, 1896-04-25

every ycdI ii JIG WOiiuo PlouuOClOh NC IL
lowed for.
But it was not to talk about bicycles that
I had called upon Mr.. Lawson at his Offices
On Holboru Viaduct. [ wanted him to en-
Tighten me ON the subject of
HORSELEsS CARRIAGE MOTORS,
in which he is known to be so deeply in
terested.
"Rather y large ORDER ho replied. The
subject of Horseless Carriage Motors is a
very wide one. You must know there are
various kinds Of a~utocars, varying with the
different agencies employed as motors. You
may employ as your agency steam, electricity
or petroleum"
Which is the most convenient of the three
electricity, ! suppose q
"No, it is not; the simplest and best agency
is petroleum, and therefore petroleum motors
are likely to become the most popular mode
of traction in the near future.
'Why is petroleum simpler than cleo
tricty %
because it is more easily attainable,
it can be stored much more cheaply aud
with less weight than electricity or steam;
and it has a better appearance matter
of great importance-tha any other kind Of
motor. An electric accumulation would be
found to be far heavier than a petroleum
motor and to occupy more space. AS for
steam motors, they are of coutse far behind
both oil and electricity, from every point OF
view. Indeed, 50 convinced was | of the
advantage of oil that / took out a patent for
the first oil motor"
"Can you give me an idea Of what a petro-
leum motor carriage would be like, and how
it would be worked, and at what cos;? Please
don't be too technical. y
swell, imagine a neat and compact four
wheeled dog-carE, with accommodation for
four persons and two portmanteaus, or a
pheton, or a uiS-a us Victoria. The motor
may be fixed either il front or IN the rear OF
the clrriage. 1t consists of a g%as-engine run
ming at IL high speed, about 600 to 800
revolutions per minute, and making its W
gas from rectifed petroleum or benzoline."
"Any danger Of exploSion?"
None whatever, and it omits scarcely any
heat, smoke. SCOT, on smell. 1t transmits its
power t, the axle by means of a suitable ar
rangemtnt Of belts or gearing.
HOW A MOTOR CARRIAGE IS WORKED.
GLOW is the carriage worked?'
at is steered 10y one of the occupants by
means of a lever easily worked by the left
hand, while the right hand and feet work
certain levers for putting the engine in and
out Of gear, for varying the speed, and for
putting on the brakes when necessary. A
very little practice soon makes one an expert,
because it is all so simple. 1t runs quite
smoothly, without oscillation"
what speed could be attained to p
at can travel at o speed of about fifteen
miles an hour, though higher speeds are east
ly attainable. The average is fixed rather at
from eight to twelve miles. The highest
speed is usually employed on the level, and
the lowest when mounting hills, or going
over bad roads, as then more power is re-
CURED"
'But suppose you should want to pull up
sharply, can you do SOP"
Yes, even if you were driving at full
speed you could easily bring your carriage to
a standstill within its own length. Every
carriage can be under the absolute control Of
the driver. You have two powerful indie
pendent brakes. and you could employ either
of them for this purpose.
'Then what distance could an ordinary
carriage, such as you have described, travel
without having to be replenished with
fuel?"
The reservoir near the engine contains suf-
fcient fuel for a 200 miles run, which is about
us much as would be required for ordinary
purposes. But a supplementary tank may be
fitted in the rear of the carriage"
els there no cooling water required to keep
the cylinders at the right temperature"