The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-01
Manhattan Must Bow
To Croker.
COMP PRESSED AIR.
George Gould Likens It To
a Torpedo.

Richard Croker will come out on
These were the words of Edward
IL. Hill, general manager of the Ameri-
cam Wheelock Engine Company, of this
city, when shown last evening the dis
patch to The Spy stating that the Man
haitian IL Of New York had finally
voted to equip its system with cleo
itricity instead of compressed air.
Al the meeting Of the Manhattan in
New York, President Gould declared
that the recent unfavoralble acts of the
municipal bodies of that city were
clearly traceable to the attempt of the
New York Autotruek Company To
strlns their pipes containing com
pressed air along the elevated struc-
lures. - ~
Manager Hill said that the fight was
SIMPLY between the electrical interests.
ana the compressed air people, but he
SAID that he did not feel at all con-
cerned over the ultimate result The
Manhattan had voted 10 adopt cleo
trlclty as the motive power, but he
sara this did not retard the advance of
the compressed air system. 1t had been
TESTED, had stood the test, and It's fu-
ture was assured.
Mr.. Hill said further that the Man
NATHAN had experimental with an en-
slle operated by compressed air, us it
~ useu py the American Wheelock En-
glne company of this city, and that it
mad worked so beautifully as to arouse
the envy and fear of the electrical in
terests which had been watching the
test with jealous eye. The engine had
oehaVed perfectly, and the engineers
Oh the Manhattan who had been au-
thorlzed to conduct the experiment. so
reported. However, at this time. the
men behind the electrical schemes got
IN Their line work, and Manager Hill
says that money was poured forth like
water to change the Manhattan IL. :"
from the plan to adopt compressed air
to electricity.
Even the reports of the engineers
could not be modified after contact
with this spirit of electricity. Tens of
thousands Of dollars, Mr.. Hill believes
We're expended to turn the tide. which
Yesterday secured formal vote for
electflclty as a motive power.
Regarding the effect of this action
upon the future of the local works. or
that OF the Rhode Island locomotive
works and Corliss engine plant, Man
ager Hill said that there had been no
plans made looking forward to the pos
sibility of the Manhattan sdoptine,
compressed air, and that the prospects
We're not affected in the least. And
mere Manager Hill stated with a smile
that Mr.. Croker would prove the win
ner Compressed air according to Mr..
Hllls opinion, has come to stay and in
spite of electrical combinations against
Il, will develop still greater possibil-
tiles. He spoke with pride of the car
rage operated by compressed air which
was in the grand parade at the last an
niversary of this city, and told of its
success The present fight is believed
to be merely preliminary duel bet
ween electricity as a motive power and
compressed air.
The details of the meeting of the
Manhattan l. in New York, by which
electricity triumphed over compressed
air. are of interest to Worcester neo-
pie. The business of the meeting was
for the purpose of approving the issue
OF SlSOO0,OOO of new stock for the cleo
trical equipment of the road. The
resolution to employ electricity was
adopted unanimously by a stock vote,
in which $241 ,416 share. or SO16 per cent
We're cast by President Gould himself,
who also read a statement about the
assertions Of Richard Croker. that the
negotiations for the use of the ele-
waited structure by the auto-tru com
pany were broken off by Tammany. in
order not to embarrass the health
board in its crusade against the Man
haitian.
President Gould said that the first at
tack against the Manhattan came 10
the surface when the company failed to
comply with the demand made on be-
h9lf of the New York Auto-Truck Com
pany TO enter into a contract with that
company to let it fasten it's pipes for
compressed air on the entire railway
structure of the Manhattan for a
nominal consideration.
President Gould said further: "The
attack on the part of the municipal
authorities was foreseen and feared
from the beginning. When the matter
was finally submitted to our counsel,
he declared that 2000-pound air pres
sure to the square inch would be dam
gerous, and that if these torpedoes were
put on the railway structure and
should explode, this company would be
culpable, its officers subject to indict-
ment, and the company's franchises liza
BILE to forfeiture"
The fact has lately developed that the
understanding as it is now termed be-
tween the compressed air people and
the officers of the Metropolitan Trac-
ton Company, by which the latter was
TO equip its cross-town line WITH com
pressed air motors manufactured in this
city, has fallen tok. the ground.
1t was hoped that there would be a
preliminary order for several hundred
air motors for the cross town cars. but
this has vanished. When Manager Hill
was asked the reason, last evening. why
negotiations or the Understanding
had been broken off. he said that it was
through the efforts of the electrical
people who had brought to bear All
| their influence upon the officers of the
Metropolitan Traction Company. with
the result that no motors would be built
at present.
Manager Hill again reaffirmed his
faith in the future of compressed air.
and said that this action had not had
any perceptible bearing upon the pros
poets of the development of the system.
The local works will devote their time
to the manufacture of 1000 autotrucks
Tor the New York Autotruck Companv
The local concern, which ranks as the
| highest of its kind in the country. also
! has the direction of the Gates iron
works of Chicago, which will assist i'm
the manufacture Of the trucks and
collaborate with the Worcester works.
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