF
crank inventors who making the patent
attorneys happy. but who disgust the inqu'rins
| expert by their impracticable Ideas.
| A good chance has been afforded to New-fofk
people during the last few months to study the
| 49, RI roll cvGfe
to It's adoption by the management of the Brook
| Iyn Bridge. At present the extra rail IS used
only to start the trains out of the stations and
to furnish current for the electric lights In the
cars But 1t is not unlikely that it will have
n more extensive application within the next
wear especiallv when the elevated railways Of
BROOKLYN begin to send their trains over the
Bridge 10 the Manhattan side However this
! may be- the fact remains that we have the third
rail- right here under very noses. ana can
form our own opinions In regard 10 " from Ill
rect observation and inquiry
THE DANGER OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
ANYBODY who Is at all familiar with electrical
.cience can see at a glance the danger OF tho
present system The current comes from the
mower station along this third rail. which CORE
spends to the overhead wire Of a trolley line
After It has gone into the piece OF machinery
known as tho motor (Which Is affixed to the
under side Of the carr. the electricity flows into
the rails on which the car wheels ride and thus
gets back to the station But If anything which
will conduct this my sterious force should happen
TO touch both the feeding rail and the return
rail the current will follow this connecting link
4 carelcssly dropped crowbar may thus snort
circuit' the line. a man with one foot on one
| rail and the other foot on the other rail- would
! 40 go likewise although if his shoes are nttle
damp they Will promote treer now OF the e'ec
hon
II man grasps with moistened bare hands
n telegraph wire and Ls feet are In contact
with something which makes good connection
with the earth the return ran ior Seies it'i'