Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
HORSELESS CARRIAGES
Satisfactory Results of the Recent Competi.
tive Tests in France.
An English Confession of Sluggish
ness In Adopting Late Scientific
improvements in This Line.

Consul Chancellor at Havre has sent to
the State Department a report of the re-
cent tests of horseless carriages in France.
AS these vehicles are being introduced In
America interest in them is on the increase.
He says:
THE winning conveyances were propelled
by gasoline and the rate of speed was
about fifteen miles an hour, which is re-
garded as an extremely creditable per-
formance the long lines of hills being taken
into account. These hills appear 10 have
proved too mucn for the carriages pro-
PEELED by electricity, of which only one got
through. the others having abandoned the
contest. One Of the steam carriages was
brought to q standstill at Versailles early
in the race, owing to an accident, and the
others lost time by frequent stoppages of
five and ten minutes, made for the purpose
of taking in coal and water. The electrical
ccnveyances had also to stop, from time
to time, to renew their dynamic charges,
but the petroleum machines carried enough
force for twenIy-four hours run, and on
the return journey the run was made with
out single stop. In comparing the merits
OF the different propelling agents. the palm
MI ST, SO far. be awarded TO petroleum,
which Is clean and can be easily carried.
The ordinary feeder Used for short dis
Gil, which Will last over a journey of twenty
miles. or two and oIe-half hours. For
long distances. receptacle capable Of hold
ing enough petroleum for a run of at least
twenty or twenty-four hours is provided.
BloOmers May Decline.
1--WE hear also of bicycles propelled by
petroleum, in which great interest has
been exhibited and half a dozen of such
machines started in the race to Bordeaux
enc, at least, holding its own among the
larger vehicles. 1t is believed that light
petroleum bicycles tricycles, and even four
wheelers will soon come into general use,
which will tend to relieve lady cyclists from
the necessity of wearing short skirts. AL
together, 1t seems that petroleum is des-
tined to become the popular agent for soly-
ing the problem Of traffic and conveyances
without horses IN the streets of great cities
and on smooth country roads.
1t has already made astonishing head
way In the uses and Industries of the world
In Japan, 1t has become almost the sole
nluminant. and on the Caspian sea the Rus
sian steamers burn ECthing else for their
engines
An English Confession.
Mr. Chancellor. in this connection, quotes
at some length from an English newspaper
to show the lack of enterprise in Great
Britain in adopting late Inventions This
Journal, commenting on the horseiess car
rage race, said
why is 1t that we are so slow in this
country to take up improvements of such
immense social Importance? Ours is the land
or machines and machinery, of skilled in
Ventors and colossal enterprises, We: in
many respects England lays behind the
whole civilized world in availing herself of
the discoveries of science. There is not as
much use made in the whole of London of
the telephone as in one single quarter of
Washington city, and there are prairie
towns in the west of the United States more
magnificently lighted by electricity than the
best street of London. Electric tram cars
ana tram cables may be seen in many and
many city abroad while here they are
sun novelties. Years ago the tourist might
have watched a detached electric or pc
troleum phaeton quickly threading the
thickest crowd of carriages in the Place de
lOpera at Paris; and now we have French
men again, instead of the countrymen of
Watt and Of Stephenson, acting as pioneers
10 Inc new age which will certainly effect
the deliverance of great cities from horse
traffic and of the horses themselves from
q cruel and destructive use of their strength
LondOn's Poor Trnmway Facilities.
1T Is circumstance which has been fire.
quently commented on that there are no
horseless conveyances other than cycles
and few cable tram cars in London The
reason is said to be that the law restricts
the adoption Of horseless vehicles In Eng
land TO very great extent. They are all
subject to conditions upon which alone To-
comotlves of primitive construction, steam
rollers. &c, are suffered to go through the
streets. A man must go before with red
nag, and the speed must be under four miles
In the country or two in the town. The re-
striction was probably very well before the
days of rapid transit, and it may be very
well yet in its application to heavy loco
motives.
1t was, no doubt, intended to guard
against accidents due to the frightening of
horses. But horses like human beings, soon
become accustomed to new and strange
sights, and are nowadays seldom frightened
even by the railway locomotive; besides, 1t
is absurd to class light carriage with a
road locomotive or steam roller, because its
motive power Is steam, gas, petroleum or
electricity. But since the successful expert
ments recently made in France, London
seems to have caught the CLEAN of 4 ray of
hope that horseleSs cabs and omnibuses NAV
soon be seen in her streets. Mr. Shaw
Lefevre, president of the local government
board, has introduced into the house of
commons bill intended to permit such car
riages to be used, and they will no doubt
soon become a common sight in the streets
OF London. as they are now in the streets
or Paris, Havre and other French cities
Rnu