Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-26
ELECTRICITY VS.. STEAM.
Railroads Preparing to Spend $500, 900, 900
for Changes in Motive Power.

Railroads Preparing TO Spend 5000, ,OOO,OOO
for Changes in Motive Power.
New York sun.
viii the electric railway motor sup
plant the steam locomotive This is a
question which has been frequently
asked in the last few years and has been
answered only by conjecture. Now
there are sufficient facts at hand to
demonstrate that the struggle which has
been going on between electricity and
steam is approaching a climax.
When the electric motor pulled the
first street car successfully through the
streets Of Richmond, Va, in 1883 many
enthusiasts on the subject of electric
railway propulsion hailed this event as
the death knell of the steam locomotive.
OF course these prophesies were some
what premature Nevertheless the cleo
trio railway has steadily advanced in
development.
From propelling originally the street
car in the larger cities electric power
became afterward the motive force of the
suburban line, then of the interurhan
line, and of late there have been many
electric roads built to parallel the steam
lines, until now the electric road in many
cases is a competitor Of the steam road
and a dangerous one. While the street
car motor when il was first introduced
had "a capacity of Is horse power only,
motors are now being built up to 400 or
500 horse power.
Every year since 1883 has witnessed
new developments and new triumphs for
electricity, and as every new electrical
| triumph meant another encToachment
upon the steam locomotive, at last the
railroad companies we're forced TO take
notice.
The number Of electric roads grew
enormously and wherever they appeared
in competition with the steam roads as
handlers Of local or suburban freight the
steam road was driven 10 the woods.
/ What has been the result Practically
every trunk line railroad company has
already begun the installation Of cleo
tricity on its lines or is making prepara-
tions to take this step in the immediate
/ future.
The New York Central Railroad is
! equipping its main line with an electric
| system to run trains from the Grand
| Central station in New York City up
into theiState of New York as far as Al
bany. At a recent meeting of the di-
rectors it was decided to issue $780,
| 100000 additional stock, to be used in
extending their lines in New York by
| electric roads.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has for
some time operated electric trains on
its Long Island division and this work is
/ now being constantly extended The
same company recently made another
contract for the electrical equipment of
| its line from Philadelphia to Atlantic City.
On these lines have heretofore been
I run some of the finest trains that ever
ran on this continent and at speed not
exceeded anywhere. In the face of this,
the company is now engaged in the aban
| donment of the steam system and is sub
| stituting electricity.
The New York, New Haven & Hart
! ford recently contracted for 30 electric
! locomotives to be installed on the line
| between New York City and Stamford.
The company has already begun to equip
some of its main tracks electrically The
| powerhouse, where the electric current
is to be generated, is well under way and
before long electric express trains will
run on a regular daily schedule.
The Erie Railroad is the next road
which will introduce electricity on part
Of its main line, and, once the start ha.
/ been made there, the Gould roads vii
naturally fall into line
The Grand Trunk line recently con.
tracted for electric power to operate It's
lines under the st. Clair River betReer
Detroit and Windsor
The Illinois Central Railroad is making
similar preparations for the intro.
duction of electricity.
There cannot be any question that
the travelling public will derive bene.
fit from the change. The operation oI
electric trains being cheapeS there will
be many more trains and thus increased
accommodations. The electric locomo.
tive will be cleaner There will be mo
smoke, no dirt, no cinders; neither will
the operation Of the road be so noisy.
Apart from tho effects which this
change will produce upon the future
method Of railroad transportation, the
immediate results are worthy Of con
sideration. There are the large amounts
OF money that will be spent TO effect
this change At a conservative esti-
mate, there is now about $500. 100000
appropriated by ithe various railroad
companies throughout this country Ia
be used in the purchase Of electrical
machinery.