The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-30


one year ago there was so much i'm
terest in these horseless carriages that
a race was arranged between them
from Paris to Rouen, the first prize to
be given to the carriage which should
excel in speed safety, manageablliy,
and economy. There We're 1902 vehicles
entered, but before the day of the con
test this number was reduced by with
drawals and disqualification to twenty
one. The starters We're of all shapes
and sizes, from neat victorias to great
coaches for eight and ten passengers
The first to finish was the Comte de
Dion's steam vehicle, a heavy traction
engine of some twenty-five horse power
drawing four-seated carriage The
next to finish, thirty-five minutes later
was four-seated phaeton, built by
the Sons of Peugot Brothers of Paris
and propelled by Daimler petroleum
motor The next four to finish We're
also propelled by this same motor. The
prize was given to the first petroleum
motor to finish, and this carriage had
covered the distance, eighty miles, in
five hours and forty minutes, including
two stops of fifteen minutes each. This
test was distinct victory for petro-
leum and a special victory for the
Daimler type of engine.
In these petroleum engines 1t must
not be understood that petroleum is
used as a fuel for the production of
steam. The principle is quite different,
as this Daimler motor is the utilization
of gas explosions produced at regular
intervals. What bothered the inventive
minds of those who first Experimental
with this type of engine was the irregu-
larity of motion and the fact that when
the work to be done was less than the
normal power of the engine too many
explosions occurred and the machine
ran too fast. The first of these defects
was corrected by the introduction of
fy-wheel heavy enough to take up and
carry on all surplus force of the gas at
the moment of it's explosion. The piston
was thus brought back by the momen-
tum acquired by the f1y-wheel to the
position in the cylinder where fresh
explosion had the greatest propelling
effect upon It, The second defect men
toned was remedied by an ingenious
application of the principle of the regu-
lation governor, by which the gas valve
was not opened when the speed of the
engine exceeded a certain limit. Again,
| the cylinder in which the explosions
| took place became SO hot after time
| that the entire engine was likely to be
smashed, owing to the expansion of
parts made to fit accurately. A water
| jacket around the cylinder, and a circu-
| lating cistern in connection with it,
| prevented this catastrophe. The heated
water flowed out above, while the cold
water passed into the cistern in its
| turn.
With such general improvement as
| indicated, the gas-engine became COM
mercially practicable. But it was not
| until about nine years ago that Mr.
| Daimler, a German inventor, found that
he could make use Of the ordinary gas
| engine, with some notifications, as a
consumer of liquid hydro carbons, vari-
ously known as petroleum, naphtha,
| paraffine, or gasoline. The chief change
was the addition Of a small heating
| chamber into which the liquid fuel
| passed before 1T entered the cylinder