The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-03-01
TWO HUNDRED
MILES AN HOUR
Electric Road From Jersey
City to Philadelphia
Coming.
WILL RUN ON STnTS
Washington Electric Company
Said to Be Behind the
Scheme.
WILL RUN ON sTnTs

1t may be possible within the next year
or so to travel 200 miles per hour on an
electric railway between New York and
Philadelphia.
The American Eelevated Railroad Com
pany yesterday increased It's capital stock
from 100000 to 100000, in a certificate
filed with the Secretary of State, in or
der to provide for additional experiments
with its new system of electric railways.
The president of the company is Os-
borne Congelton, and the secretary, Geo
H. Cook the third stoekholdsr being john
w. Avery, and it is said that the Westing
house Electric Company is back of the
elevated concern.
1t is understood that the increase in
capitalization is caused by the intention
Of the company to build line for prac-
tical service, similar to that used for ex-
perimental purposes at Pittsburg
The system to be used is different from
any other in operation at the present time,
being of the combined elevated and bicy-
Gle pattern.
The track is mounted upon an elevated
trestle, and the rails are but few inches
apart.
A double wheel runs on these rails, and
between the wheels is a third Wheel
which drops between the rails and keeps
the double wheel from leaving the track
by a side motion.
This center wheel is fitted with ball
bearings along each side where the con-
tact with the rail is to be made, in
order to avoid friction in running curves.
From each side of the car projections
will extend downward and engage two
fiat rails by upward pressure, anc from
these rails the wheels will take the cur
rent, or else it viii be transmitted by
shoes at the side. In either event the
under wheels will keep the car from rais-
ing off the rails, and the center wheel
will keep the car from leaving the rails
by side motion.
BY the method proposed 1t will be
possible to make high speed, as the dan
ger from derailment is reduced to a mini
mum.
High power electric motors viii be
mated that with four foot wheels 500
revolutions per minute will drive the car
at a speed of 200 miles per hour.
In general appearance the new electric
car will not differ from those in general
dSC VA nag Il SPCCu SACStAAS VI StCdiAi AoddS,
except in so far as its appearance below
the floor is concerned.
The promoters claim that the speed
will be limited only by the power of the
motors and current. and the cars will
he built extra heavy for this purpose.
1t Is rumored that the company has in
view through line between New York
and Philadelphia, upon which all grade
crossings would be eliminated
It is barely possible. in such an event,
that the Trenton and New Brunswick
railroad promoters might find a ready
sale for their corporate rights before their
line is built.
Nowhere except on hills would the road
come down to a ground level, and even
there it would be necessary to make the
cut several feet deeper than tn top of lie
rails
The promoters claim that the cost of the
road is not prohibitive, and that once
built 1t is independent of snowstorms and
floods.
To go from Trenton to Phi,adeiphi, in
from ten to fifteen minutes, or to New
York in from twenty to thirty minutes
may not be as far distant as some would
believe
The outcome of these electrical enter
prises, which are only in their infancy,
will be of great moment and this city may
reap great benefits therefrom.