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.
