Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-14
HIGH SPEED ELECTRIC CARS
TESTS TO BE MADE IN
GERMANY.
Experiments Will Have an Important
Especially the United States.

The State Department has received a
long and most interesting report from Con-
sui General Frank Mason at Berlin upon
the high speed tests of electric cars which
are to take place on the military line be-
tween Berlin and ZoSsen this fall.
AS the time approaches" says Mr. Ma
son, both popular and scientific attention
become more closely centered upon these
experiments; the result of which will have
such an important meaning, not only for
Germany, but for all civilized countries,
and among these probably first of all the
United States. If an eectric-motor car.
taking Its current from overhead wires and
running upon an ordinary standard-gauge
railway track, can carry with safety II. "
or sixty passengers at speed of from SO
10 100 miles an hour, then it is evident that
the first ten years of the twentieth century
Will see the means of travel between popu-
lous cities and district in America as in
europe, practically revolutionized.
Delicate Questions Involved.
The success Of the electric car in round
ing curves of small radius climbing and
descending easily grades which entailed all
but hopeless difficulties to horse cars and
in general adopting itself to all the exigen-
cies and requirements Of intramural and
suburban traffic has led the nontechnical
public, here as in America, to expect an
easy and prompt solution Of the high-speed
problem. From the popular standpoint, all
that seemed necessary was a straight
clear track, an adequate current of high
potential turned into a car motor of suff1-
cient power and the result would be
achieved. Only the experts have realized
that speed of even eighty miles an hour
with q single car involves questions of air
resistance, weight and form and balance
of vehicle, electrical transmission at high
voltage and conversion to lower potential
at some point between generator and mo-
tor. and a dozen other equally important
points which are new and untried In actual
practice, and which have to be approached
with caution and experienced knowledge in
order to avoid danger of accidents that
would discredit the whole enterprise at its
outset. AS the association which is UNDER
taking at Its own expense this most impor-
tant demonstration includes a number of
the foremost electricians in Germany, every
step In the process of preparation for the
coming tests is watched with intense inter-
est by the engineers of other countries.
and passenger railway construction may be
said to have paused to wait the result of
these experiments.
Scene of the Tests.
The scene Of all the experiments is a
stretch 1929 miles in length, from Marien-
felde to Zossen, on the military railway
line which runs southward from Berlin to
the place last named. The line is of stand
ard gauge. single tracked. level and nearly
straight, there being but one slight curve
Il, 100 yards radius-near the southern ex-
tremity. The rails are of steel, weigh about
sixty-five pounds to the yard, and are laid
on wooden ties. During the past summer
the track has been carefully surfaced, de-
fective joints remedied and ties and bal
lasting put into perfect condition. Along
this line have been set at intervals of 100
feet stout poles twenty feet in height, at
the top of which is set in a vertical posi-
ton and fastened by bolts bow or arch
of angle iron ten feet in length, the chord
Of which supports the three brackets for
insulators from which the three lines of
conductors are hung The conductors are
ordinary copper wires about three-eighths
OF an inch In thickness, SO hung that the