A Chase by Electricity.

Evening Star, Issue 8084, 7 December 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Chase by Electricity.

[By Professor John Trowbridce.] President Brown, of the electrical railroad between the Mills and Shoretown, had every reason to be proud of hia success. Against great opposition in Shoretown ho had established an electric railway between that place and the Mills. It had been in successful operation for a week, and everyone was delighted. The close of a hot summer day found him jidiug in an electric car to 1)18 summer retreat at the Mills. There had been a meeting of the Electric Corporation, and he carried many valuable papers a.id securities with him, in order to study them and to make certain calculations before the meeting of tho directors, which would take place on the following day. Closely absorbed in tho perusal of the evening paper, he did not notice the only other occupants of the car—two men, who conversed together and apparently did not notice him. When President Brown descended from the car as it reached his residence the two men joined the conductor of the car, and rode on in deep conversation with him. Tho terminus of the railroad was but a short distance from President Brown's house. The electric car ran into a temporary shed, and the two men and the conductor sat in the car talking together; for it lacked ten minutes of tho timo of tho return trip to Shoretown. "Twelve o'clock to-night we meet you here," said the shorter and darker of the two men, whom his companion addressed as Dan, turning to tho conductor. The conductor nodded. The man called Dan then asked many questions in regard to the inmates of President Brown's houso and ' the disposition of the rooms. " Bill," said he to his companion, " after we have got what we want we can make the distance between hero and Shoretown in twenty minutes. The current is kept on till one?" Bill looked at the conductor, who nodded affirmatively. "What is that?" said Dan printing to another electric car which stood beside them in the shed.

" Oh, that one is laid up for repairs," re plied the conductor.

The three men then proceeded to discuss together the robbery of President Brown's house ; for the two burglars had ascertained that he had carried home with him that evening valuable bonds and securities. The conductor had been induced to join them in robbery. After the attempt they could got on the electric car which would be in waiting in the shed, where it usually remained for the early morning trip to Shorctown, and easily get the start of any attempt to pursue them. After conversing together for some time tho two men left the car and prowled about President Brown's place in the twilight, while the conductor ran the electric car back to Shoretown, promising to be ready at midnight to take the burglars and their booty. President Brown, unconscious of tho conspiracy, ate a hearty dinner, and amused himself in catechising his son Robert, who had returned from college for the summer's vacation, upon tho subject of electricity. "You can't get much from books on the subject," said the father. "You must work with practical men. My foreman

would teach you in a day in tho shop n.oro than you would learn in a year in college." " Now, father, that is too bad. I did not expect to hear you taking the side of the narrow practical man against the scholar," replied Robert. "The scholar who has studied the subject in books and in laboratories can acquire all that your practical man knows in a quarter of the time it has taken him to acquire the little information ho flaunts in your face. It makes me indignant to hear these ignorant practical men talk. Practical plumbers, and praetical politicians, and practical electricians! What we want are theoretical plumbers, aud theoretical politicians, aud theoretical electricians." Mrs Brown smiled in admiration at the eloquence of her boy, but the President said to himself: " The boy is in a fair way of being spoiled by those college professors. I will give him a lesson."

" You say that you have read a book on electrical motors, and that you have studied the theory of their action aud their construction. Thero is at present in the terminus station just beyond your house an electrical car which is out of order; something is the matter with the motor, which our practical electrician can remedy to-morrow. Why won't you take a look at it, and see how far your theoretical knowledge will carry you ?'' " I claim an expert's wages," said Robert laughingly, as he rose. " What do you supposo the boy intends to do ?" said President Brown to his wife, as Robert left the dinner table, lighted a lantern, and ordered a man servant to accompany him to the terminal shed.

'• I think ho intends to examine tlio electrical car," replied Mrs Brown; "and," she added with maternal pride, " I believe he will find out what the trouble is."

