148 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VI., No. 133. 



of life, he is far removed from any thing 

 approaching assumption or conventionality. 

 His disposition is amiable and retiring. He 

 is now in the full vigor of health, and, at the 

 age of thirty-eight, finds himself in posses- 

 sion of a well-earned and solid reputation. 

 Should that long life — which seems to be a 

 legacy in his family — be vouchsafed to him, 

 very much more of discovery and invention 

 may be looked for from him as the result of 

 his maturer thought and larger experience. 



THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY IN NEW 

 YORK. 



For several years past, the question of run- 

 ning the New- York elevated railroads by elec- 

 tricity has been agitated. This culminated in 

 a meeting held in New- York City on the 18th 

 of November, 1884, at which were present 

 representatives of the Edison, Daft, Field, 

 Siemens, Brush, and Bently-Knight electric 

 railways, and also of the New- York elevated 

 railway. At this, and five subsequent meet- 

 ings, it was decided to test each S3'stem of 

 applying electricit}^ as a motive power for rail- 

 ways upon a certain portion of the elevated 

 road. To pass judgment as to the relative 

 values of the various systems, the following 

 gentlemen were appointed to form a board 

 of arbitrators : Sir William Thomson, Prof. 

 Charles R. Cross, George B. Roberts, James 

 H. Rutter, and Robert Harris. It was, more- 

 over, decided to finish the test, if possible, 

 within ninety days. This time has long since 

 elapsed, and the waiting public have heard no 

 report. 



During this time, however, a vast amount 

 of work has been done, and great difficulties 

 surmounted. The great delaj's have been oc- 

 casioned b}' the mechanical application of the 

 electric-motor to the heavy and quickly mov- 

 ing trains. In the various systems to be 

 tested, a third rail will be employed ; and the 

 laying of this, combined with its proper insu- 

 lation, has consumed a vast amount of time. 



In spite of all difficulties, the Daft company 

 have completed their preparations, and are 

 read}^ to start. As in other systems, the elec- 

 tric circuit is made from the dynamo to the 

 central rail, through the collector to the motor, 

 thence to the wheels and rails, and back to 

 the dynamo. This compan}^ have laid their 

 third rail upon the Ninth-avenue line, com- 

 mencing at 14th Street. This rail is insulated 

 by the Daft patent insulator, which prevents 

 water from making a connection from rail to 



sleeper, thus insuring good insulation in all 

 weathers. The road is further equipped by 

 completing the electrical contacts at the joints 

 of the outer rails. 



At the end of this line the company have 

 located their central station. They have 

 placed in position a large William Wright en- 

 gine, with the .necessary boilers and shafting. 

 Two fifty-horse-power Daft dynamos are now 

 in position, and, later, a third will be erected 

 to relieve the others, in case of accident. The 

 wires are carried from the station to the rails 

 through the streets upon poles. 



The motor, Benjamin Franklin, has been foi 

 some weeks finished, and has been thoroughly 

 tested. The motor is fourteen feet six inches 

 long, and six feet nine inches wide, and 

 weighs nine tons. The schematic drawing 

 (fig. 1.) will show the manner in which the 

 motor is arranged. No attempt is made here 

 to reproduce the proportions of the Benjamin 

 Franklin. One of the largest-sized Daft mo- 



FlG. 1. 



tors JOf, is mounted upon the truck FF. The 

 motor is hung so that it turns about N as an 

 axis. The other end is supported b3^the screw 

 H. The maximum capacity of this motor is 

 three hundred amperes, with an electro-motive 

 force of a hundred and eightj-five volts. 

 The power is transmitted from the motor to 

 the wheels b}^ the grooved friction-gearing P 

 and DD. P is ke3'ed to the armature shaft, 

 and DD to the drive- wheel shaft. The flange 

 of the drive-wheel, on the farther side, is 

 shown at W. These gears are duplicated on 

 the other side of the motor. The amount of 

 pressure upon the friction-gears is regulated 

 by the screw H. This screw is also advan- 

 tageous in case of repairs, for by means of it 

 the motor may be moved completely off" its 

 friction bearings. The support N^ of one end 

 of the motor, is cushioned with heavy strips of 

 rubber, as is also the cap T, upon which the 

 screw rests. The trucks are likewise cush- 

 ioned, thus allowing freedom of motion in any 



