The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10

able motors ranging in size from the small
desk fan of one-tenth horsepower up to
those of hundreds OF horsepower. The
larger sizes replace steam or hydraulic
power for elevators. and many are used
in shops and factories for driving machin-
cry such as printing presses. machinery
tools, and the like.
In spite OF the fact that it was well
known that a good dynamo when re-
versed could be made source of power,
few electric motors were in use until
considerable time after the establishment
of the first lighting stations. Even in 1884.
a, the Philadelphia Electrical Exhibition,
only few electric motors were shown.
Not until 1886 or thereafter did the motor
load of an electric station begin to be a
factor In its business success. The motors
supplied are an advantageous adjunct. In
asmuch as they provide day load in
creasins the output of the station at
time when the lighting load Is small and
when the machinery In consequence
would. without them. have remained idle.
The growth of the application of electric
motors in the closing years of the century
has been phenomenal. even leaving out of
consideration their use in electric rail-
ways.
Twenty years ago an electric motor was
curiosity: fifty years ago crude ex-
! amples run by batteries were only to be
occasionally found in cabinets of scientific
apparatus. Machinery Hall at the Centen-
NAL Exhibition of 1876 typified the mill
OF the past. never again TO be reproduced.
with Its huge engine and lines of heavy
shafting and belts conveying power to
the different tools or machines in opera.
ton. The modern mill factory has its
engines and dyuamos located wherever
convenient, It's electric lines and numerous
motors connected thereto. and each OF
them either driving comparatively snort
lines Of shafting or attached 10 drive
single pieces of machinery. The wilder
ness of belts and pnlleys which used 20
characterize factory Is gradually being
cleared away and electric distribution %
power substituted Moreover, the lighting
OF the modern mill or factory Is done from
the same electric plant which Distributes
power.
The electric motor has aise2ey partly
reyolutionized the dlsuibstion q power
for stationary machinery. but Is applied
to railways in place u anirnsS IosSes tbs
revolution is complete The period which
has elapsed since the first introduction Of
electric railways is barely dozen years
/ II is true that a few tentative expert
ments in electric traction were made some
time in advance of ISIS, notably by Sic
mems, in Berlin. in 1879 and 1850; by Stephen
d. Field. by T. a. Edison. at MEMO Park;
by ]. c. Henry, by Charles a. Van De-
poole, and others. If we look further back
| we find efforts such as that of Farmer. in
1877. to propel railway ears by electric
motors driven by current from batteries
carried on the cars. These efforts were, of
course, doomed to failure, for economical
reasons. Electric energy from primary
batteries was too costly, and If It had
! been cheaper. the types of electric motor
used yielded so small a return of power
for the electric energy spent in driving
them that commercial success was out of
the question. These early efforts were
however, instructive, and may now be re-
garded as highly suggestive of later work
Traction by the use Of storage batteries
carried on an electric car has been tried
repeatedly, but appears not TO be able to
compete with systems OF direct supply
from electric lines The plan survives.
however, in the electric automobile. many
of which have been put into service within
year or two The electric automobile
is not well fitted for country touring; 1t
is best adapted to cities, where facilities
for charging and caring for the batteries
can be had Moreover, the electric car
rlage IL, of all automobile carriages. the
most easily controlled, most ready: 1t
emits no smell or hot gases and is nearly
noiseless.
About 1850. Hall. a weil-known instru-
ment maker of Boston, cataiogued small
| toy electric locomotive dragging n car
upon rails which were insulated and con-
nected with stationary battery of two
Grove cells. This arrangement was sold
as u piece of scientific apparatus, and ap-
pears to be the first example of an cleo
| trically driven vehicle connected by rolling
contacts to an iTnmovable energy source
| Other early experinlenters. such as Sic
mems. Field, and Daft subsequently to
Han. used In actual railway work the sup
ply by insulated tracks. This was sup
planted later by overhead insulated wires
or by the insulated third rail. Siemens &
Halske. of Berlin. used q special form of
overhead supply in 1881, and during the
electrical exhibition in Paris IN that year.
a street tramway line was run by them.
Later Edison experimental with a third
rail supply line at Menlo Park. and at
Portrush, in Ireland, an actual railway
was put into operation by Siemens *
Haiske. using the third rail system. This
was about 1883. The power of the Port
f-1rsh rail pf Tlta xt-bs
driving the generating dynamo
The modern overhead trolley. or under
running trolley as it is called. seems to
have been first invented by Van Depoele.
and used by him i'll practical electric rail-
way work about 1855 and thereafter. The
universally of this invention for over
head supply marks the device as 4 really
important advance in the art of electric
traction. Van Depoele was also a pioneer
in the use of an underground conduit,
which he employed successfully In Torou-
TO in 1854 The names of Edward II. Bent
ley and Walter II. Knight stand out
prominently in connection with the first
use of an underground conduit, tried I'M
der their plans In August, 1884. at CIeve-
land. on the tracks OF the horse railway
company.
We have barely outlined the history OF
the electric motor railway up to the be-
ginning of a period of wonderful develop
ment resulting in the almost complete re-
placement by electric traction OF horse
traction or tramway lines, all within an
interval of scarcely more than ten years.
The year 1855 may be said to mark the
beginning of this work. and in that year