New-York tribune., 1896-11-23
uORSELESS CARRIAGES.
.,orop-CAR PARADE IN SURREY AND
srssEX-IS REVOLUTION IN ROAD
TRACTION IMPENDING?
London, November IA.


rne highways Of England and Wales are
...nsd to-day by legislation to horseless vehi-
op ,'. ora the event is celebrated by parade
:, r,otor-cars from London to Brighton over one
.. ..no oldest coaching roads in the United King
s.no While it would be premature to assume
~, tho date is destined to become memorable
~ .he victorian reign as marking the beginning
y. revoution in road traction and street traf-
a. 4, ;s ouite safe to refer to the removal OF
..r,c,;ons upon the operation Of automatic
.arriapes whether propelled by steam, gas, oil
o,oc,rici,v. as an event of great Importance
- .,a history Of mechanical invention. Until
=. a.v no vehicles OF this class could be put
tactical use in the streets and roads unless
..o, were preceded by q man giving warning
,.h q red flag and also operated at a slow
,,oce Inventors were hampered by these re-
.~,ot,ors and placed at a disadvantage in COM
.r,son with French and German rivals. After
y a.. ,bev will have free field for the eXer
-. ~ their ingenuity in working out the solu-
49,, -. one of the most important traction ques-
t,ons Of the times
n.. or,n,oyment of light locomotives In the
.,r he regulated by the Local Govern
poord in accordance with an act passed
-,. tho last session Of Parliament. 1t ap-
t;e1
,"aon which are propelled by mechanical power
o,s,ructed so as to avoid emission Of
-. or visible vapor. The maximum speed
., ,,rova miles an hour and in regard to bells
"a ,ohts the same conditions are imposed as
~ ,vc,es The regulations are carefully
,.rr and are reasonable. except possibly in
~. .nsrec, The maximum speed. while high
oh for city streets where there is much
...mc &c TOO low for country roads. where risks
,,,aent are materially reduced. The Local
,ov.rrnent Board has been. indeed. extremely
s.,,,,ous IN providing adequate safeguards for
go ,ntroducton Of these roadway loco
.,r.s and IL has reason to be careful, for
o,se,sss as the best of the motor-cars are.
.o-.ss in town and country certain To he
.~,sb,ened by them at first, and large increase
q, the number Of runaway accidents is TO he
spprehended
ENTERPRISE IN A FOG.
There have been several exhibitions of motor
cars In London, but to-day's parade in honor
of the revision Of the laws relating to the use
NJ locomotives in public highways has attracted
more attention than any previous show III was
MANNED as an enterprsing stroke of business
for advertising the industry. For many
weeks active preparations have been made for
q procession from the Hotel Metropole over
Westminster Bridge to Brixton Reigate and
Brighton: and with nearly sixty vehicles en-
tered for the parade. II was confidently ex-
pected that the route through London would
be thronged with spectators and that the ola
coaching road through Surrey and Sussex would
be the scene Of more activity and hustle than
has been known since the Queen paid her hrst
visit to Brighton by coach early In her reign
All that was needed to invest this novel snow
with the potency OF tremendous advertising
energy was good weather; but the winter ell
mate Of London, never either genial or pe-
nignant played the organizers OF the paraoe
shabby trick. Day dawned upon city blank
eted with fog. 1t was not black fog which re-
ouired the lighting of street lamps. nor was IL
a weird yellow one. with elements or pict-
uresaueness but merely a thick, Opaque, I'M
penetrable gray fog. saturated with dampness
and reeking with germs OF ncipient influenza"
II was a fog without promise OF clearing, ana
It exercised a most depressing effect upon motor
men and spectators.
The show however. was not postponed on ac-
count Of the dismal weather. The parade
started from the Embanknent at the appointed
time, and great crowds were present to listen
to the stirring notes of bugle and horn ana 10
peer vaguely and doubtfully through the cur
tain or fOg at tne PASSING iiiic VI 'iOi'N'~'"
vehicles Indeed. there were moments Of en-
thusiasm when the spectators warmed them
selves up by cheering Justify for the plucky
roadmen who were starting for Reigate ana
Brighton in the fog Few exhibitors withdrew
from the parade. and it was at least creditapis
display of British pluck and endurance.
The three rival methods Of propulson-steam.
gas. or oil. and electricity-were all represented
lia of yariOls designs.
There we're French. German. American and
English inventions competing for the honors OF
an exhibition from which actual racing. such
as has been conducted in France over long
distances. was debarred. There were three
wheeled phaetons propelled by steam and car
Tying a basket In which four people could be
seated: French steam trcycles. horseless ham
SONS and American jumping bicycles oil-motor
dogcarts. victorias. landaus. bathchairs. vans
and delivery carts of the Daimler. Arnold and
other patterns; vehicles with tanks filled with
petroleum or mineral oils. and motor-cars with
gas engines and electrical machinery: carriages
with simple mechanism and a single cylinder
and omnibuses with four cylinders and a most
complex arrangement Of batteries and accumu-
lators. The foghorns sounded, and the motor
men steered as best they could. 1t was
strange array of unfamiliar and unsghtly vehi-
cies that passed in a cloId before the specta-
tors eyes at Westminster Bridge; but 1t may
become common enough before the end OF an
other year
ELECTRIC OMNIBUSEs AND CABS.
Electric omnibuses similar to those in to-
days parade are 10 be set in motion next week
In the streets Of London. For eight years MT
Radcliffe Ward has been experimenting with
electric traction. and he now believes that
horses will speedily be displaced for both omni-
buses and cabs. He has succeeded In reduc-
Ing the size and weight of the battery. and
has fitted an electric motor to an accumulator
OF sufficient power to meet the requirements or
street Neflic for long distances 1t Is claimed