New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-07
MRS. LILLIAN 7. JANEWAY.
Who is TO rlarrg Senator Plat.
ELECTRIC CAR RECORD.
Speed of Nearly 126 Miles an Hour
Reached on ZOsSen Line.

Berlin Oct s--An electric car on the Narisn-
relde-Zoesen experimental line reached speed
Of Is As miles hour to-day. a kilonetr- more
than the highest previous record The machinery
and roadbed uninpaired- The engineers are
determined 70 try for still higher speeds. and
venture the opinion that they viii able to at
tain the rate Of 40 miles hour. The current
wa. between 13Oco and 1900 volts capable Of driv-
ing the car ar the rate Of over two hundred miles
The car used to-day had four motors having
together about 100 horsepower II was the car
used in the previous tests this year and Il con-
structed on the Siemens-Halske system Another
Of somewhat different equipment 10 motors
nd transformers has been built for additional
high speed tests. A phenomenon connected with
to-day's trial the continuous sparkling OF
electricity from the six trolley arms.
There were twelve TO fourteen persons on board
the car. all technical men They affirm that the
motion Of the car was greater than that OF an
ordinary express train The lives Of all board
were heavily insured While the engineers do not
believe a speed Of rs miles Is practicable pres
Tscomnsnd sDeed OF afnety-t6ree niles an hour
between Berlin and Hamburg.
large party OF engineers. military. men and
civilians gathered at Danwitz. where the highest
points OF speed are reached in these experiments
The railway on which these experiments are being
conducted IL only eighteen miles long and only
part Of II is devoted 10 the pending tests When
the Investigation was begun. over two years ago.
the feasibility Of developing a speed OF hun
dred and fifty miles hour OF the ques-
ton. to be solved. Another point which needed 70
be cleared up the chance Of taking current of
from overhead wires with certainty such
Iocities Still another Of inquiries related
substitution Of the alternating for the direct
rent in prope1ling electric cars
When speed Of nearly one hundred miles an
hour had been developed. IT found that the
roadbed and rails were not suited 70 higher speeds
long interruption ensued. 10 allow the road De
reconstructed Within the last three weeks
veIocfties Of IA and II miles have been reported
Yesterdays achievement shows advance OF
nearly nine miles on hour upon the performances
last reported.
Among electricians there has been doubt about
the possibility Of running rs 80 miles
an hour on the right kind OF track
Spurts have been made BY steam locomotives
which developed speeds OF hundred miles
hour for few seconds. and possibly for minute
or two at time: but as The Tribune has often
pointed out the maintenance OF that rate
higher one for long distances IS out Of the ques-
ton at present The wisest designers OF IoconO-
tives to-day do not know how TO provide for the
generation Of steam fast enough TO meet such
demand. On the other hand. there IS practically
no limit to the amount Of power that can be sup
piled 20 a car motor by electricity from distant
station. or 70 the length q run at whatever
speed may be found desirable
While details in regard 20 the best way
Of applying this alternating current vet remain
70 be worked out IT'S availability demonstrated
two years ago on the MarienreIde-Zossen line.
what is called the three phase system Is used.
and hence there three overhead wires. mounted
the current presses sideways against them Such
apparatus IL provided at both ends or the car
IN ne earner 2 5IIc he Sorsgs Of the
current from 10000 10 1900 before Il was acltted
the motors In these later ones the tra1so
have been dispensed with. and the ful voltage -
employed