AN ELECTRIC RAILWAY IN IRELAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1007, 23 November 1883, Page 4

AN ELECTRIC RAILWAY IN IRELAND.

It is very singular (observes the London correspondent of the New Zealand Times ) that Ireland, generally so behindhand in commercial enterprise, should be the first to construct an elecIrict iriilwayanthe whole United Kingdom. The line which runs from Port Rush to Giant’s Causeway, in the North of Ireland, is six miles long and cost L 7,500 a mile. The whole capital was raised in the district, but whether the enterprise will prove a commercial success*remains to be seen. It is claimed that whilst the old system of steam tram ( /C3rs ( cos£ L 8 4s ()% a Week per engjp^.the nevy method will be worked La jis a w.eek less.. The power is generatedby in the river Bush, driving turbines to the extent of 90 horse power, and the electricity is conveyed by means of an insulated wire to the Wilwjiy." It is carried atlorig the side of the line by a conducting rail some distance above the ground, supported- oh insulators. An arm with a brush stretches out from the,train, and keeps contact with the conductor, and bythismeans sufficient powerjis obtained to work the machine or locomotive attached to the train. The opening of this new line was a time ot great rejoicing. The Lord Lieutenant ;and hiswife attended specially, arid he addressed a speech to an enthusiastic meeting, in which he made an allusion to the improvment in the social condition of the country. " It is, of course, needless to say that the problem of motive power by the;; aid., of electricity is not yet solvetTafty m6ra than is that of elec-tric-light'ng. The Faure accumulators seem to point in the direction of success, but at present their excessive weight adds so much rtf the dead load that nothing financially" successful has been attained. These accumulators have, however, been used for steam launches,; trycideS, tramway cars and omnibuses. Not long since one of the latt&fdrove into the court-yard of the Grand Hptql at Paris, in the presence, of a pafty'df savans, and much to the astonishment of the Parisian gamins, who could not comprehend .the gyrations of the vehicle in the absence of any?ostensible causd to account therefor. Mr Edison, at his manufactory in tilt; Mekld’ Park, Mas a private line three nailes ‘ arid a half Jong, arid he clai|o|)s.:to be able, to, attain a speed of 40 miles an hour, at a saving of 33 per cent over steam, and he is going to isopply- the ' new Swiss Electric Railway‘ Company with several of his motors; but his sanguine prophecies are not generally acceptefi;in )he commercial world. Should the Portfush railway provdiaigeneral:success, it-.-will lead to other and’timilat ■enterprises being carried out, and the value of mountain streams, wpl run, high for.manufacturmg purpfes¥l.“'’ Iridebd there" is rid knowing' but what in the future the mills and all their hands will migrate from the coal districts to those places which ‘ abound in sources of natural power. Sir William Siemens declares that there is Jri the Falls of Niagara’ to drivfe all the Spindles - in New ; England," and'Jwhdh’that is done there wofild be dnc)if|h still left to import to the . Old Pqnntry when the. coalfields of Durham ■ arid Wales have spent their force.‘’.. iEven. the wind might be usefully employed to generate and store up force when opportunity occurred, whilst'’the' tide offers a never-failing source of power to the man, who, can using it. piT dhp: unwgalth and honor await the person who can grapple with the. subject successfully both in. its mecha.imdnripmmerrijal aspects, : The effect that would be, and will be, made upon societyand all,'our habits is incalculable;' rind the’ -era 61 thd steam- engine will become as obsolete 1 ris thal-bt stage coaches and pack horses is now. Who Is spffid’eri't for these mings-? ; ... ,