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Under-surface electric railways
Jan., I896.]
Notes a n d Comments.
75
portion of the sulphur, so that its conductivity m a y be reduced in the desired proportion. It is possible, I think, from the a b o v e experiments, to explain certain observed p h e n o m e n a ; for example, the mode of distribution of the metals free from, or c o m b i n e d with, sulphur in veins. UNDER-SURFACE
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.
It has b e e n a n n o u n c e d , a p p a r e n t l y from authoritative sources, that the results gained by the operation of the Lenox A v e n u e road, in New York, which has b e e n operated for several m o n t h s on what is k n o w n as the BudaPesth u n d e r g r o u n d conduit system, h a v e given great satisfaction. T h e saving exhibited, it is reported, is 4 cents per car-mile over cable service, and 8 cents per car-mile over horses. In consequence, the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, of New York, u n d e r whose direction the abovenamed experiment was made, has given out the statement that all of the cable a n d horse railway lines controlled by that c o m p a n y will be equipped for operation by electric power on the under-surface system. The Electrical World, in discussing the subject editorially, regards the foregoing a n n o u n c e m e n t as highly important, believing that it " m a y be considered to definitely establish the status of u n d e r g r o u n d conduit working, which will, with scarcely a doubt, soon supersede cable traction throughout the United States, a n d also lead to a considerable extension of electric traction in our larger cities." Referring to the Lenox A v e n u e experiment, it appears that the line has not been subjected to the test of winter weather ; the fact, however, that no special trouble from moisture has b e e n "experienced at Buda-Pesth, during the five years it has b e e n in operation, is reported to be r e g a r d e d by the officials of the New York C o m p a n y as sufficient assurance that no real difficulty will be experienced there from that cause. T~e World's editor, indeed, goes so far as to express the belief that the matter is already settled, as witness the following extracts from his c o m m e n t s : " T h e question as to trouble from moisture, formerly thought to be inseparable from an open conduit system, has b e e n the crucial one, a n d is now happily settled. T h e simplest system of u n d e r g r o u n d conduit electric traction h a v i n g been d e m o n s t r a t e d to be entirely satisfactory, one c a n n o t help but reflect upon the i m m e n s e waste of ingenuity, a n d the great expenditure of money a n d time, on complicated systems devised to obviate difficulties that never h a d a n y practical existence." DEFECTS OF " FIREPROOF " BUILDINGS. C o m m e n t i n g on the recent disastrous fire at Broadway a n d Bleecker Street, in New York City, a n d which involved the destruction of the Manhattan Savings I n s t i t u t i o n - - a m o d e r n eight-story iron structure,consisting of a n iron frame or skeleton, filled in with m a s o n r y - - t h e Scienlij~c American points out, a n d illustrates by sketches, several g r a v e defects of construction, to
Notes a n d Comments.
75
portion of the sulphur, so that its conductivity m a y be reduced in the desired proportion. It is possible, I think, from the a b o v e experiments, to explain certain observed p h e n o m e n a ; for example, the mode of distribution of the metals free from, or c o m b i n e d with, sulphur in veins. UNDER-SURFACE
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.
It has b e e n a n n o u n c e d , a p p a r e n t l y from authoritative sources, that the results gained by the operation of the Lenox A v e n u e road, in New York, which has b e e n operated for several m o n t h s on what is k n o w n as the BudaPesth u n d e r g r o u n d conduit system, h a v e given great satisfaction. T h e saving exhibited, it is reported, is 4 cents per car-mile over cable service, and 8 cents per car-mile over horses. In consequence, the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, of New York, u n d e r whose direction the abovenamed experiment was made, has given out the statement that all of the cable a n d horse railway lines controlled by that c o m p a n y will be equipped for operation by electric power on the under-surface system. The Electrical World, in discussing the subject editorially, regards the foregoing a n n o u n c e m e n t as highly important, believing that it " m a y be considered to definitely establish the status of u n d e r g r o u n d conduit working, which will, with scarcely a doubt, soon supersede cable traction throughout the United States, a n d also lead to a considerable extension of electric traction in our larger cities." Referring to the Lenox A v e n u e experiment, it appears that the line has not been subjected to the test of winter weather ; the fact, however, that no special trouble from moisture has b e e n "experienced at Buda-Pesth, during the five years it has b e e n in operation, is reported to be r e g a r d e d by the officials of the New York C o m p a n y as sufficient assurance that no real difficulty will be experienced there from that cause. T~e World's editor, indeed, goes so far as to express the belief that the matter is already settled, as witness the following extracts from his c o m m e n t s : " T h e question as to trouble from moisture, formerly thought to be inseparable from an open conduit system, has b e e n the crucial one, a n d is now happily settled. T h e simplest system of u n d e r g r o u n d conduit electric traction h a v i n g been d e m o n s t r a t e d to be entirely satisfactory, one c a n n o t help but reflect upon the i m m e n s e waste of ingenuity, a n d the great expenditure of money a n d time, on complicated systems devised to obviate difficulties that never h a d a n y practical existence." DEFECTS OF " FIREPROOF " BUILDINGS. C o m m e n t i n g on the recent disastrous fire at Broadway a n d Bleecker Street, in New York City, a n d which involved the destruction of the Manhattan Savings I n s t i t u t i o n - - a m o d e r n eight-story iron structure,consisting of a n iron frame or skeleton, filled in with m a s o n r y - - t h e Scienlij~c American points out, a n d illustrates by sketches, several g r a v e defects of construction, to