Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-01-05
ELECTRIFhING STEAM ROADS.

One OF the interesting letters OF
Frederick j. Hask N, pub ished re-
Gently In the Atlanta Journal, was
devoted to the subject of the appli-
cation of electricity to railroads in
The operation of their terminals.
Tho facts presented by Mr.. Has
kins show that great advance has
been made in tn work OF hand ing
traffic at terminals by means OF tn IS
electrificatron, and that the econom-
ic value of the change fully justi-
fies the extension of tho system.
The large railroad systems OF the
country nave been experimenting
on this question for a number of
years, and have spent mi lions of
dollars in the work. The Penn
ylYania ra lroal, for instance, cree
ted five mile lin on the Long ISL
and and operated II In every re-
spect as IL It were a tunnel, in or
der to arrive at a correct estimate
or what would be the cost of adopt
ng this method permanently.
A number of terminals have been
Electrified with n the past few years
The New York Central, after pro-
vldlng for an income sufficient to
meet the interest charges on the ex-
ira capital required for the electri-
ncation work, reports that thsrs Is
decease OF more than twelve per
yent in operating expenses.
One of the most ambit Gus of al
these undertakings is that which thu
illinois Central has just set on foot.
IL purposes to electrify it's Chicago
terminals, which will make the
fourth OF the large termina in the
country to be electrified. The work
WI cost about four million dollars
and 1t Us believed that this will af-
rect a saving in the cost of opera
tons which will more than justify
the expenditure, while the traveller
is particularly interested in The
TACT that the new system will do
away with the smoke nuisance.
The trains on this system enter
Chicago through the most fashion
abe of the residence section of Chi
cago, and 1t Is greatly to bs desired
that some means should Ibe found of
40 ng away with the dust and smoke
as far as possible.
The Baltimore and Ohio ralroaS
has long since operated an electric
system in its Baltimore terminal,
and II has given the highest degree
of satisfaction.
Indeed, it is said 10 be remark
able fact that In not a single in
stance has the electrihcation of a
steam road, either as whole or in
part, been met with unsatisfactory
results, so there are good grounds
for the prediction that within the
next ten years every terminal In and
around New York city will have
been ELECTRIFIED.
Much OF the good work that has
been done is the result of a crusade
waged by little magazine which
deVotes itself to the attempt to
show that electricity can be applied
to everything which is now opera
led by steam, with much better re-
su Is. 1t is shown that a pound of
coal in a power house VIII do twice
the work Of pound OF coal In the
coal box OF an engine. "A hundred
ton electric locomotive will have
more weight on it's drivers than a
hundred and seventy -five-ton steam
locomotive, by which he may get
some idea OF the advantage of cleo
sricity over steam.
Under the circumstances IT il not
remarkable that as a result OF the
most careful estimates, The great
raj road systems OF the country
have electrified their steam railroads
In the term nails and tunnels to the
point where they now have a hun
dred mill on dollars invested IN the
work.