Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, September 18, 1904, Image 27
ftsa IZZO Kleetrlcity Ousting Strain. HIUi in New York recently ad justing the wage scale for motor, men on subway train, Warren S. Stone, chief of the Hrothcrhood of Locomotive Engineers, ' had w HEM some Interesting thing to say concerning tho Increasing use of electricity ns a mo tive power and the possibility of its sup planting steam power In long distance railroading. In an interview in the New York Sun Mr. Stone Is quoted aw follows: "So far as Buburnnn tralnc Is concerned, electricity as the motive power of trains will scon be here. I should Imagine it will be little more than a question of a few months before most of the suburban rail road trains will be moved by electricity. "It has distinct advantages over sie.un for this kind of work. It admits of running faster trains and more trains, for one thin;;. AVI tii one or two car trains there may bo maintained a schedule bused on a very short headway. Trains can be run thirty minutes apart, or even less if desired. "I do not doubt that practically all the suburban service from the larger cities will be very soon operated by electricity. With the long distance hauls there are, of course, more problems to be met. "Some of these problems are serious, and, so far as I am aware, no altogether satis factory method of Retting around them li is been proposed. The question of the motor unit is one of thet-e. "if a steam locomotive breaks down, It affects that motor unit only. Hut if the molivu power of an electric road is put out of commission everything on the road, or at least on a very considerable section of It, couies to a standstill. In other words, the electric road carries all its eggs in one basket. "'Such a condition of affairs is more or less precarious, of course. In these days of hot competition it affords an easy way for an unprincipled and malicious rival to put a road out of business. "Naturally, I do not mean to say that any such desperate tactics would be re sorted to by any railroad company or its employes, no matter how bitter was thw rivalry. I merely mention the possibility by way of illustrating how open the elec tric road is to a clandestine form of attack that would, for the time being at least, paralyze its entire service. "And then there is another thing. The l!ird rail seems to he an essential feature of the electric road's equipment. At least, up to the present lime there does not ap pear to be any entirely satisfactory substi tute for the third rail system in anything like heavy electric railroading. "Now, the stringing of these heavily charged rails over a wide section of country Involves great possibilities of danger un less some better way of protecting them is devised than any now in use. And how are they to be protected if the shoe of the motor car is to come in constant contact with them, as it must if It Is to pick up the power? "I do not, of course, say that these diffi culties in the way of the long distance electric road are insurmountable. Far from It. I only mention them as now existing and as nt present not yet overcome. "There are many who believe that the substitution of electricity for steam in long distance railroading is an affair of the near future. They believe tliat the passenger trains will be first operated electrically, leaving the freights to run by steam on different tracks. "This Is all wholly within the possibilities of the not remote future, as Is even moving of freight by electricity. The electric mo tors certainly have the speed and tho power. There are still the difficulties in the way of applying the sieed and power that I have mentioned, as well, pcrhops, as others equally serious. "Yet tho long distance electric roads are rapidly extending. The I.ke Shore road Is paralleled by nn electric road from Cleveland, where I am now living, to To ledo. There is nn electric line in operation from Toledo to Detroit. "ISctwcrn Hnffalo and Cleveland. I be lieve, there Is still a short gip to complete I efore there will be a continuous chctrii: line between those two cities. When it is completed there will be n continuous dee trie road In operation from liuffalo through Frle, Cleveland and Toledo to lXitrolt. "There Is no electric line yet completed between Toledo and Chicago, but undoubt edly that connection will be made at no distant day. "I understand they are running sleeping ears over nn cleetilc road from Columbus, O . to 1'ittsburg. I have nevr ridden In them, but those who have say they are viry comfortable. "Klectrlc mid fares arc about one-half tho amount charged by the steam reads, and the local business of the steam roads must be quite seriously encroached upon by them. "As to the driving of a heavy, fast e! tac tile train, very much the rame