The President smiled ironically, and proceeded to read the evening paper. Robert, who had developed a remarkable mechanic il tasto while in college, and who had examined the construction of electrical cars on the lino which had been lately established near the college, had not much hope of ascertaining the cause of the difficulty in the meter. He had often seen, however, lnnv small a cause could prevent the action of the meter, and tho chance of correcting his father of an error in judgment was too j£°od to bo neglected. His only chance of success was in finding something wrong with the connection which led to the lever and brushes which turned the current into tho meter ; for he had not the tools for taking up the flooring of the car to examine the motors which were underneath the flooring, and which were connected with the gear which propelled tho wheels of the car. He unscrewed the capstan-like support at the end of the car and carefully examined the wires and connectors. To his great joy he fouud that one of the latter had been forced out of place and had been burnt out. It wav; bnt the labor of a few moments to repair this. The standard was replaced in position. The trolly on the top of the car, through which tho electrical current descends from the overhead wire to the motor, turns tbi3, and returns through the wheels and the track to the distant station at .Shoretown, was then swung in place. President Brown heard an exclamation from hw wife : " Robert has fixed tho car and is riding up and down in front of the house !"

The President went to the door, paper in hand, and felt prouder than ever of his boy. He took out a 50«lol bill and put it into Robert's hand when the latter entered, " That is what I should have had to pay au export," he remarked. Robert returned it, remarking loftily : "I work for principle, and not for lucre." " What! not oven for lucrative principles ?" remarked the President. "If you will ailow mo to criticise your new ek'ctiie railway, father, I should Hay tb.-tt your overhead wire is strung too low. Why, a tall man could easily reach it from tho top of the car," " No one but a fool or a knave would try," replied President Brown.

"1 am afraid the world holds some of both," ?ai'."i Robert.

"That boy is going to make something if they don't spoil him at college," remarked President. Brown to his wife, as he retired for the night. Mrs Brown, who had always respected eolkgc-bred men, said nothing, for she felt that Robert's success needed no words to enhance him that evening in her husband's estimation.

It was closely on midnight when the two burglars rode out on the last electric car. The conductor ran them into the terminal station ; put out the lights and everything was apparently quiet for the night. In a few moments, however, the conductor carefully opened the door of the car shed and put everything in readiness for a swift run back to Shoretown. Robert had befin dreaming of a new invention which had the wings of a bird and the screw of a steamship when he was aroused by an outcry. Springing out of bad and rushing to the window he saw two dark forms disappearing over the roof of the house. His father fired a pistol shot standing in the glare of the gas which flared from a suddenly lit burner.

"Turn down the gas, father!" shouted Robert, rushing into his father's room. Hardly had ho said this before the sound of a pistol shot was heard from without and a ball buried itself into the plastering of the room, Fortunately no one was injured, R:,i;ert snizsd the pistol from his father's hand and flew down the stairs, closely followed by hia father. When they arrived upon the street an eleotric car rushed by them, sparks flashing from the wheels. "Ihcro they go!" exclaimed the President slackening his pace, " There i 3 no hope, they have got twenty thousand dollars worth of securities."

" Come on, father !" cried Robert. " The other car, the other car! Stand there, I will bring it up." " Guod, there is another, to be sure," said President Brov.jn, pausing out of breath. As he stood waiting for Robert, tho man servatt arrived with a doublebarrelled shot gun. " What an excellent policeman you would make, James," said President Brown, "to think of that gun." James modestly replied that his grandfather had been in the King's bodyguard. Whik they spoke Robert came down the track on the front platform of the electric car with his hand on the lever. His father and James rapidly jumped aboard, shouted out to Mra Brown and the other inmates of tho house, who began to gather about them, not to be alarmed, and disappeared in the gloom. Robert turned on the full strength of the electric current and the occupants of tho car seemed to be riding on a thunderbolt.

" We cannot hope to diminish tho distance between this car and the ono wc are pursuing," said Robert in reply to an interrogatory of his father. "On the other hand, the other car cannot increase the distance between us. The current of electricity divides and jnst as much flows from the overhead wire into our motor as into those ahead of ue."

" Yea," repliod tho President, "but the other car is nearing the central station and gets more power." "It is not very far ahead of us," said Robert, peering into the darkness. " I can see the flashing of the sparks. Moreover, moat of the resistance to the flow of the electric current is in the motor of the car, and little in the overhead wire between this car and the ono ahead."

The burglars were elated at the success of their night's work. They examined their booty by means of a dark lantern as they sped along. A feeling of greed entered tho heart of the short and dark one, called Dan, as he reflected that he must share with two others. At that moment tho tall burglar caught sight of the pursuing car, and called tho attention of tho others to it. The conductor was astonished and a bit terrified, for the car had been pronounced unserviceable by the practical electrician of the company. Who could be running it ? Perhaps it was running on by its own weight. " Weights don't run up hill," said the tall burglar, with an oath. "Wo are pursued."

