New-York tribune., 1902-05-11

trician. There are assistant professors in motor
manship and several instructors in the science
Of conducting and the benefit of the COMPANY
There are many VINO believe that little stress
is put the passenger comfort part OF it. 5ut
too much cannot be expected from a course
which lasts only a week.
The Manhattan school Of street raiIroadinr is
in the pOwerhOuse of the Metropolitan system at
Seventh-ave and F'iftieth-st. a building which
has kept pace with the many changes in street
railroading which this city has experienced in
twenty years. 1t has housed everything from
the old fashioned "jigger,'' with one horse and
one man crew, to the finest electric vehicle
on the Metropolitan underground system. TIE
storage battery car and the compressed air
car. which never got beyond the experimental
stage in New-York. have all been there. and the
cable cars on Broadway. which Were only lately
superseded. all stopped there, and got IN thar
famous old building the little rest that attended
their short and hard working career.
The men who intend to become motormen a-e
turned over to Joseph Guise, the assistant IL
structor in workmanship. As soon as there are
enough candidates 10 form a respectable class
they are stood up to the dummy motors and
spring resisted brakes all around the room. and
get their first lesson in stopping and starting
car. They drilled daily for periods varying,
according 10 individual aptness. from four 10 Ten
days. A man too dull to show a pretty f~F
understanding of the method OF stopping ard
starting within this period is at the end OF h:s
career on the road. The candidates who show
fitness are kept under instruction in the met@od
of handling the motor and brakes. the plan &
construction Of the road and its electrical Cca-
ductOrs and breakers, the operation of the cur
rent in these conductors, and the shoe that
conveys the electricity TO the wiring in a car;
the construction OF the car, and is wiring,
switches, cutouts, motors. autoUatC safety de-
vices, and all the accidents and emergencies re-
latin to tn" use Of the current in ruunjEs md
stopping the car.
The last part Of the course OF indoor study IS
on skeleton car. constructed especially for the
purpose. In this car all the electrical devices
a;e exposed. and their operation may be seen.
The car is blocked up of the floor. so is heels
can revolve freely. and is charged with the
working current The candidate is placed en-
the front platform and goes through his per-
formance in response To the usual bell signals
Emergencies of various kinds created for
him, and ne is required TO meet them and 10
eXtricate the car from all sorts Of mechanical
difficulties. Fuses are burned out and the can
didate is required 10 replace them. The motors
are overloaded with current, so the automatic
cutout IS discharged, and the candidate IS 70
quired 10 locate the trouble and TO reauJust the
cutout. The current is grounded so the car will
run away in spite Of shutting off the electricity
both at the motor and the fuse box and the
alarmed candidate for motormaus Eouors IS
shown how To stop the by suddenly reversing
the current and throwing of with an explosion
like that of musket the automatic cutoUt.
which alone can rescue the car from possible
demolition.
After he has spent from ten To thirty days in
proving that he understands his business and
the tools with which he must work he is given
his uniform and is sent out in charge Of an out
door instructor. under General Instructor Frank
Kane. on 4 ear. From that hour his pay be-
gins. After he goes on a car he is tested for de-
,ision and nerve, and for prompt perception and
action He is then privileged 10 join the En-
ployes Association. and has the fun range OF
its rooms and privileges. \ conductor is in