Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-08-26
SIDE vIEwuoF THE STRUCTURE.

works and breweries. The abundance
Of coal in the vicinity has been of great
Importance to the town, and the indus
rial development Of the population OF
both has increased very much of late
years
In 1893 the municipalities of Elberfeld
and Barmen determined to provide bet
ter facilities than then in existence for
ntercommuncation. At first they con-
.emplated the erection of an elevated
electric railroad similar to the Liver
pool overhead railway, but this type
was rejected in favor of a mono-rail
suspended railway, invented by Herr
Eugen Langen, an engineer of much
distinction, who died in Cologne in
1896
The idea of suspended cars was sug.
gested to Langen by the transport diff
fculties of the sugar works which he
had inherited, and he accordingly pa
tented a method for the conveying OF
goods by aerial galloway. Later on he
adopted the system for passenger traf-
tic, and thus was evolved the very in
genious railway which was opened c
few weeks ago in Germany, and which
Is the only one of its kind in the world
In choosing a means OF communication
the authorities had to take many points
into consideration. The four towns OF
Barmen, Elberfeld, Sonnborn and Voh-
winkel almost join one another, each
merging with the other. The absence
OF main streets "a not allow the build
Ing OF line on the road level, and as in
he Langen system. it was possible tc
rnstruct certain portions of the line
over the river Wupper. which runs
through the valley in which the towns
lie, this scheme was finally adopted
The Mono-Rail Suspended railway
was commenced at the close of the veal
1896, and at the end of 1898 the first sec.
ton was ready for the trial runs. Some
portion of the line was opened for traffic
at the commencement of the year, and
in few weeks time the whole line will
be declared open with much ceremony
The permanent way of the Langen
suspended railroad is suspended from
tripod girder sections, placed at inter
walls OF 80 yards apart
A word may be said, in conclusion
with regard to the future of the Ian.
gen mono-rail system, and its possible
use In crowded localities may be first
considered. Locomotion may be of three
kinds: on the road level, underground,
and in the air. In London and other
cities of the United Kingdom the under
ground railway is favored; although
liverpool has followed this example
New York, BerlirN and other places have
gone in for an elevated electric railway.
From the point of view of space econ.
omy there is good deal to be said for
suspended mono-rail, for it can be con.
structed hlong the streets without In
terfering with the traffic, and over riv-
ers and canals without interfering with
navigation.
Doubtless such line down the streets
of American cities would seem strange
10 us, but we would get used to it in
time. Considering now the question of
express passenger traffic the advocates
of the Langen system point out that
suspended track could be built over the
existing metals, and used exclusively as
a high sped line. Experimental runs
ON the Barmen- Elberfeld railway have
been made up to 70-S0 miles an hour.
and it is confidently believed that with
/ few notifications 100 miles an hour
gould easily be obtained.
LOUIS LONG.