The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-12-22
ELECTR1c ToWpATH MULES.
Experiments Recently Made in Ger-
many In Towing Barges with
Land Motors.

Land MotoFs,
Richard Guen5ber, consul general
Of the United States at Frankfort, re-
ports to the state department on the
subject Of electric traction for canals,
says the Washington Times. He
writes:
Some interesting experiments iE
boat traction by means of electric los
comotives were recently made On be-
half of the Prussian government by
Messrs. Siemens Halske, Of Berlin.
The scene Of operations was a short
length of the Finow canal, which
forms a portion Of the waterway be-
tween Berlin and stettin and IS ira
gersed every year by about $4,000 to
2e,OO0 boats each way, The craft used
are in the main barges, some 1872 feet
long by 1879 feet beam, carrying $50
to 175 tons. There are also few
steam barges employed, which carry
about $50 tons and can tow a second
barge. The traffic to Berlin is much
heavier than toward stettin, and as a
consequence three-fourths of the
barges return light from the metropo-
lis. Traction is generally effected by
horses, there being a towpath on each
bank, but on the down journey man
traction is not infrequently relied on.
In any case the speed is low and,
including stops, does not average more
than about ~ miles an hour.
"The section of canal used for the
experiments was selected owing to it's
physical difficulties, presenting, as it
does, several curves, in one of which
with only 92S feet radius the water
way is spanned by railroad bridge.
The line laid down for the towing en-
gine was of 3.28 feet gauge, the outer
rail weighing 1872 pounds per yard,
while the inner, which was fixed on
the inner edge of the towpath,
weighed 81 pounds per yard. These
rails, which We're of the fange type,
were laid partly on sleepers ballasted
with gravel and partly on blocks Of
concrete, weighing 22O pounds each in
the case of the heavier principal rail
and half this in case of the other rail.
This arrangement costs more per mile
than the sleepers, but has been found
less expensive to maintain. Though
no wharf actually existed on the
length Of canal experimental on, the
aEran ements necessary were fully
tested AT one point the line 1Tas
raised to height Of nine feet three
inches above the level of the tow
path, being carried on posts and
brackets. The carrying posts were
12 inches in diameter, and were spaced
at is feet eight inches, A cap piece
spanned the gap between the posts
and the principal rail was laid direct
ly on this cap piece, while the other
was carried by a stringer, supported
at each post by brackets.
1.-THE conductor for the current was
supported on pine posts 90 feet long,
located 35 to "A yards apart. Tt con-
sisted of eight-millimeter wiIe, car
ried by porcelain insulators. The prin-
cipal rail served as conductor for the
return current. The source of power
was a Is horse power portable engine,
driving a nine kilowatt dynamo, and a
large storage battery was also pro-
vided. The extreme dimensions of the
towing locomotive were six feet ten
inches in length by four feet ten
inches wide. It's total weight was two
tons, but the motor was so placed
that only one-ffth of this total came
on the accessory rail. The motor pro-
vided was much more powerful than
necessary for the work in hand, as it
was capable of working at the rate
of IA and IS horse power. Since, how
ever, these experiments were merely
preliminary ones, intended to test the
possibilities of electric traction for
large barges, the excess power was
supplied Intentionally, and the resist
ance requisite to call forth the full
powers of the motors was in some Of
the experiments provided by RATS,
These experiments showed the system
to be capable of meeting all needs,
working, c5 it did, with safety and
economy"