Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-11
Mont Blanc By Trolley

The summit Of Mont Blanc lies at an
altitude Of 1880 feet. This great
height has a considerable influence
upon he conditions ~ construction Of
the electric line, especially Us regards
the tar1metlic pressure ana the tenn
pcrature. 1t is found that the speed
must Dc limited, 50 that the change is
not too abrupt, as this would he dis
agreeable for the Passengers. There
is a fall Cf twenty-five degrees cent?
grad ln the temperature from Fayet,
the starting point Of the line. to the
summit Of the mountain. The proper
rate is about eight degrees An hour for
passengers. 50 that the speed has to be
limited to 1000 feet an hour for the
climb 1t will thus take about four
hours to reach the top Of the mountain.
That the Mont Blanc electric line is
shortly to enter upon the phase Of con-
StructiOn is evident from the fact that
the government has recently adopted
the project Of NJ. Duportal, general in
spect"r Of roads and bridges. and has
awarded the contract for building tr
CouvreX < Deraud.
According to the Duportal project,
the line is TO start from the station Of
Fayct, on the Paris, Lyons K Medi-
terranean Railroad, and will ascend
the southern slope Of the mountain. as
there is am easy grade. The line
reaches st. GerVais ANA the Bellevue
Chalet at an altitude Of $3.50 feet, then
Mount Lachat G,000 feeD the Tete
Rouse 10,5.0 feeD, and the Aigule du
Coulter G2,S00 feeD. At the Inter
point the first section of the line stops.
and the remaining part will be built
Later on, seeing that the second part
calls for q series of plans ana projects
which have not as Yet been drawn III.
ana this viii only be done after tile
first section is in operation. The first
Part Of the line has a total length Of
eleven miles, and the end lies about
= $50 feet from the summit Of the noun
tain.
Tie highest vertical speed Of the
climb Will be 1000 feet an hour, and the
grades Of the road are not to exceed
twenty-five per cent. AS 10 the
curves. the least radius is 100 feet
The usual narrow gauge Of one metre
(39.31 inches) has been chosen in this
case. a narrow gauge cannot be used,
seeing that the top Of the car is to lie
nine feet above the rails ana the cars
have "a De very steady. as the wind on
the mountain gives as high a pressure
rs 200 pounds a square yard. The
rails are to be thirty-fiVe feet long and
will weigh forty-five pounds a yard.
Each rail Will be laid upon twelve
metallic ties. and the rack for the sys-
TEN Will be laid in the middle between
the rails. The rack and pinion sys-
TEN will be needed in this case. as on
most of the Swiss mountain roads. The
length If the rack sections is III feet.
ana the rack rail weighs cghty-siX
pounds yard.
AS to the road construction. it is
found that this will be comparatively
easy to carry out, as the track can be
| laid up the side of the mountain for the
most part, and only few cuts or fills
| will he needed. The road winds UP
| the sinuostieS Of the mountain on an
| easy grade. From Fayet it rises to the
| Col dc Vega, from where q fine view is
to be had of the valleys Of Bionessel
and the Arvc. The line turns around
the Pic dcs Rognes and rises to point
| above the Tcte Rouse. reaching the
glacier region at an altitude of 1,50O
| feet.
| According 70 the project the trains
| will be made up Of an electric locomo-
tive weighing fifteen tons. which will
| draw two passenger cars of four tons
| each. These cars are to hold eighty
| passengers in all. and the whole train
when fully loaded. is to weigh thirty
| FIVE tons. The capacity Of the loco
motive is to be $50 horsepower. AS
| it is proposed to have eight trains run
ming in the line at once, some 1.2OC
| horse power will be needed for the
| motors. or, allowing for the electric
heating. about 400 horse power must
be furnished by the electric plant. The
| latter viii be laid out for an ultimate
| capacity Of 5000 horsepower, to pro
| vide for the second section Of the road
| running to the summit. The estimated
| cost of the system is $2.000.000 or about
$20G0 900 a mile. including the general.
ing station ana the electric outfit, which
are estimated at 100000. Once the
| road is in operation there will no doubt
| be j number of large hotels erected al
different heights on the mountain, sucf
| rs are to be found upon many of tbs
high points in Switzerland.-NeW York
| Tribune.