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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1924)
10 THE BATTALION Something Happened in 1891 What Engineering Owes To Sound Principles 13ERHAPS no phase of elec- A trical development is more fascinating than the events leading up to the practical use of elec tricity as the motive power for street railway transportation. It is a story of “midnight oil”, hard thinking, ex treme perseverance. No better example of the value of sound principles to present day engineering could • be cited than the Westinghouse No. 3 Motor, as in troduced in 1891. Its design was so fundamentally correct and the details were so soundly worked out that subsequent developments of railway motors all followed the prin ciples embodied in it. Now let’s see what bearing this has had on modern transportation. In 1700 the first permanently fixed rails made their appearance. In 1831, in New York, horse cars began operation. In 1834, after fruitless attempts to apply steam, compressed air, gas, etc., to these cars, a Westingho^e Motor, No. 3, the Progenitor of the Present Universally-Adopted D. C. Railway Motor. gested that electricity be used as the motive power. The very first practical commercial dynamo, built by Gramme, in 1862, made this suggestion a possibility. It was natural that George Westinghouse, with his intense interest in transportation, should take up this problem. From 1889 to 1891, he, with his organiz ation, worked continuously to perfect a commercially practicable railway motor, and the famous No. 3, daddy of all street railway motors, was the result. As mentioned before, the principles embodied in the No. 3, thirty-two years ago, are still in use, and at least ten prominent features of this remarkable motor are to be found in present-day types. A number of these early motors are still in operation—a tribute to sound Vermont blacksmith, one Thomas Davenport, sug- engineering principles. ANOTHER GREENVILLE BOY MAKES GOOD Wilson N. Reedy was elected as chairman of the final ball committee. With the help of his chosen assistants, a well appointed dance is assured. The Battalion staff of 1924-25 are going- to get some practice in several weeks. The Junior Edition of the Battalion is to be published with Jack Jinks as editor and Steve Noble as business manager. Coming just after the junior banquet, the Junior Battalion always stirs up ire ainong the sophomores. This year, we hope, it will prove no exception. Circus Leader—“If that leopard gets out, shoot him on the spot.” Guard — “Which spot?” — Ex change. He—And what sorority do you be long to? She—I’m a Delta Delta Delta. He—I beared you the first time. PLYING HIS TRADE. Cop—What is your business? Prisoner—I am a locksmith. Cop—Well, what were you domg in that gambling house we just raid ed ? Prisoner—When you came in, I was making a bolt for the door.— Punch Bowl.