" I have got on all the current thefe is," said the conductor, crowding on the lever, "Besides, we are going up grade just here."

The speed of the car had slackened, foe it was a steep incline. The three men discussed the situation. The conductor explained that the only way to get ahead of the pursuing car was to cut the overhead wire just behind them. This would prevent any electricity from reaching the pursuing car, and would not interfere with its passage

down their own trolly into their own motor.

The dark burglar, Dan, who had studied the subject of the execution of criminals by electricity, which had just become a law in the State, and who knew something of tbe perils of handling electric wires, was strongly in favor of cutting the wire. He said to his tall companion : " By getting on top of tho car you can roach the overhead wire, and by means of these pliers ftaking them out of their kit of burglars;' tools] you can easily cut the wire."

The tall burglar readily assented to such an easy and cute way of distancing their pursuers. The conductor quickly brought the car to a slow pace, and the burglar rapidly mounted to the top of the car. "Mind you catch hold of the wire with one hand while you cut with the other," said the burglar Dan, knowing in his heart that this was the way to receive the deadly shock of the extra current which would pass through the body endeavoring to bridge the interval between the cut wires. The car was now running very slowly. The rush of the pursuing car could be heard through a piece of wood behind them. Dan's evil eyes peered down the slope; he could see tho electric sparks flying from the trolly of tho oncoming car. All at once there was a tremendous flash of light, which illumined the ground about the car containing the burglars. Then a heavy fall. " The wire is cut. Put on all the current," miid Dan, rushing to the lever and crowding it on. " That fool of a chap has got the whole current through him and is a dead man ?" As he spoke the heavy figure which had been rolling in agony on the top of the car, fell over the side into the underbrush. Dan and the conductor heard the car behind them slacken ; they perceivod also that their own car had lost its onward motion and was beginning to run backward down the slope. In cutting the wire they had overlooked tho fact that the overhead wire must be cut near one of ita cross supports in order that it might not fall and trail on the ground, thus giving no point of application to the trolly. Dan swore a great oath, grasped the booty, and jumped from the car. The cut wire was vibrating against the rails, bursting into the electric light whenever it made connection with these. R,obert, from the front platform of hi 3 car, took in the situation immediately. Calling to his father and James, he leaped from the car. James, the manservant, determined to obtain a reputation for valor, fired off one barrel of the shotgun at the electric light vvhioh was dancing up and down the track. President Brown seized the gun, exclaiming : " Man, yon are capable of killing the President and his corporation of the road, to nay nothing of injuring the road bed. Robert, where are you?" They heard a shout a short distance ahead and hastened to the Rpot from which it proceeded. The electric light had disappeared, for Robert had lifted the dangling wire by a stick, so that it no longer made eonnectionwiththeraih. He had then lighted the lamp in the ear ; had taken one of them out and was bending over a dark form which was stretched upon the track. " Here, father, arc your securities," he exclaimed, holding out a bag, "and here are the two robbers, killed by electricity apparently. This short dark fellow," continued Robert as the President reached the spot, " was caught in the trailing wire as ho leaped from the car. See how the electricity burnt his legs. I hat tall fellow on the other side of the track evidently was the one who cut the wire, for see, he still holds tho pliers in his convulsive grasp." " Tin"-: is extraordinary ! " exclaimed President P.rown, " killed by the thunderbolt on which they were riding!" The conductor of the car, who had lurked in the gloom of the woods cerutiniriing the party, held by a strange fascination to sec what had impelled the pursuing car, for he knew that it could not bo electricity, fled towards Shoretown. He must leave the State to avoid the examination which was surfi to come.

The men under the ordcrr, of Hobert lifted the bodies of the two burglars into the advance electric car, and then pushed the car on until they came to a place where the overhead wire was supported. Then the trolly which conncctn the overhead wire with the motor was swung into position. President Brown discharged the remaining barrel of the shot-gun iato the air, and gave the gun to James, telling him to return and protect the females and not to tell too big a story of his valor to Ann the housemaid. Then the father and son rode with the dead burglars into Shoretown.