The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-12-09

LONDON, November 11--Louis Bren-
nan, who obtained a commandership
of the bath for the torpedo which bears
his name, proved Wednesday that the
gyroscope can be practically applied to
railway operation in a single track.
Thus the monorail. which it has been
claimed will eventually revolutionize
the railway system OF the world,
seems brought within the bounds of
practicability
Mr. Brennan had previously given
exhibitions with a small model car.
Members Of the Royal Society were as
tonished some years ago to see this
model running along a span OF wire
ropef, balancing itself like a tight-rope
dancer on two wheels in apparent de-
fance of the laws of gravitation, and
from time to time since then visitors
to Mr. Brennans house in Kent have
witnessed the same apparent miracle.
The secret was to be found in the ap-
plcaton of that gyroscopic force which
keeps a spinning top from falling over
on its side. Within the little model
car was a gyroscope which maintained
its equilibrium.
The inventor has now completed a
full-sized car and fitted it with gy-
roscopes, and at Cunningham he gave
Ian exhibition which was entirely sue
cessful. Forty persons were carried
in the car up and down a straight
single-rail track and round and round
a circular track 22O yards in length.
The car is 40 feet in length, 10 feet
wide and 10 feet in height to the top
Of the cab in which the machinery is
contained 1t weighs % tons empty,
and would carry a load of upward of
10 tons The two horoscopes which
balanced it on the single rail were 3
feet 6 inches in diameter, weighing to-
gether 1 1-2 tons and spinning at the
rate of 5000 revolutions a minute. A pc
| rol engine on the car itself generated
the electric power by which the gyro-
scopes were rotated and the running
wheels driven. The car ran backward
and forward and negotiated with per-
feet ease the sharp curve of an eighth
of mile circle, which would be i'm
possible for a railway carriage running
on doublerails.
Mr.. Brennan does not hesitate to de-
clare that the monOrail, which the
gyroscope principle makes a practical
possibility for the first time, will re-
lvolutionize the railway systems of the
world. A train running on a single
rail can attain with ease and safety, he
declares, a speed which is impossible
for double rail vehicles. Under thu
existing system the limit of safety il
speed has already been reached. For
the monorail a speed of 100 or more
miles an hour is safely possible.
The India office, the war Office and
the Kashmir government have assist
ed and encouraged Mr.. Brennan in the
development of his invention, and q
German engieer has done him the
honor to initiate him. 1t was not Mr.
Brennans intention to exhibit his
Ifun-sized car for some weeks, but the
announcement that a German gyro-
scope car measuring II feet was to be
exhibited caused him to hasten the
disclosure OF the capabilities of his 40
foot car.
Since his model was SHOWN Mr.
Brennan has considerably developed
and improved his invention. The pre-
and improved his invention. Ire pre-
IcisiOn Of the horoscopes was eccele-
rated or retarded in the model by fric-
Itional means. In the full-sized car
a very clever pneumatic device is en-
Iployed. 1t is the automatic control
of the precision of the horoscopes
which keeps the car in equilibrium. So
perfect is the stability which the gyro-
scopes give that when all the passen-
gers on the car moved over to one side
of it the car automatically adjusted
itself to a new balance
NEW YORK, November lin these
days of rapid trasit agitation any
project which promises to solve the
traction problem is heartily welcomed
by New Workers. The construction OF
a practical monorail line, for which
great things are claimed, therefore, is
Of real interest.
Such a road has been begun and by
next June a stretch between Barlow