THE COMING MOTIVE POWER.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1277, 28 May 1883, Page 2

THE COMING MOTIVE POWER.

The use of electricity as a motor is developing, though not very rapidly. It appears from a lecture by Professor Ayr ton, delivered at the Royal Institute on March 15th, that on the Portrush Railway to the Giant's Causeway, in Ireland, a tram-car driven by electricity runs steadily at ten miles an hour, and but that the speed is limited by Act of Parliament, could easily do twenty-five miles. "We took six tons the other day," writes the chairman, "up an incline of one in thirty-five." A heavy tramcar has been tried on the tramway to Acton, and worked admirably, drawing an omnibus holding forty-six people, at six miles an hour, for an outlay of six shillings and eiglitpence a day, against twentyeight shillings required for the necessary horse-power* This tram-car is driven by Fauro accumulates placed under the seat, as is also an electric launch, which now does fifteen miles an hour, with tide upon the Thames. Professor Ayrfcon also shows an electric tricycle which runs eight and a halfmiles in the hour, with an ordinary driver's weight, and can run for two hours without being recharged. Theaccumulator is being rapidly improved, and the practical point now is to secure an ultimate charging force which shall be cheap, This must be a natural rush of water, and will be found at last either in some tidal river, like the Severn, or in the tide itself. In Canton Vaud, a heavy waterfall is to be utilised, so as to distribute light at a. cheap rate throughout the Canton. If we could once use the tide, it would be possible even now to distributemotive force stored in accumulators at a price with which no other motor could compare.