, 1896-12-19
A SUNDAY RIDE IN A MOTOR
CARRIAGE.
From tic Duly Telsgr aph.)

DciOIG IHG ifCNcHl ulJlUH - O'I i'h'iOI1SFS
it is M,tilpated. are 10 be given a taste of ON
nibu>es propelled by electricity. and, if exist
ing i!len;ions'be fulfilled, citizens dwelling
in The delectabie regions of Hammelsmith
will lie enabled to reach the busy purlieus
round and about the Bank quite independents
!y'of submissive horses, ana without inhalinG'
the noxious fumes of sulphur in underground
London" II is only natural. perhaps, that
snch an event should cast II shadow le fore it
and that the travelling public should obtain a
preliminary Introduction TO the alleged con.
veyance of the future" 1t will happen there
fore, in The course Of the next few days, that
some such formal will be carried
through. and in the meantime, it has fallen.to
the lot of a privileged few to ride over a pre-
scrib9d area IF md1 r|opolitan wood paving in
"a small carriage constructed in the main on
the principles to be applied to Londons new
est buses. How this came al out, seeing
that the regulations decreed under the old
Highways and Locomotives Act are still in
force. need not be inquired into. Enough
that pedestrians in the immediate vicinity of
Whitehall, as well as occupants of cabs and
garden seats, were considerably startled
yesterday afternoon on behOlding q strangely
hybrid vehicle-a curious combination of a char
a-banc and a misunderstanding on its way
minus a horse. bet weeu that part Of the EN-.
hankment adjacent to Northumberland ave .
nue. and the, Horse Guards parade. So as
tonished were the drivers If omnibuses that
they pulled up and remained stationary for a
sufficient time to enable passengers to tho.
roughly master the details If the curious car
riage' which was the obie t of admiration.
The patient steedS thus IN oraFily brought
to a standstill alone appeared unmoved, and
gave no evidence Of flight at the spaSmodic
flashing of the electric current travelling from
the storage batteries to the steering appara-
tuS. All persons Interested in motor cars are
probably familiar with the system shortly to
DE adopted III the case of electric buses. and
nothing, therefore, need he said with regard
to the principle-identical in character-by
which the vehicle which yesterday attracted
80 much attention vas propelled. 1t possesses
however, one very important new feature in
the Shape of pneumatic wheels, easily adap-
table for the carrying II heavy weights-so
much. 50. indeed, that they are. used in the
construction Of the electric cab which are
soon to ply FOR hire on the metropolitan
Streets The open carriage which has
> JUST afforded q free Sunday amusement
to wayfarPrs in the centre Of London
runs on. four solid air wheels Iseme Gain. in
diameter, and having an enormous canvas
covering, stated to be Safeguardei by q steel
easing against the risk of puncturing. The
advantage of p~nelnQtic wheels Of this descrip-
zion are pretty apparent. Suffice it, for the
present, that they ensure noiseless' travelling,
obviate vibration, tend to greater speed, and
effect a material saviug-to the extent, in
deed, of SO per cent-in horsepower. The
carriage with which the experiment was made
was @teered, seemingly, with perfect ease,
and the fact Of the accumulators being con-
cea!ed under the seats and the motor placed
in Il leathet case at the back of the convey
ance Justified, the comment pretty generally
uttered that there Was nothing cumbersome
or ungainly in the appea,. nee Of the vehicle.
1t was not therefore, on any aesthetic ground,
presumably, that ce-constable q A. r.,
whose vigiiant eye had been the first to espy
.tIiS interesting "horseless" c1rriage, stepped
Tp with 'the majestic air of one clothed in
q~Ishority and demanded the names and ad-
dresses of itS'seven or eight occupants. There
was no possibility of so many persons having
misread their calendar, and, as a fortnight
must elapse ere law-abiding citizens can
with impunity cover the ground in motor
propelled cars, the Jealous guardian of he
peace i'll question was perfectly justified in
declining 10 believe-if, indeed, such was the
explanation tendered-that an electric car
riage was not a locomotive within the mean
inc Act" In point of fact, notice had