Fantasy fiction; Utopian fiction; Utopias -- Fiction
"No; far less expensive than horses. The batteries, or accumulators,
are very small, but with great power. The weight carried by such a
carriage as this, in accumulators, is about fifteen pounds, and the
energy is the equivalent of two horses for six hours, or a greater
number of horses for a less time. The accumulators are charged at the
rate of about fifty cents per set, which is a six-hour run. The great
saving is that when the carriage is not in use, there is no expense."
The carriage was going at a good round gait, but the motion was easy
and steady.
Passing into Market street, Cobb was astonished at the magnificence of
the buildings. He could not remember ever having seen a single building
then standing as being there during his time. The architecture was
grand in the extreme; beauty was not lacking, but was combined with
strength.
He saw horses, electric motors, and cable cars, but the latter no
longer ran upon tracks on the street; the trucks were all underneath
the roadbed, while the cars were held aloft by thin but strong steel
supports. The cars, moreover, were lighter built and set closer to the
ground.
He saw no horse-cars. The pavement was everywhere of the same
material--clean, smooth, and elastic; and he rejoiced to think that at
last mankind had awakened to the fact that it was not only cruel, but
costly, to cause horses to run upon cobble-stones, and pavements of
similar construction. He did not have time to note all the many changes
which had taken place and then in view, ere the carriage stopped at the
gate of a most imposing edifice.
Alighting from his seat, Rawolle assisted him down, saying:
"Here we are, Mr. Cobb."
Having gotten out, they all went into the depot, for such Cobb was
informed it was. He was surprised at the grandeur of the building. It
far exceeded anything he had ever seen for similar purposes. Rawolle
took him around and showed him the various waiting, toilet, dining, and
other rooms.
The depot was on the site formerly occupied by the old station, at the
corner of Third and Townsend streets.
Passing into the main hall, he perceived a stream of people coming
from the left. The interior of the depot, after passing through the
main hall, was a vast space with a great arched roof. The ground was
paved with marble slabs, and divided by iron fencing into five large
compartments; the first running from side to side of the building,
while the others were set at right angles to it. Each of the four
divisions had a great slot or opening through its floor, of about two
hundred feet in length by twelve in width. The last opening was filled
by a train which had just arrived.
The people were flocking out, and through the gates into the main hall,
or, as Cobb called it, the fifth compartment.
His attention was riveted to the train as it stood upon the track. It
was so different from anything in the railway line that he had ever
seen before, that he was most anxious to learn something about it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account