Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1867-09-11
An Artificial Race Horse.

\ private letter from Paris to the
kingson (Canada) J Wing gives the fol
lowing interesting description of the
iron saddle horse some Frenchman has
invented:
The IRON horse bears no resembl-
ance TO its equine namesake Imag-
inc trunk->haped box about seven
feet long, and wide CROUCH for man
to saddle, and about FIVE feet high the
whole concern mounted on FIVE wheels +;
the wheels concealed however, under
the machine. 1t is covered with lcath-
er, and has a saddle, Only the saddle
is very high front and back so that
there is no chance of being unhorsed
In front Is a steering apparatus of the
simplest kind two silk cords-aud
just before the sadd a steel bar.
which regulates the speed. If YOU
pull it up YOU start the machine pull
it higher up YOU increase the speed ::
if you depress it YOU slow it until a
point is reached when the apparatus
stops.
The inventor, quite young man,
commenced winding up the machine
with what seemed to be a crank mo-
ton. and as IdistinctIv heard the click
of the ratchet. | therefore supposed
that it was worked by coiled spring
but / have reasons since to thinI, that
| was mistaken. | suppose it took
two minutes to wind it. when lie
mounted it and started it BY pulling
up the steel bar. 1t moved gradual
ly. so that for the first minute | could
keep along side Of ii ; but presently it
started at the speed of a fast horse.
and in moment more it was lost. 90
ing round the curve Of the circle.
| supposed YOU know the grand FIX
position has a series of coucenric rings.
each one devoted to peculiar branch
Of industry. The one the machine
was running on was the Numero Qua
ira section del Mecaniques, and Is
among the largest. and measuring
some wards more than an English
mile. 1t seems TO he incr~dbie that
he should have performed pIe circuit
IN two minutes twelve seconds \
hearty clapping of hands greeted tho
machine as it came careering on and
gradually stopping without any appar-
ant trouble.
noticed the Emperor. generally
taciturn. loud in his applause, clap
ping his hands. as | did. and | was
assured bv NJ de NJ that he had new
er seen His Malistv on any occasion
show the least sign Of commentator.
The inventor then said that he would
put it up to its speed. but TO do this
he must give the machine start He
then wheeled round. and, just like a
jockv starting horse got it up TO
maximum As he passed Us. he seem
ed to be hvine The circuit was made
in tiftv-eight seconds. 4 new ~olyo
Of applause met him as lie brought the
machine to where the Emperor was
standing, and | must say | felt some
Just emotion when the Emperor took
the legion Of honor from his button
hole and placed it on the young inven-
tors breast.
NJ. told me that its endurance. if
may use the term. was extraordiGaF,
that at it highest speed it would
keep on going for four hours. / was
led TO believe that the mechanical
power was secondary to it. and that
a "a, ,vanic battery was the real motive
power. 1t is rumored that a battery
Of .onstantly increasing elements sus-
tains the motion. Anyhow. the Sc
cret is well kept, the Emperor having.
with the inventor. the only knowledge
Of it. NJ also told me that. IN Vim
cennes, battery Of artillery was to
move with it. instead Of horses
/ NAV say that | saw four persons
mount it, and it moved more rapidly Y
than would a carriage. An interest
ing experiment was made 10 lis capa-
bilities Of going over rough country
/ Several loads OF Jirt were shot on the
floor, and 1t passed over il with appar-
ent ease, One thing ! remark ed was.
that there was a perpendicular play