The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-02
COMPRESSED AIR MOTORS.
Mr.. s. L. Lazaron After Facts for SUI
burban and West End.

burban and West End.
The Suburban and West End Railroad
stu eontemplates the use OF compressed
air when its lines are extended through
the city and line is established from Col
I!usville to the Hermitage. Mr.. 8. l. Laz-
aron will visit New York soon to invesu-
gate compressed air methods, and in the
meantime he Is corresponding with the
Compressed Air Motor Company of Chi
cago, which Is putting this apparatus on
the market
MIR. Lszaron says he has been advised
that street car lines equipped with COM
pressed air motors are now being used
in several places in Europe, notably in
Paris, Nantes, Berne and other cities. The
Twenty-eighth and the Twenty-n'nth
street car lines Of the Metropolitan com
pany in New York are now being equipped
with specially designed motors.
Air has been gradually introduced
in the machine shops, it is stated
and into the yards OF the steam
railroads to great extent
Wherever once tried it is said its users
become strong advocates of air as sec
ondary power and for wide distribution OF
power. Franklin Leonard Pope, high
authority on electrical matters, sad ma
compressed air would now be SUCCESSFUL
had there been spent upon il even irac-
tional part of the money and brains that
ITave been spent in the development OF
electricity as a motive power Iot s'tee'
railroads.
The motor now being experimental upon
is said to be under quick control nolseless'
Ia r,,Y, asoDa HE cost. is of hISn
efficiency. and Is free from danger. the
motors are on a spring Independent OF the
body of the car, and can be recharged
with air in less than two minutes Cars
of this type performed daily service OF
Slh miles each upon one Hundred and
Twenty-fifth street, New York city, for
one year, during which time they ran 81 100
miles, and carried SS,8a passengers
1t is claimed the air motors have proved
to be safer than other systems of locomo-
ton, which Is explained by the ease with
which cars so equipped are stopped and
started with a single wrist movement. II
is claimed these advantages make them
especially adapted for use by street rail-
ways compelled TO run through crowded
streets. Another point urged upon pros
pectiVe purchasers is that these cars VIII
reduce the possibility of accidents. Dur
ing the severe snow storm in New YORK
Dec. ~, 1t Is stated lncSS CATS PEI lOi AilCu
the scheduled service with promptness and
regularity, carrying 20 per cent. more
passengers and using p per cent. more
air than the day previous.
The cost of operating the automobile cars
Is, of course, the chief consideration to
prospective buyers. 1t has been shown
that in performing a service of 81 1859 miles,
in which service there were carried 1854
paying passengers, the cars used 14OOO,OOO
feet of free air, or an average of 45O9 feet
per car mile, which air can be compress
ed to 1000 pounds pressure in large guam
titles at a cost of $00l2S5 per car mile.
This includes all fuel, coal, water, oil and
waste, power plant, labor and deprecla-
ton of and interest on power plant. 1t
is stated the cost of maintenance of mo
tors this year was less than $000S75 per
car mile rs of a cent?.
The cost of an air installation Is said
10 be about that of a good overhead troll
lev installation, as now determined, after
fourteen years of development and ex-
perience In trolley building and operating.
The air installation is so much less costly
than any system requiring the UNDER
ground or special track construction that
the opinion has been expressed by one on
high authority that the saving of inter-
est on the cost of underground construc-
ton, and the saving in the cost of main
tenance on the underground construction
together will cover the actual cost of mo-
tive power to operate air cars. There are
two engines, one on each side of the car,
with cylinders having a diameter of seven
inches and a stroke of fourteen inches. The
diameter of the car wheels is twenty
| six inches, thus bringing the floor of the
car within thirtyfour inches of the ground
II the Suburban and West End decides
to make changes from the present PRINT
tive arrangements it has, the chances are
| it will be the gamer in more ways than
one. Such a system as that talked of
would doubtless open the eyes of the City
Council to the Importance of encouraging
such improvements, and the company
| would probably have little trouble in Sc,
curing some of the franchises 1t now
seeks. There is every reason for beliey.
ing that the City Council would encourage
the introduction of compressed air loco.
motion.
GRAND DUCHESS ACCEPTED.