The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-08-15

Ala. In the autumn OF
1884 Frank L. Sprague, whose name
is inseparably connected with electric
traction, began to attract attention
with his motors.
Twenty Years of Achievement.
At the beginning of 1887 there were
In the whole world less than sixty
miles of electric railroad track, and
only about one hundred motors and
motor cars. In 1905 there We're nearly
thirty thousand miles Of electric track
in the United States alone.
This change was not accomplished
without opposition. discouragement
and financial difficulties. Mr.. Sprague
himself, who was SO potent factor in
working this change, has told the story
of his first important contract In the
spring of 1887, the Union Passenger
Railway company Of Richmond, Va,
engaged him to build an electric rail-
way. The first car was run out one
night while the skeptical people slept,
to make sure it could climb the hills.
It started out in a blaze Of glory and
ANONYMOUSLY was towed back again
by four big mules. But Sprague per-
sisted until on Feb. 2, 1888, in a
drizzling rain, the road opened for
business.
From that time forward the future
of electric railroading was assured and
events moved rapidly. City after city
adopted the new motive power; horse
cars became things of the past; in
terurban roads began to gridiron the
country everywhere, and In each IN
stance a commercial success was
scored. Electric interurban lines havs
been money makers from the start.
The greatest development has beer
in the east; but the west Is not fal
behind. The Aurora, Elgin and Chi
cago Electric railway (the third-rai
system) which has been in operation
several years, Is famous. From on'
center power station over two hun
dred miles Of road are operated, or viii
be as soon as the line to Belvidere Il
completed. Electricity at wholesale Il
sold to cities and villages along th'
route for lighting purposes; electricit,
for power is sold to farmers. Train
of elegant cars run into Chicago at
speed which would have seemed i'm
possible a few years ago. Passenger
wave good bye to steam trains ON
paralleling railroad, which they pas
easily. A parlor and dining car Is on
| of the luxuries which the suburbanite
enjoy going to and from the city, ant
the railroad seems a veritable gol'
mine for its owners.
The horse car has long since disar
peared. Will the iron horse, the grea
steam locomotive, be supplanted also
This question occurs to all who ca
see the significance Of passing events
Probably not for many years to come
as far as heavy freight traffic Is cor
cerned, because steam Is especially al
plicable to the hauling Of freight. Blu
the action of the New York Central !
electrifying thirty-tive miles of its roa
leading out of New York, and th
popular agitation for similar improve
rnent in Chicago and elsewhere, woul
seem to point to time not far distar
when electric railroads will connet
distant cities and greatly shorten th
hours of travel.
Chicago to New York in Ten Hour
In fact such railway already
being built between Chicago and Ne
York by the Chicago New York Ele
tric Air Line Railroad company,
Chicago. This company, headed by
group of practical railroad men, pr
poses to run limited trains, making n
!: more than three stops, through to Ne
York or Chicago, in ten hours. TT
, thought fairly takes ones breath awe
at first, but the project considert
soberly seems practical enough, al
certainly is "a consummation devout
to be wished" The work Of gradiI
began Sept, near LaPorte, Ind.
AS the new road will be an air lin
, with few curves, the route survey'
: is 1GO miles shorter than the Pennsy
: vania short Line" and 230 mil
shorter than the Lake Shore al
. New York Central, each of which rul
: trains covering the distance In eighte
| hours. Taking into consideration Z
: shorter route of the Air Line, this
e equivalent to a fourteen-hC>s servi
With low grades, a straight track a
no grade crossings, the seventy-h
: miles an hour average necessary to
ten-hour service ought easily to
c maintained. Even on the first clf
e steam roads OF today ninety miles
+ hour is not uncommon for short d
Be- tances.
9 The Scientific American Of Feb.
q 1905, speaking editorialiy OF the N
/ York Central experiment, says. "
e success Of this installation, of VIII
/ there can be no doubt whatever, mai
i the first step in the gradual sub
tuition of the electric for the ste
d locomotive in the operation Of long
d tance express trains" The Chic.
% New York project may be regarded
k second step.
d Mr.. Sprague himself says that sp'
is "a matter Of finance" What Il
will determine the future?" he as
- "Chiefy the financial factor, as it m
= the future of any other great industl
= problem. When savings in operat
- and the increased return for ira
= will more than pay a fair dividend
: money invested for electrical eq'
ment, will trunk lines be operated
- electricity"
Professor Charles p. Stemmetz,