The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-17

for drink.
Mr.. a E. l.. Atlanta. Ga. writes: u
was born with a love OF whiskey and
four electric motors each-two at eithe,
end-and each motor was capable OF de.
| veloping 80 horse power or leo horse
! power per car. These cars were abou,
| seventy-two feet in length and weighed
| approximately ninety metric tons-equiv-
alent TO about 10000 pounds avoirdupois
A little over half OF this weight made u,
the body OF the car and running gear
| while the balance OF the weight comprised
the motors. transformers and other por-
! tons of the electrical equipment.
The ends of the car rest on a six-wheei-
/ ed boyle truck OF the standard American
/ type. The wheels are forfy-rine inches in
diameter ard are equipped with the iates;
form of air brakes. The Transforming de-
vices are suspended Immediately under
the middle section OF the car. and their
! size and capacity may be imagined when
| it is stated that they weigh twelve tons
| besides a storage battery. weighing svsr
a quarter OF a ton. the purpose OF which
| is 20 supply steady and uniform current
| for lighting.
| The interior Of the car is provided with
upholstered seats iengthwise along the
sides and at either end is an open railing
enclosing specifically space set apart
for the motorman. In front OF the car is
| a curved plate glass TO shield the driver.
and within range. visually and msnuaily.
| are the meters for registering the guam
/ tity and pressure OF the current, gauges
that show the resistance offered by the
air, diais that indicate and register the
speed. and pilot wheel and air brake
levers for controlling the movements Of
! the car.
| The first trial over the line. in 1901. was
made to test the electrical apparatus.
transmission line and railroad track. and
a speed OF only a mile a minute was at
/ tanned. This was increased until speed
| OF ninety three miles an hour was reach
| ed. But IL must not be inferred that "A
continuous run Of ninety-three miles was
made. for the track, II will be remember
ed is only fourteen and fourth miles In
length. but this high speed was attained
and maintained for nearly the whole
| length Of the line.
After each successive test the roadbed.
conducting lines electric devices and car
ascertain the effects OF this rapid accel-
Grafton, and no untowArd results we're dis
covered until record run of ninety-three
miles per hour was made. when indica-
tons of defective construction became
| evident. Contrary 10 what might have
been expected. IL was not the motors
| which burned out. or the electrical ser
vice which became impaired, but II was
the mechanical equipment which nrst
! showed signs of weakening: or. specific
ally stated, IL was the track which first
began TO give way under the enormous
strain, and the experiments were for the
time suspended in order that terrific
wreck might not take place
Every portion Of the installation except
the track had fulfilled all the rigorous
conditions required Of II. and there was
still an enormous power available for fur
Their increasing the velocity. But new
roadbed and heavier rails were needed IL
a higher velocity was to be attained. and
so the study company as the organiza-
ton was nicknamed. decided 10 remove
the old track and lay a new one.
This new track was OF steel rails weigh
ing elgthy-six pounds 10 the iineal yard.
These heavy rails are set in steel blocks
called chairs and these are sOiidly boited
10 heavy ties or sleepers mat % spruce
measuring twenty-five inches frcm center
70 center. The ties IN turn were placed
on a bed Of finely powdered gravel. pro-
vioing a fine. solid foundation. Broken
basslt was again used for ballast in ac-
coroance with the art OF track construc-
ton as practiced in Germany.
e
side the new ones. 80 that the fat bottoms
of the former set vertically 20 the inner
surface OF the latter. or. more clearly ez-
pressed perhaps. the Old rails are laid at
RICH; angles to the way they stand nor
nlally. so that they form a guard. In
this position they are bottled 20 fshplates
and these are spiked to the ties
with this fine new track in readiness a
fresh series OF experiments began IN Sep
TIMBER Of the present year. almost TWEEN
fv-txo months after the first series COM
renced- The first Of the rec~nf tests BE-
gan exactly where those % i.s1 left Of
namely. with n run at the rate Of ninety
three miles an hour. Day by 6ay this
amazing speed was increased. when on
September 1s a velocity OF almost tao
miles a minute was reached
This marvellous achievement - indeed
enough % make turn IN their graves our
ancestors who when Stephenson suggest
ID that his steam locomotive would travel
az the rate % afteen miles an boar pre-
sfscfed that there could he found no one
20 foolish IS % risk Ills neck -i4iax at
such terrific speed
Yet there was 10 ss-rsag ~ discom-
f,rt frcru vird p-ezxvTs. s11 tfse car as Il
skinned over tire track ar srsopth a.
plate gisss zas asE that could - desired
crucial examination - ever psrt u
~ apparatus and tracks revealed ~
perfection q he system for rot ouiF vas
everything lasac;. hst there Ezs rot she
slightest xigE Of ~eax,ess or 6~tertera-
flon-
VIII tss ore hundred ard thirty niles
an hoisr Tzsn ;lss tests vsrs s.soos.iasee.
bzt the Jirrst q IT, high spe~s xss f4r
r-o-n attained Conservative German "a
rireers-arr noz~ are Tsore CONSERVATIVE
than ts~T-szy that rofhlnr sfs1rt g ore
hs.rdred ard frs miles W5fs p sttsiar1
before the limitations zrs fszcAed. Less
conservative exr~-ts siaee re iitrs;s'fcs
=; tzo hzr1fr. ruIsss AZ a%ar. @f1s ls
eies-iT evsz<as tka. she1 bsrssfssza or
et.siizsss-- require fagsd trsf.sit AZ ses
rzte % ihrse nils = minute e1ssseTrs
car D. sos4sss r.xiz4 ss4-s t. Se~ YORK wAso
car a~ssxa .ss-n a system. AID r-sz1Ufze-
s-.re-s can b. raj rsxfs hsrr n tAe TsSsses1
states Ens xii rot osiy make fiaz rzas-
ts-e .fs 0seTzslez-