Evening star., 1915-03-28
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT is DOING

E, 1872 were on the rolls The last suIviv-
ing soldier OF the revolutionary war died
With Chicago, Boston and several
other large cities of the country dis
cussing the electrif1-
Electrifying cation ofithe railways
Steam Lines. .n,.s en.sr,ns - she ., .i,m, ss
| mating large part of the smoke nui-
sance problems. and the railroads say
ing 1t cannot be done because Of the
excessive cost. the Chicago. Milwaukee
and st. Paul railway is preparing to
| electrify its road from Harlowton,
Mont. to the Pacific coast. a distance
of $50 miles, not because of the smoke
from Its engines, but as q matter of
economy.
AS federal engineers Investigations
| into the most efficient uses of the nat
ural resources Of the country have led
them to suggest the electrifcation OF
the railways, the power to be supplied
| from the rivers and from plants located
| terested in the news that comes from
the west concerning this railway.
Plans have already been completed and
contracts let for the electric locomo-
tives. substation apparatus and line
| material for 113 miles of the main line
from Three forks, Mont, to Deer
Lodge. Mont. the first of four engine
divisions from Harlowton, Mont, to
Avery. Mont. aggregating about $50
| miles of track, including yards and
sidings. While this comprises the ex-
tent of track to be equipped in the
| near future, it is understood that plans
are being made for the electrif1cation
of the $50 miles should the operating
results Of the initial installation prove
as satisfactory as anticipated.
This is said to be the first attempt to
| install and operate electric locomotives
on tracks extending over several engine
divisions The various other installations
| throughout the country have usually been
| is understood that the Identification Of
this road has been undertaken purely on
economic grounds, with the expectation
| that superior operating results with cleo
trio locomotives will effect sufficient re-
duction from the present cost of steam
operation to yield an adequate return on
| the large investment required. The power
will be obtained from various rivers along
| the route.
The electric locomotives to be used will
weigh approximately ESQ tons. and will
have continuous capacity greater than
any steam electric locomotive yet con-
| structed The passenger locomotives will
| be capable Of hauling an eight-hundred-
ton train at a speed of sixty miles an
| four, and will be equipped with an oil
fired steam-heating apparatus for the cars
When the four engine divisions are
completed. it is the intention to COM
bine them into two divisions Of 220-mile
lengths, changing crews, however, at the
present division points. AS the electric
locomotive needs inspection only after a
run OF about 1000 miles, requires no stops
Tor taking on coal or water. or lay-over
due to dumping ashes, cleaning boilers,
or petty roundhouse repairs, it may be
expected that the use of these locomotives
will result In considerable change in the
method of handling trains now limited
by the restrictions Of the steam engine.
American ingenuity is still working
overtime, according to Thomas Ewing,
commissioner of pat
Patents Issued ents. for during the
in Year 1914. year year 1914 1911 1850 1850, pat
gain of more than 5000 over the year
before. The Connecticut Yankee again
heads the list, for in proportion to
population more patents were issued
to citizens of that state than to those
of any other, one to every 947 The
District of Columbia comes next, but
this does not count officially, for many
inventors come to Washington to COM
plete their work and be in direct touch
with the patent office in the meantime
California has one inventor to every
with one to every 1874: their Massa-
chusetts, Illinois and New York Penn
sylvania has one inventor to every
2.209 Inhabitants. and Michigan one to
the south has the least inventive genius
of any section of the country. In South
Carolina there was but one patent is
sued to every 16,406 of population;
Mississippi. one to every 1887; North
one to every 1926, and Alabama, one
to every 1882. 1t is Interesting at this
time to note that among the European
countries now at war United States
patents were granted, 1.475 to citizens
| land. 379 to those Of France, 152 to those
of Austria-Hungary and 56 to those of
Belgium. In granting all these patents
Uncle Sam collected more than two and
a quarter million dollars and added to
his surplus, after paying all expenses,
about one-quarter of a million dollars.
The total surplus for the Office for all
time is now seven and one-half mil
lion dollars.
The first half year OF the operation of
the Panama canal was completed Febru-
ary14, and despite the
First Half Year abnormal conditions
of r.,,1u.. due to the European
VI S war there are some
trade conclusions that are making food
for reflection of the federal trade stat
isticians. In the six months 1876 vessels
passed through the canal. paying tolls
amounting to $2,13s,442 and carrying a
total cargo of 2,367,24 tons.
Slightly more than II per cent of the