New-York tribune., 1903-06-22
HIGH RAILNAT SPEEDS
statesmen

Competitive tests of steam and electricity for
traction purposes are about to be made under
the auspices of the German Government, on
lines extending westward from Berlin to Ham
burg and to Hanover. Each of these is about
two hundred miles long. The approaching trials
are virtually continuation Of those conducted
nearly two years ago on the short military road
running southwark from Berlin TO Zossen. 1t
is highly probable that time enough has been
afforded by the interruption for the lessons al
ready learned to prove fruitful in several ways.
Contractors have been invited to supply both
steam and electric locomotives capable Of de-
veloping a speed of ninety miles an hour in or
binary passenger traffic and one hundred with
light loads, such as would be furnished by sin
gle cars. If the competitors make the most Of
the opportunity the outcome of the experiments
will be highly instructive
It is to be hoped that it will be practicable to
ascertain more fully than has ever been done
before the possibility Of maintaining a speed of
eighty or ninety miles an hour for several hours
with steam. With the best locomotives now in
service such velocities be attained for a few
minutes but the boiler pressure falls off too rap
idly for long continuance. The abest designers
gravely doubt whether any material gain can
be effected in this respect. because the limits
of the firebox seem to have been nearly reached
Perhaps they too pessimistic. Probably
some improvement is yet feasible, but where
must development along this line eventually
stop? That is a question which the most pro-
gressve railway men in the world have begun
to consider, and want to have cleared up No
such difficulty is encountered by an electric
motor With the power of properly equipped
central station to draw on, il can have all it
wants. 1t can be built for any prescribed speed
and keep it up endlessIy. Indeed, while it may
be necessary to change motormen every few
hours, it is hard to see why one electric motor
may not run through from Chicago to New
York, and maintain a speed of one hundred
miles or more all the way, if external conditions
are favorable So far the electric engine is
concerned, no experiment in either Germany or
America is needed TO demonstrate that fact.
High speed with safety depends upon the
track well as the propelling mechanism
4 man now ride on certain roads in this
country for sixty or seventy miles an hour with
far greater comfort and less consciousness of
motion than he experienced at twenty-five miles
an hour thirty fortys years ago. To that
change improvements in rolling stock have con-
tributed. to be sure; but it is also due TO the
separation of freight and passenger traffic,
the elimination of curves the adoption of
heavier rails better ballasting and other
innovations Of Il kindred nature Whether
the Prussian State railways are to-day in
condition which will make long runs at the pro-
posed speeds practicable is doubtful. Great adj
vance in Europe and America is yet possible
1t also remains to be seen whether the owners
Of railways will deem it worth while to make
the requisite expenditure. That the present
type of roadbed can be brought to the proper
degree of excellence, though is indisputa BILE
1t is only necessary to initiate the state of
things found on those bits OF line where phe-