The record-union., 1895-08-10
GREAT MOTOR VEHICLE RACE.
Petroleum Wins the Day Over Steam
and Electricity.
4 New Method of Propulsion Which
May Revolutionize All Travel
on Roads and Streets.

The second annual race of motor vehlc-
les was an event of international i'm
portance. Electricity. steam and petro-
leum eontended for the supremacy. and
petroleum scored a triumph, exceeding
the most sanguine expectations OF Its
adherants. Every one of the prize win
ners used this type of motor. while the
steam and electric carriages were COM
PEELED TO abandon the race soon after the
start or came iinping in, valnly trying
to overtake iheir iieeter rival.
Last years race, from Paris to Rouen
and retusn, hardly afforded satisfactory
test The distance, sixty mile, WAS not
great enough, nor were the conditions OF
road and grade as varied and difficult as
amotor vehicle in general service would
encounter Steam and petroleum were
the chief competitors then, and the
honors were divided about equally
betw cen them. The ponderous steam
wagon OF Count de Dion arrived first at
the destination, while the petroleum
motors, though second in point OF time.
occurred the first prize because OF their
superiority for light pleasure use.
The race this year was over much
longer and moro difficult course, the
distance from Paris 10 Bordeaux and
return being 100 miles. The grades and
other obstacles TO be surmounted were
such as to subject motor vehicle TO the
severeSt test.
There were forty-three entries In all
classified as follows: Thirteen steam ve-
hicles, nineteen petroleum vehicles. two
electric carriages. one steam blcyclette,
six petroleum bicyclettes, one petroleum
tricycle. ana one steam quadrlcycle. OF
these only about twenty actually took
part in the race, including two bioyclettes.
The heaviest vehicle entered was the
ponderous steam omnibus Bollee, which
weighs five tons and has been in use IN
and around Paris since 1880. The light
est was the petroleum tricycle. of Count
&c Dion, which weighs less than 100
pounds and was regarded as mechanical
wonder by the spectators. 1t was said
that this tricycle. had been driven 10000
miles without sh owing signs of wear.
Special prizes amounting to 1900 francs
were offered tor blcycletteS on condition
that they accom- plisned the distance OF 750
miles in less than one hundred hours.
They attracted good deal of attention,
and it was thought by many that they
would be formidable rivals OF the Pc
troleum carriages. These expectations
were not realized. The pace was too hot
for them. Hot boxes and the grinding
dust of the road made short work of
them
Partisan engineers have with few ex-
ceptions underestimate the petroleum
motor from its inception, and have per-
slstently discouraged the inventors et-
forts. They pinned their faith to steam,
and believed that the big road wagon OF
Count de Dion, which finished nrst last
year, would show clean pair OF heels to
the lighter petroleum motors. In ex-
perimental tests it has made forty-hve
miles an hour, and its powerful boiler
was capable of developing twenty horse
power, whereas the maximum capacity
of the petroleum motors was three horse
power.
The vehicles were started off at Inter-
walls of TWO minutes. Each vehicle was
required TO carry its full seating capacity
or dead weight sufficient to make up the
difference. In other words, two seated
carriage WAS expected to convey four
passengers from start to finish, or, If only
one person rode besides the conductor,
quantity of iron, lead or some other
heavy substance. equal IN weight to two
average persons, was loaded into the
vehicle.
Contestants were permitted to change
conductors. but all repairs incident to Inc
journey were TO be made by the con-
ductor of each vehicle, without outside
assistance, and with tools and materials
kept in the repair kit of the vehicle.
The carriage l1rst TO arrive at the start
ing point, winning the time prize, was
the one-seated petroleum motor OF Pan
hard Il Levassor, which made the round
trip in forty eight hours end hfty-three
minutes, scoring an average OF about
fifteen miles an hour, Notwithstanding
the stops which were found necessary.
Eleven hours atterward three other
petroleum motors came in, having met
with no unusual delay or accident. The
other three petroleum motors, which
used the same system as the winners
drew up to the judges stand later, but in
the case OF the other entries-petroleum,
steam and electric-breakdowns, hot
boxes, broken axleS, lack OF fuel and too
heavy cargoes tell the story. Il was a
long distance race between mastiffs and
greyhounds. The heavier vehicles were
untitled for the ordeal, and their inherent
weaknesses were soon apparent.
The chief prize of 10000 francs was
awarded to the four-passenger petroleum
carriage of Peugot Freres, which accom-
plished the distance in little less than
sixty hours. Panhard IL Leyassor's one
seated petroleum carriage, though tinish-
lng first, received the second prize.
The victory of the four petroleum car
riages was due entirely to the compact
and improved cooling device which pre-
vents oyerheating of the cylinder, and to
the small supply OF fuel required. The
motor is constructed in three parts, a
reservoir containing ordinary petroleum,
e oarburetor, and an engine with one or
two cylinders. The reservoir will carry
petroleum enough for journey of nearly
two hundred miles.
In the carburetor the air is drawn
through the petroleum aud then passes
through sort OF filter which prevents
the passage of any liquid. The gases
from the air aud the petroleum are then
rapidly compressed and exploded in a
capsule and made red-hot by lame. The
motor works smoothly at constant ve-
Ioclty OF 100 revolutions minute, and
actuates the hind wheels through fric-
non gearing and train OF wheels that
permits OF running at four different
normal speeds OF 3, D, and 100 miles an
hour.
intermediate speeds are obtained
through the sliding of q friction socket
maneuvered by the driver by a pedal.
In cases OF emergency or on steep slopes
the wheels are acted upon directly by
means OF block brake within reach OF
the drivers hand.
A Y per cent. grade can be surmounted
without difficulty, and the vehicle can go
forward or back at pleasure.
The weight of a one-seated petroleu IN
carriage, IL running order, Is about 1.540
pounds; of q two-seated one, LOO pounds.
The power Of the first is l. 40 foot pounds
per second, and that of the second from
2,OoO to :, l75 foot pounds. Most of these
vehicles are fitted with ball bearings and
rubber tires like bicycles. Over 500 OF
them had been sold in Paris previous to
the race.
The American public is ready for the
coming vehicle: a company has already
been organized here to adapt the Pc
troleum motor vehicle to American
taste. By 1896 New Workers will un-