INTERURBAN AND CROSS COUNTRY WORK. 215
somewhat by lagging current, and no part of the line can
be left without transformer capacity enough to take care
of the heaviest load to be met. Consequently the total
capacity of the transformers will certainly be much greater
than the nominal 6oo k. w., probably at least omne-half
greater. Without going far into details, a main of not
less than 250,000 c¢. m. would be needed to reinforce the
trolley wire for its entire length. ‘This would cost about
$18,000 and in addition the extra cost of transformers due
to their moderate size and extra capacity could hardly ag-
gregate less than $5000 more. Hence an annual charge
of about $2300 must be added to the annual cost of power
obtained in the last chapter. This leaves the distribution
by alternating current in the same relative position of ad-
vantage as before, a position which is the stronger as the
distances to be covered grow greater. Only when the serv-
ice undertaken is exceedingly heavy can distributed sta-
tions compete with a good alternating transmission, and
the latter always has the possible use of water power or
utilization of cheap coal to its credit.
Very different in character, but nevertheless allied in
function to interurban roads are those which we have de-
signated as cross country roads.
It is surprising to realize how small a part of this or
any other country is conveniently tributary to existing
railway lines of any kind. A glance at the map of any
well settled state will show many townships not touched
by any railway and many more only reached in round-
about ways. Itis not uncommon to find a rich farming
district almost without means of communication with
neighboring cities and totally devoid of facilities for inter-
communication betweens its parts save in the good old
fashioned way. Nearly one-seventh of the towns in Mas-
sachusetts are without railway stations. Within fifteen
miles of Boston is one whole township untouched by a
railway of any kind, steam or electric. In the less popu-
lated states, there are many fine regions that are quite
isolated.
