The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1905-03-02
HIGH SPEED IN GERMANY.
Talk Of Electric Railroad Upon Which
120 Miles an Hour Will Be
Practicable.


with high-speed motor cars over the
specially prepared line between Berlin
and Zossen were concluded and their
results analysed and recorded, the ques-
ton of az electric railway for rapid serv-
ice between Berlin and Hamburg has
been a topic of earnest and constant dis
cussion in the daily and technical press
of this country.
The Zossen experiments demonstrated
clearly that, given a straight, well-laid
and well-balanced track of the best mod
ern construction, a speed of 120 miles an
hour was possible and safe. 1t was
shown that to propel a single motor car
carrying the requisite transformers and
motors, with to accommodate SO
passengers, required, for a speed of 110
miles an hour, the expenditure of 1906
horsepower, and that this consumption
of energy vas increased to 1000 horse
power when the speed was raised to 12G
miles an hour, at which velocity the
head-end air resistance alone consumed
about LOO horsepower.
1t was also found that in order to kecr
the rails and run steadily the car must
be heavy and its running gear skilfully
adapted to slurring over with smooth
elasticity the slight but unavoidable
Irregularities of the track. 1t proved
for this reason, impracticable to use
light trail cars for any speed above sc
miles an hour; at higher velocity the
lateral oscillation became so great as
to compromise the comfort, If not the
safety of passengers. Another poin'
clearly demonstrated was the impor-
lance Of a practically direct line.
Curves, II unavoidable, must have a
radius of not less than a mile, other.
wise they must be passed at reduced
speed. In other words, no steam rail
way of any important length now being
operated in any European country, ex,
Npt perhaps Russia, is sufficiently
straight to meet the requirements oil
high-speed electric service. Whether
the new systm be adopted sooner OF
later the lines will have to be resur
veyed and specially built.
With these fundamental conditions
clearly established, public and tech.
nical interest has been concentrated or
a high-speed electric railway between
Berlin and Hamburg. a distance by the
present steam railway route of 1T miles
which could be shortened by a new di
rect line to about 155 miles. The couJl.
try between the two cities is general;
level and as well adapted to the coz
%ssruction of a h~igh-speed. line as couit
be found between any two large aht
equally distant cities in Europe. The
ordinary passenger traffic between Der.
lin and Hamburg now includes about
1,200 persons per day. or 43S, 600 per
annum, whose fares average 16 marks
(S3.S0) each. The best steam train
makes the distance in three hours emo
80 minutes, but accommodates trains
take from five to 6h hours.
Will the proposed Berlin4Hamburs
line be built; and If SO when? These are
the points on which public and press
opinion varies all the way from eager
confidence to hopeless doubt. To build
and operate such a line would reduce
the present irst-class double track
trunk line, with its excellent equipment
and terminal facilities, the property O
.he Prussian state. to the status of 9
freight railway with local passenger
traffic between intermediate points
There are no important cities and com
p%aratively few villages on the most df.
rect steam railway between Berlin anf
Hamburg, sc that an exceptionally higl
percentage of the whole is through traf
fc. Will the Prussian government con.
sent to sacrifice the bulk of its passen.
ger business on an important trunk line
and encourage the expenditure of from
SIG, 100000 to1$30,0 00, 900, in order to en-
able the public to save from IL to two
hours in the transit between Germany
capital and its chief seaport? There are
many who gravely doubt it.
On the other hand, there is in this
country, and particularly at Berlin, q
spirit OF lofty and enterprising ambition
which will stop at no effort or sacrifice
to keep Germany in the front rank oil
progressive development. This spirit
was especially manifest at the memorial
exposition recently held in Berlin to
commemorate the t%wenty-fifth anniver-
sary Of the founding Of the E%lectroteeh-
nical society. Having at great cost and
labor carried. through Zossen expert
ments to demonstrate what will happ IN
when electricity driven trains are run
from 100 to 120 miles an hour; it is felt |
to be incumbent that this heightened
speed, which opens a new chapter and
era in the history of transportation.
shall be first carried to practical reali-
zation by German enterprise and tech
nical ability. Eaving proved a most
desirable improvement to be possible
it would. in the popular estimate, be an
unworthy sacrifice to permit other ma
tons to step to the front and first util-
ize what German experiment has made
definite and plain. It is a manifesto.
ton of the virile national spirit which
has been shown in the growth of the Ger
man navy, the great merchant fleets of
Hamburg and Bremen, the consumate-
" organized exhibits at Paris, Chicago
and st. Louis, and which will be con-
with nothing less for the Father
land than a front place in the foremost
group of.progressive nations.
FRANK Fl. MASON.
Purposely Lost His Leg.
A remarkable case has been brought