truss, and is being designed by one of the senior civils as a thesis.
Granite abutments will be the supports to the 'bridge. Under the
platform and directly connected to it will be a shaft, and from this
the power will be transmitted by means of gears and shafts to a
large generator room, situated near the platforms. The room will
contain ten alternating current generators'to supply the electric
ity to move the car. The cars will be equipped with the latest type
of alternating current railway motors, which have been proved by
much recent experiment to be more efficient and economical than
the direct current motor. The lighting of the cars will be pro
vided for by a storage system, which is supplied by current from
rotary converters, which utilize a part of the alternating current
that drives the car.
The road will be located according to the survey of Apple
corps engineers, as made within the past year. The roadbed will
be constructed according to the latest approved methods, and on
either side of the 200 foot right of way will be erected an iron
fence. All grade crossings will be guarded by automatic lifting
safety gates, thus avoiding otherwise unavoidable grade crossing
disasters.
One of the many features of the road will be high speed, which
will lequire a modification of railroad signals. The semaphore
signals will be several times larger than the ordinary one, in order
that the motormen running at the high speed may see it in time to
benefit by it. Another feature will be the continuous service. As
fifty cars will be in motion all the time, the trip from Bellefonte
to the College can be made every thirty minutes.
The contracts are all to be completed and cars running by Sep
tember 1, 1904. A small power plant will be erected near the
receiving platform to give the system its initial start and supply
any losses not accounted for in the design. The platform from
which passengers mount the train will be kept in motion by
motors receiving their power from the generator room. As the
system overcomes all theory contrary to perpetual motion, once
started it will continue to run with very low expenditures for