Philadelphia, Pa., May 4th, 1895.
Hon. E. M. Boynton, Prest. Boynton Bicycle Railway Co., New York, N. Y.
Dear Sir:—In reply to your letter of the 3d inst., requesting our opinion as to the merits of the Boynton Bicycle Railroad System, we beg leave to say that we believe the system possesses marked features of merit on the following grounds:
First; that a Bicycle railroad car, loaded with passengers, is much lighter than a loaded car of the same passenger accommodation of the present type, and consequently possesses corresponding economy in the power required to drive it at a given rate of speed.
Second; that owing to the lightness of construction, electric motive power, sufficient for the attainment of high speeds, can be applied to each car as an independent unit, instead of requiring a special electric or steam locomotive to haul one or more cars, thus obtaining for high speed railroads all the flexibility and advantages of the trolley system, as now employed in street passenger railroads.
Third; cheapness in the construction of the car, the roadbed and track, particularly when electric locomotion is employed, requiring an overhead structure.
Fourth; the advantage possessed by your system, in changing over from the present steam road to the Bicycle road, arising from the width of your car, which permits two cars to pass each other, on the ordinary 4′-8½″ track, thus providing a double track road in the space now occupied for a single track.
Yours respectfully,
EDWIN J. HOUSTON.
A. E. KENNELLY.
Headquarters Dept. of the East, }
Governor’s Island, N. Y.My attention was first called to the Bicycle Railroad System, as developed by E. Moody Boynton, some two or three years ago, and I have since, from a careful examination of its workings, satisfied myself of its superiority in several respects to other methods of transportation. Its simplicity of construction and cheapness of operation have commended it to my favorable consideration, and the running of the experimental trains at Coney Island, and Bellport, L. I., the former by steam and the latter by electricity, have convinced me that its advantages are many fold.
The liability of accident appears to be at a minimum, and the questions connected with the cheapness of construction, the economy in operation, the great speed of trains, and the comfort and safety of travel, appear to be entirely solved by the employment of the Bicycle system.
O. O. HOWARD, Major-General U.S. Army.
ADDENDUM.
The Boynton Bicycle Railway Company is incorporated to license the use of its patents to all steam and electric railway companies, in the United States and other countries, on the payment of a small royalty.
All stock of the Company is fully paid by patents and property, is non-assessable, and it is not intended to incur any bonded indebtedness.
Any company organized for the purpose of using this system will pay a royalty of one-twentieth of the stock, or, if bonds are issued, one-twentieth of the bonds, as a full and final payment for the use of all patents issued or to be issued.
The running of over 17,000 miles by steam on the Coney Island road, and of over 8,000 miles by electricity on the Bellport road has demonstrated the complete mechanical and practical success of this system.