New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
SUSPENSION RAILWA ~
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ONE OPERATED
BY CABLE NEAR DRESDEN.

%Ni>-NA>
Washington July 19.-The belief among pro-
gressive engineers that the suspension form
of railway will be the adopted type of rapid
transit in the near future because of its
reduction to a practical minimum of friction
liability of accident and cost of operation, to-
gethe with a decision of Manchester-Liver-
pool corporation to connect those cities with
such line. upon which speed of one hundred
lliles an hour is to be attained, gives great IN
terest TO the report just sent to the Department
II state 10y Consul-General Cole, at Dresden, de-
sciibng the recent completion and successful
operation of such a road, together with an eX-
tellent photograph of the same. The only diff
ference between this German line and that
projected in England lies in the motive power,
the proposition for the latter road being to use
Nectricity
In his official report Consul General Cole says
This new railway was opened to traffic on May
G. and is | am informed, the first mountain rail-
way of its kind for the conveyance OF passen-
gers in the world. 1t runs from LoschWltz,
village on the tanks of the River Elbe' about
five miles from Dresden. TO the top of the Roch-
wiz heights which command a most beautliui
view of the Saxon capital. The railway is 23o
metres $50 feet long, with a gradient OF o.
per cent and is constructed according to the
'"Lansen' system. Thirty-three iron piers OF
different height. weighing about 800 tons, the
highest being II metres (492 feeD, carry the
rails on which the cars are hung.
Each hcds fifty passengers and Welghs,
when occupied. 12S tons. Their shape and con-
=tructioE differ entirely from all other railway
cars. and even from those used by the Barmen-
FIherfed suspension railway A steel cable III
mi limetres - inches) in diameter connects the
two trains and locks them firmly together. 1t
j. Cperated by two powerful machines OF ~
horsepower each, stationed at the top terminus
q the road. The cable has a strength of teXure
Of 81 600 Kilograms 600 I3i pOundS). Particu-
lar attention and care have been given to devices
L. insure the safety of the passengers and to
regulate the running of the cars. A most in
genous signal system, with visible and audible
signals serves TO regulate the arrival and de-
parture If the trains. and is operated from both
the lower and upper stations Each car IS pro-
yidod with a danger signal apparatus, consist
Ing If alarm and telephone, Whicn enables
the conductor to communicate from any point
II the road with The engine house. The car Is
provided with three 5rakcs-system Bucher-
Diirer-two Of which work automatically at the
least slackening of the tension of the cable and
, stop the car The third brake can Toe operated
by hand from the platform Of the car. From u
hand attached TO the disk upon which the cable
IS rolled the engineer can always determine the
exact position OF the on the road. and an
automatic bell warns him II the train ~ run
ming too fast
The greatest safety consists In an automatic
brake, both at the lower and at the top station,
which is put into action by the arriving car
and stops it. no matter how careless the cnEi-
neer may be. The fare Il 20 pfenntGs ti.iV
centsl up and 10 pfennigs CPS cents down: re
turn ticket - pfennigs (I.9 CentsD. Reduced
rates are allowed institutions, societies, school
children, laboreTs, etc. The journey takes three
minutes. and 1880 passengers can be carried
each way per day. a total OF 3l,UD