qualities and equipments are required that n:o required in the engineer of a steam loco motive. Hrnlna are required in both cites; brains and quick, cool Judgment, power of maintaining coni c titrated and alert atten tion during lnlervuls of considerables length. "Combined with this, of course, there must be the temperate, orderly life on tho part of the motorman or engineer, without which those necessary qualifications can not he counted upon. It Is true that tho man at the controller of an electric car need not be equipped a3 the good engineer is, to just about rebuild his engine as It Girl's Ordeal UK heroic records of ancient Greece contain no tale of bravery or endurance moro worthy of re membrance thtan the act of a modern Grecian maiden Mile. Hadjilazaro. M. Hadjilazaro, a member of the Genevian section of the Alpine club, set out with his two sisters from Zlnal for tho mountains. Relying upon his expert ness as a climber and great knowledge of that part of the range, he did not take a guide. For five or six hours all went well with the intrepid three. Hoped together, they successfully sealed the Grand Cornier. The last diWcult piece of climbing did not deter them. They felt sure of themselves. The girls were innocent of thought of danger, so completetly did they rely upon their brother, who was first on the rope. They looked forward to the reseont of the Glacier De Molry. It Is not regarded ns difficult, but all glaciers have one spice of danger a concealed crevasse. At thehtight of 13,000 feet, or less, they had some hours of mountaineering before them before they were down again at Zlnal. . M. Hadjilazaro, anxious for his sisters' safety and feeling the heavy responsibility tipon him, took extra care, but he lacked that Instinct which guides have. Ho could not be quite sure. Suddenly . called a halt nnd hade the girls look out. He feared a concealed crevapse. He bent forward to test the foot hold. Scarcely was he on his hands and knees before the treacherous snow gave way beneath him. His sister next on tho re.po had but a few seconds to think and net. Her nerve never left her. Swinging, partly pulled by his fall, over tho crevasse, she braced herself with one leg on each side and bore her brother's weight upon her hips. What could be done? f f LI liS Ft ! mis on the trucks, but he Is required to have first class mechanical training and adaptability in other directions. "When people trust their lives In a rail road train, whether the motive power be steam or electricity, they lire entitled to have a man In control of the power that whirls them at such great speecd through the country who l a first class man In every respect -In brains. In vigor find In rci porisiW it y of character. The weeding out process t efr ip iren who bei;la as lire men g t to be englrerrs is probably more severe thin mirt people imagine. I sup pose it would surprise you to learn that les.-? than 17 per cent, of tho firemen n locomotives ever get to he cnrlncrs. yet such Is the fact. And the standard for engineers is oil the time growing higher.'' ro rieetilenl Urvlrn C-nne I'M ret The popular Idea that electricity causes mi-ny tires Is about n correct ns the once prevailing notion that all steam hollers ex plode nnd Illuminating gas always asphyx iates. The argument ran be carried along other lines, nnd might, in the eyes of some, on account of what would be regarded as nn ever present danger, prohibit the use of electricity nnd steam nnd gas for indus trial and domestic purposes. There is one advantage that cannot be overlooked, which has arisen, due to the widespread application of electricity, and that is the demand on the part of the board of liio underwriters that certain specific require ments be fully met with, er the use of electricity for light, heat and power can cels the Insurance and exposes the pro prietor to an Imminent risk. Ho electrical devices cause fire? This Is n question which In n sense has met with a full answer from the manufacturers of these devices nnd the Installers. It Is com prehensive In that it Includes not only ap paratus, but wire, moulding nnd all forms in the Alps M. Hadjilnjtaro called that he could not climb up. He did not even try, lest his sis ter's strength should give out as ho tugged at her In the effort. Hapldiy the sisters made up their minds. The one at the end of the rope untied her self and went off to Zlnal nlonc for help. Would sho get there safely? The brother In danger, the sister supporting him upon her hips us she stood astride the crevasse In an attitude only a woman could have kept for long, did not know. As the minutes one by one mnde way for the other and lengthened Into hours the noble girl felt ns if the strain would send her mad. The rope cut Into her hips and the pain was excruciating. Her