The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-12-25
One dav the creditor of all
TIE NARDEAN or lUTOMATOy HORSE.

luc OudilcSbOl OOHtCf piiuto % pr
vate letter from gentleman now at the
Paris Exposition, of which the follow
ing portion describes the mysterious
!. aatomaton horse, whereof SO little is
positively known.
The iron horse bears no resemblance
to its equine namesake. Imagine a
trunk or box about seven feet long,
and wide enough for man to saddle,
and about five feet high, the whole con-
Germ mounted on FIVE wheels; the
wheels concealed, however, under the
machine. 1t is covered with leather,
and has saddle; only the sadie is We
ry high in front and back, so that there
is no chance of being endorsed. In
front is steering apparatus of the
simplest kind--two silk cords-just be-
fore the saddle a steel bar, which re-
gulates the Speed. If you pull it up,
you start the machine; pull it higher
up, increase the speed; if you depress
it, you slow until point is reached,
when the apparatus stops.
The inventor, quite young man,
commenced winding up the machine
with what seemed to me to be crank
motion, and as I distinctly heard the
click of the ratchet, therefore suppos-
ed it was worked by coil spring, but
/ have reasons since to think that l was
mistaken. / suppose it took two mi
nutes to wind it when he mounted it,
and started it by pulling up the steel
bar 1t moved gradually off, SO that
for the first minute / could walk along
side of it; but presently it started at
the speed of a fast horse, and in mo-
ment more was lost, going round the
curve of the circle.
l suppose you know the grand expo
sition is series of concentric rings,
each one devoted to a peculiar branch
of industry. The one the machine was
running on was the N1mero Qatatre,
section de Meconiques, and is among
the largest, measuring some yards more
than an English mile. 1t seemed to me
to be incredible that he should have
performed the circuit in two minutes
and twelve seconds. A hearty clapp-
ing of hands greeted the machine as it
came careering on, and gradually stop
ping without any apparent trouble. l
noticed the Emperor, generally taciturn,
loud in his applause, clapping his hands
as Justify as J. did, and l was assured
by M. de NJ. that he had never seen his
majesty on any occasion before show
the least sign Of commentator. The
inventor then said that he would put it
up to its speed, but to do that he must
give the machine start. He then
wheeled round, and just like a jockey
starting horse, got it up to its maxi
mum as he passed us he seemed to be
flying. The circuit was made in fifty
seconds. A new salvo of applause met
him as he brought the machine to where
the Emperor was standing, and / must
say | felt some just emotion whenthe
Emperor took the Legion of Honor from
his button-hole and placed it on the
young inventor's.breast.
M. told me that its endurance, if /
may use the term, was extraordinary;
that at its highest speed it would keep
gong for four hours. was led to be
lieve that the .machinlcal power was Sc
condary in it, and that a galvanic bat
terry was the real motive power. 1t is
rumored that battery was the real
motive power. 1t is rumored that>a.
battery of constantly increasing ele-
ments sustains the motion. ANYHOW
the secret is well kept, the Emperor
having, with the inventor, the only
knowledge of it. NJ. also told me that
at Vincenness battery of artillery was
to be moved with it instead of horses.
I may add that / saw four persons
mount it, and it moved much more ra-
pidly than would carriage. An in
teresting experiment was made as to
its capability of going over rough coun-
try. Several loads of dirt were shot ON
the floor, and it passed over it with APP
parent ease. One thing / remarked was
that there was perpendicular play in
the wheels, and that as difficulty was
surmounted, one wheel would be higher
than the other, while the body was on
the same plane.
I think that it has been placed pur-
posely in retired part in the EXPOSE
tion, and l learned this morning that
the Secretary of War has had it remov-
ed from the Exhibition.
The inyentor's name is Victor de
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