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Show A FLYING STREET CAR. An Aerial Whaleback to Ron by Trolley at the Antwerp Exposition. A flying 6treet car is the latest novelty which an ingenious Belgian has devised for the convenience and amusement of visitors to the Antwerp exposition. He does not call it a flying street car, but "grand balloon dirigible is the Belgian way of putting it. In appearance the flying street car resembles re-sembles the famous Pennington airship or a miniature whaleback upside down. The floating apparatus is a huge cigar shaped bag, to which is attached the street car itself, In the front or prow of the car is an immense fan or propeller, and at the other end an apparatus like a barn door in three sections, which provides pro-vides a rudder. The car is divided into three sections, one for the motor man, another for the passengers and a third, which corresponds corre-sponds about in size to the baggage apartment on a suburban car, is for the use of the conductor. The much abused trolley system haa been turned to good account in connection connec-tion with this flying street car, as from the overhead wire the electricity is obtained ob-tained with which to work the motor. Connecting the car with this overhead wire is a traveling cable, one end of which connects with the .otor , the other being attached to'a-aancrfMcb. slide along the wire as the car moves. In the rear compartment of the car. where the conductor has his quarters, is all the paraphernalia for lowering the machine. A stout ship's anchor attached by a wire cable to a windlass, which ix turn is connected with the electric motor, provides the means for hauling down the flying car when a station is reached where passengtrs are to alight. The first pmcticai demonstration of this aerial means of rapid transit will be made during the Antwerp exposition, One model machine is already pretty well advanced toward completion, the termini of the route being the exposition grounds and the bourse at Antwerp, which are about a mile apart. During the exposition trips will be made every half hour by this novel means of locomotion, and the success of the experiment may probably revolutionize revolu-tionize street car traffic. One great drawback to its nonnlarity, howver.. ia that the trip of a mile will cost S franc, or $1. Philadelphia Press. |