brother tried to ease her by cutting steps In the side of the crev.isse and hold ing on to them, but he dare not attempt to climb. A slip would mean death for both in the depths. As he looked and called en couraging words to her the ley cold water fell drop by drop upon his forehead, In imitation of the greatest torture known to the Spanish Inquisition. To add to the hor ror darkness came down on the mountain. For twelve awful hours they held out Then, when they felt that human nature could withstand tho awful Btraln no longer, a welcome cry rang out. Lights shone over tho glacier. Their sister had brought help. So as not to alarm the rest of the family she had descended by tho Col de I'Allee nnd arrived at the village In two hours and a half, at 8:H0 in the evening. Frantically Hhe sought guides. Tbit things are slow at Zlnal. It was hours before she could collect the five men she needed, with lanterns nnd Alpine life-saving apparatus. Not till 7 in the morning and she started for succor at 6 the night before did the rescue party reach the courageous girl and release her from her trying ordeal. i 9 i 15! Ji il of Insulating material. It Is n well-known fai t that the safety valves of an electrical system are its fuses, nnd it is mainly at tlnse points that danger from tiro can bo anticipated. Hut if these fuses an- covered with Incombustible material so that when they blow no Hash or flame can possibly ap pear, where, then, does the danger lie? U has been claimed that switches will arc, nnd II res originate at these points, lint tho unbiased observation of many witnesses has been to the contrary. Switches un dergo the severest of tests before they i:n be used as a reliable electrical device. In this respect manufacturers more than too the mark. What, then, Is left? Some say the wooden moulding catches lire, but this Is fireproof) d. The report of the eomtnltlco on aits and silences, published In tho Journal of the Franklin Institute on l-Yn-cll's apparatus for llrcprooling wood, cov ers this subject thoroughly. The use of moulding does represent a pisslbie sonreo fif conflagration, but when we hear of the requirements ef nn ideal flrcproofing sub stance, as cited by him and applied In prac tice by his met hods, to make wood "liro reslsta nt," even this risk disappears. An Ideal lit cprooflng substance to which reliable moulding is subjected must accom plish the following: Kender wood "tire-resistant" In the high est degree. Have no deleterious effect on the wooil, but, on the contrary, serve as a preserva tive. Have no Injurious effect on the strength of the wood. Have no hydroscopic, qualities. lToduee no efflorescence. Preserve the natural color of the wood. Have no Injurious effect on varnish or paint applied to its surface, lie nonvolatile under tho action of heat. ICxert no corrosive or rusting action on metallic substances. This leavt s little to be desired and dis poses of the vital points in the question asked. A building entirely dependent upon electricity for its light, heat and power Is by f;tr the best insurance risk the com munity can offer, it is the safest building to reside in, and it represents the epitome of hygienic and engineering accomplish ments. FJectricity. New Field for Klrctr lelt . A large electrically driven steel rolling mill is In operation in upper Silesia. The plant includes three groups of three-foot high nulls, each having uu independent direct coupled motor nnd ily wheel. Aa alternating current of t.NiO volts is received by an induction motor of tiuo-hurse power and trunsfoi mod to a direct current of bid volts by a motor generator with a capacity ranging from DUO kilowatts normal to 1,0)0 kilowatts maximum output, the number of revolutions varying from 3 to 300 a minute. The variations in the demand of the work ure equalized by a twenty-ton cast-steel fly wheel. In the three rolling mills are included a blooming train of a singlo stand of eighteen-inch rolls, making sixty to 100 revolutions, a medium train with two stands of fourteen-lnch rolls and 150 to 230 revolu tions speed; and a small section mill with seven stands of ten and a half-inch rolls, with from 3i) to liA revolutions a minute. The motors of the blooming or roughing and the medium trains are each of 2'K) average und 000 maximum horse power. The first has a twelve-ton and the second an eight-ton fly wheel. The small section mill has a motor ranging between .'!" and KOO-horse power with a live-ton fly wheel. The roughing mill takes ste-el blooms S1'4 Indies rquaie, which can be Hutched to bars llOO feet long, but, as a rule, tlut blooms are only i educed to 2 Inches square und then sheared into lengths for finishing in the smaller mills, which roll bars up to 110 feet in the medium and 225 in tho smaVi section train. Chicago Tribune.