Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-16

from a steam 70 an electric line has been
approved by the stockholders OF that COM
pany.
with references 70 the Baltimore q ohia
It must be noted that II is IN q particu-
iarly favorable position to compete with
electric trains against any other service
Its Belt Line tunnel runs through Baiti-
moro. traversing the heart Of the shopping
district, and IL would be comparatively easy
for the company to establish a station for
electric trains at point whore shoppers
ana other travellers could take the cars
just as conveniently as the passengers on
the New York subway board the trains
there Indeed. when the Belt Line tunnel
was constructed II was proposed or sug-
gested that a station should be built In the
shopping district. and at point farther
downtown work vas actually begun upon
a tunnel terminal although II was never
built, the company deciding 10 continue the
use OF Camden station as passenger as
well as a freight depot.
While this article Is not intended to be
prophetic regarding the next probable
large installation OF electric equipment by
a steam road, II does point out a situation
for the relief of which II Is not unlikely
that electric engines may be adopted. This
seems to be all the more probable because
the two roads named are building at wash
ipgson what will be the handsomest pas
senger station IN America such one as
beits the capital of a great country. and
there will doubtless arise demand that
every means be adopted to preserve II in
as clean and attractive condition. as pos
sbie This would suggest the use Of cleo
trio locomotives as a means to that end.
Some railroad men are inclined TO believe
that we are upon the eve Of q great revoiu-
ton OF railroad motive power. They think
that the step which is about TO be taken
by the New York Central railroad is but
the beginning OF a plan to operate the en-
tire line with electric engines II success
be the reward OF the change on the line
from New York TO Croton, with economy
equal to that Afforded by steam. there will
no doubt come from other railroad COM
panies demands for electric operation in
such volume that the builders of electric
locomotives and electric machinery viii be
taxed to their utmost for an indefinite
number Of years TO supply. them.
. 80
Telephone I'm wnr.
The Russki. Invalid lately contained some
interesting details on the subject OF the
employment OF telephones during the late
war In Manchuria. Three thousand sets
OF telephonic apparatus were sent out to
the army; OF these hoo were very heavy.
weighing nearly twenty pounds each set.
and were used only well In the rear OF the
army, where installations of a semi-per-
manent character could be used 400 were
of a much tighter type, weighing under four
pounds. and were used regimentaiiy and
for communication between units and tho
headquarters OF divisions; 900 were not Of
any special utility but as they had been
sent out they were largely used on the
outpost line II was necessary greatly to
centraiize the service 80 as to reduce the
number of apparatus required. 1t was
found that with the largest size enc call
station could feed twenty lines. while the
smaller could only manage six. The cable
at first used was very heavy-nearly four
teen hlogrammes to fhe kilometer-and by
degrees II was replaced by one which was
OF less than half the weight and which
wap found to be quite sufcientiy durable.
II Is stated that for every unit equipped
with telephones three sets OF apparatus are
required. with stan OF not less than
twenty-five men-teIephone clerks. mechan-