The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-23
UNCOMFORTABLE SUGGESTIONS.
Electric Motive Power in Tunnels No
Surety OF Safety.

Hartford Courant.
The directors Of the New York Central
now propose to substitute electric traction
for steam traction in the side alleys OF
to expect the public TO be grateful To them
Would such change throughout spell-of
and by itself-safety for the passenger?
No, answers George Westinghouse. In
letter 10 the Railroad Gazette he says:
1T should be borne in mind that the cleo
trio energy required TO operate heavy
train is sufficient to melt a considerable
bar of iron, TO start dangerous fire, il
anything goes wrong, upon a car of ordi-
nary combustible construction, much more
readily than the car stove, the use of which
has been abolished by law. Therefore, If
a collision were to occur between two cleo
trically fitted trains. each having several
trical apparatus and carrying electric cir
cults throughout, there could be an acct
dent of serious a character as to start
an agitation having Tor Its purpose the
abolition of the use of electricity alto
gether, at least to compel the railway
companies TO abandon the use of COM
bustible cars fitted with electric motors"
No, answer the Railroad Gazette's edi-
tors Electric energy Is a good thing to
use and it's going 10 be used more and
more but its use should be hedged about
should be largely OF steel, the woodwork
should be freproofed, the underframes
cars of the ordinary, infiammable make
such a smash as that in the tunnel wodld
probably mean a short circuit of the cleo
trio current and the immediate burning OF
the wreckage. 1t would mean the same
thing, probably, on an elevated railway
THE fact has been overlooked" say the
editors, during the excitement following
this accident that an electric train was
burned on the 23d of last December, killing
seven people. 1t has also been forgotten
that electric cars have been repeatedly
burned to the trucks within the last two
or three years. We shall not particulariZe
now because we do not wish TO be unnec-
essarily disagreeabe.'
President Gotshall, of the New York &
Port Chester Railroad Company, takes a
more CHEEKY view of things. He brushes
aside Mr.. Westinghouse letter as lab
surd." He admissible has to-that last
month electric cars caught fire in a Liver
pool tunnel and lives were lost, but he
says the Liverpool system was installed
some years ago" and that an accident OF
that sort won't occur again. With TrippeI
automatic block signals and with the non
arcking fuses FUSED in London, Paris anC
Boston, that merely emit puff of smoke
when they snap there's danger of fire
at all. AS far as that is concerned, the
passenger is as safe in an electric car-ac.
cOrding to President Gotshall-as in church
The public is not well informed about
Tripper block signals and nonarcking fuses
1t has an impression that Mr.. Westing
house knows a lot about electricity. The
railroad papers idea that electric car:
should he solid and noncombustible will
command the public's hearty approval
That isn't science; it's just plain common
sense. We feel surer than ever that tn,
public will not be satisfied with the New
York Centrals scheme of tunnel improve
ments as at present unfolded.