Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-27
Steam or Electricity.

| otSdiit VI CiSClllCAtS, w l1SA Ia
Is the problem facing every railroad ii
the United States from the shortes
branch line to the great trunk routes
The problem Is wholly financial
has been thoroughly demonstrated tina
there are no mechanical or electrical
difficulties in the way. No one look
forward TO u sudden change, but thu
electrical engineers say the change viii
be made on all the principal lines with
| in the next decade. Those sections O
1 road which carry the heaviest traffic
and the greatest number of trains are
already being electrified, tunnels ane
mountain grade divisions are follow.
Ing and the extension of this plan Ii
inevitable. All the electrical invent
1 ors are working on the problem anc
| the railroad managers are hopeful fol
several important discoveries which
will work revolution in electric traction
| science
The electric locomotive made pos
sible the large tunnel systems in New
| York. Washington, Detroit. Chicago
and other large cities, by abolishing the
smoke and fire nuisance. 1t has been
| demonstrated that electricity is the
very best power for handling heavy
| passenger traffic and nearly all the
| interurban roads about the large cities
are now run by electricity The New
Nork Central, New York, New Haven
Il Hartford, the Erie and other roads
| have adopted the electric locomotive
for hauling their fast express trains.
These and other roads use the motor
nos. Stov TIA nhAt al
trio roads are reaching out into the
country about the cities where the
clumsy steam engines do not 60
Among the best arguments for the
electric locomotive are the abolishing
of all smoke, cinders and ashes. The
cars are cool and clean and can be run
more frequently than the steam cars.
Stops can be made at almost every
convenient place. The speed Is higher
and more stops can be made without
increasing the running time. Nearly
all the towns and villages about cities
are now connected by electric lines
and country people can 60 to the city
for a days shopping or pleasure and
return the same day. The electric
lines create new business wherever
lucy GOs Al 5litIC VI SStASAc 'ASSAA
there Is no danger from fire or scald-
ing steam. The new automatic block
system in use on electrical lines which
cuts off the power when accident
threatens, is the best safeguard in
modern travel. BY this device it is
impossible for two electrical trains to
collide, as the power is automatically
shut Off between the trains when they
come too close. That is, for a certain
distance behind every train there is
no power. Il
When the first general electric LOGO
motive was tested at Schenectady NFsY,,
it showed its superiority overs the
steam engine In every way. 1t ran
faster, started quicker, did more Work,
was under better control and even
proved more economical. The test
showed that 1t took steam engine 203
seconds to attain speed Of fifty miles
an hour, while the electrical locomotive
reached that speed in LOT seconds.
Careful estimates recently made for
the Identification Of seventy eight
miles of steam road indicated that
there would be saving Of 81 per cent
in the operating expenses Of the road.
Lewis B. Stillwell and Henry st, Clair
Putnam two eminent engineers, have
made exhaustive calculations which
show that, taking the entire 216,974
miles of steam roads IN the oniteu
States, reduction OF operating eN-
penses to SO per cent OF the present
outlay would be made by the electric
cation of all the roads. This would
mean net saving Of 1897 mile in one
wear }