Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 43.djvu/747

Rh water at a hundred pounds pressure, and have a consumption of nearly twenty-one million gallons per twenty-four hours. The central jet or grand geyser formed by a two-inch stream rises to a height of a hundred and fifty feet. The color screens are in the shape of fan blades arranged to rotate horizontally, and are grouped so as to be capable of producing an almost unlimited combination of color effects.

If any demonstration were needed of the capacity of the electric motor to take the place of steam on such roads as the elevated in New York and Chicago, or of the enormous superiority of electric traction in the matter of cleanliness, comfort, and freedom from noise, the intramural would furnish it to the satisfaction of any impartial observer. This road is a double-track elevated structure something over three miles in length, which forms the highway of communication between the different buildings. It is purposely laid out with many an unnecessary curve, to accentuate the conditions of actual travel, and demonstrate the ability of electric traction to do its work satisfactorily under extreme conditions. The trains are made up of a motor car and three trailers, all four cars being arranged to seat passengers, the space occupied by the motorman at the extreme front end of the motor car being no greater than that of the ordinary trolley car. The cars are open, with the seats extending clear across the car body, each pair facing upon the entrance aisles. These aisles are closed by sliding gates, which are connected so that all those on one side of the car may be opened or closed at the same time by the movement of a lever at the end of the car. This construction might be very readily adapted to a closed car, and would seem to be admirably suited to cars having the phenomenally heavy traffic of those on the elevated roads of New York. A very noticeable feature of the cars is the perfection of the lighting. Too often, when electricity has been called upon for the lighting of public conveyances, there has been but little improvement over former results, due both to the bad habit of placing the lights in the aisle spaces and stinting in the candle power. In the intramural cars particular attention has been paid to securing abundant light, the lamps being up to candle power and placed in the most effective position along the sides near the car roof.

The electrical equipment of the motor car consists of four motors having a combined capacity of over five hundred horse power. These are geared to the axles by a single reduction gear, and take their current from side rails through the medium of sliding shoes. The side rail was adopted in preference to a central one on account of the greater simplicity of the switching arrangements, the facility in getting at the contact shoes, and the very