Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-08-22
HorseIess Carriages.

Dtpdl IulSHI VSoA N4LS 4O'SSASS" S"4
riages in France, that the time seems
approaching when automatic road car
riages, propelled by steam, electricity
or petroleum, will come into general
use and take away from the patient
horse the worst part of his daily toll.
The odds, at present, seem to be in
favor of petroleum.
A most interesting competition has
recently taken place in France be-
tween varied specimens Of motor car
riages. The course prescribed was
from Paris to Bordeaux-a distance
of 358 miles-and back again, and
any vehicle to stand disqualified if it
consumed more than one hundred
hours on the road. The big prize of
the day 10000 francs ($7 720)-was
for four-seated carriages, which was
won by Les Fills de PengeOt freres,
while Messrs. Panhard & Leyasson Sc
cured second place with two-seated
carriage, making the round trip in
twenty-four hours and ffty-three min
utes.
The winning conveyances were pro-
PEELED by gasoline, and the rate Of
speed was about fifteen miles an hour
which is regarded as an extremely
creditable performance, the long lines
ofhills being taken into account. These
hills appear to have proved too much
for the carriages propelled by cleo
tricity, of which only one got through,
the others having abandoned the con-
test. One of the steam carriages was
brought to 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 convey
ances had also to stop, from time to
time, to renew their dynamic charges,
but the petroleum machines carried
enough force for twenty-four hours
run, and on the return journey TIE
run was made without a single stop.
In comparing the merits Of the differ
ent propelling agents, the palm must,
so far be awarded to petroleum, which
is clean and can be easily carried.
The ordinary feeder used for short
distances contains less than four quarts
of oil, which will last over journey
of twenty miles, or two and one-halt
hours. For long distances areceptacle
capable of holding enough petroleum
for a run of at least twenty-four hours
is provided
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, one, at least, holding its
own among the larger vehicles. 1t is
believed that light petroleum bicycles,
tricvcles, 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, it seems that petroleum
is destined to become the popular
agent for solving the problem of traffic
and conveyances without horses in the
streets of great cities and on smooth
county roads.
In commenting on the success Of the
horseless vehicles propelled by petrol
cum, in the race between Paris and
Bordeaux, leading English journal
says:
Why is it that weare so slow in this
country to take up Improvements of
such immense social Importance? Ours
is the land of machines and machinery,
of skilled inventors and colossal enter
prises, yet in many respects England
lag.behind the whole civilized world
in awaiting herselfof 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 magnifciently lighted by cleo
tricity than the best streets of London.
Electric tram cars and tram cables
may be seen in many and many a city
abroad while here they are still novel
ties. Years ago, the tourist might
have watched a detached electric o.
petroleum pheton quickly threading
the thickest crowd of carriages in the
Place de IOpera, at Paris; and now
we have Frenchmen again, instead Of
the countrymen of Watt and of Steph-
enson, acting as pioneers to the new
age, which will certainly effect the
deliverance of great cities from horse
traffic, and of the horses themselves
from cruel and destructive use Of