The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-13

are the driving wheels. A square. venti-
lated box, carried mostly by the hind
wheels, holds the storage battery cells and
the driver seat IS over this. so tnat he
overlooks the cab top. The passengers are
shut in by a double-hinged wooden apron.
which the driver opens and shuts by means
each being hinged just within the arm OF
the axle and being turned together by
means of lever which goes 10 the drivers
hand. The tires are of rubber.
FIFTY CENTS AN HOUR.
These carriages are let for 50 cents an
hour. or at the regular municipal rates for
distance travel, and they have proved popu-
lar. Other styles of wagons, to seat three
or four persons are to be added to the
outfit soon. They weigh $500 pounds, and
cost $500 each. Each wagon carries forty
fodr cells Of battery and extra sets OF cells
are provided which are kept charged and
ready for use. The charging is done by
making a connection with a regular COM
mercial light current The favorite car
riages in Paris appear to be those driven
by naphtha or petroleum engines Tor the
lighter traffic and those driven by steam
for the heavier work. The most successful
of those which use steam appear to be such
jas are provided with the SerpOllet boiler.
rhis is an ingenious arrangement which IS
really not boiler at all in the proper sense.
1t consists of series OF heavy tunes, each
of which has been crushed untn the OPEN
ing in ii is only about 1-20 OF an inch vice:
These tubes are heated by a coal fire. and
when power is wanted water is injected
into the tubes bv a pump The water is
turned instantly into steam, and the
amount of steam wanted IS got
of the pump. Street cars, omnibuses
and many other forms Of motor carriages
are ran by this power. The greater nuns
Der of carriages of all forms are, however,
made with naphtha or oil engines. IhOse
seem to have the same advantage Tor car
riage service that they have proved 70 have
nj, lhaC
one of these the engine is started Mneh
the carriage Is wanted for use, ana IL IS
ready in a few minutes 10 aeVelop its l i.l
power. and the engine is not stopped or m
terfered with until the carnage is put
away again unless some long stop be
made. The engine runs on. whether the
carriage is standing still or going. and the
driver has means at hand through a lever
or two of stopping the carriage or fxing
it's speed at any one of three or four rates.
All of the cuisines may be run at high
speed and the connections are made be-
tween them by belts, cogwheels, or chains
and sprockets.
WHAT THEY COST.
Among the smaller of the carriages suit
able for the road about which the adver-
tisements give any information is the Ar
mold "sociable." This seats two persons.
one of whom drives it. 1t might be called
a motor buggy. 1t is az feet long. feet
vide, and feet high and weighs about GOO
pounds It's price in London II about $3.50.
Carriages which are built to take the places
of those now in regular service drawn by
horses are, however, much larger. heavier
and costler than this The lightest Of
these, meant to carry two passengers ana
the driver. may weigh perhaps 1900 to 400
pounds, and cost about $1,10o each. Such
wagons are provided with engines. OF three
horse power. In heavier carriages, carry
ing three or four passengers, the engines
are of four-h ourse power, and the weights
vary from $500 TO 5000 pounds. according
to the style of top and finish; Such wagons
cost from 81. 500 to $1,000 each. Perhaps as
fair a range of prices as any can be got
from the catalogue of the English Daimler
Company This begins by showing four
horse motor complete with wheels and all
other working parts but with no body. The
price of this is $1,4T0. Upon this frame can
two-seated cab or dogcart to a parcels de-
livery wagon. The prices quoted for such
carriages complete are: Dog carts, $3.50;
phaetons 81 655: wagonettes, $3.50; victo-
rIas, 81, $50; parcels vans, 81 ,625
The principal obstacle to motorcycle use is
really our wretched American street pave
ments and roads We have here nothing at
all comparable to the common macadam-
lied roads of England and France. Bat
change in this particular. The bicycle de-
mands good roads as imperauvely as does
the motorcycle, land the bicycle users are
multiplying so rapidly. and the general de-
STABILITY and economy of decent roads is
becoming so apparent TO the American pup
lie. that we may reasonably expect legisla-
ton to compel the construction and main-
tenance of really good roads in the United
States very soon. Buffalo is paved almost
exclusively with asphalt If New York had
similar streets we might look for a noise
less traffic carried on pneumatic tires pro-
PEELED by gasoline or kerosene engines at
far less expense than equal loads can be
drawn by horses and each of these loads
taking up not more than hair the room
which is occupied by horse-drawn truck.
The electric-driven motorcycle rs even clean
er and more silent than the gas engine ma
chine. but an enormous outlay would be
necessary in establishing charging stations,
where interchangeable storage batteries can
be charged and held ready to eXcnah l WIN
any conner at a moment notice. Storage
batteries cannot be charged quickly ana
well. 1t is the work of hours TO ut them
for their greatest effect. The battery Weisht
OF the electric motorcycle must be kept as
low as possible. 1t is dead weight, nom
paying and must be reduced by every pos
sible expedient in order to compete with the
cheap light, always-alive gas engine. small
gas engines can produce power at less cost
than small steam engines; electricity must
be produced by a steam engine or gas en-
CINE or water power before 1t can be fed
into the storage batteries of the motorcycle.
Viewed in this light, it would seem doubttul
economy to employ the storage battery IN
motorcycle construction.
A gas ngine-driven motorcycle TO carry
two or four personssin great comfort can
be made to weigh not more tnan 800 or 6VO
pounds, and to sell at a large protlt Tor
$500 or $500 It is a very elaborate machine
construction which calls for a shop cost or
so cents a pound. Corliss steam engines
are made as low as 334 cents pound. Mo-
tocycles can be sold for 81 q pound, and
will be sold as low that IL they are ever
largely used. The as-engine-driVen moto-
cycle is always alive and can run away
from the electric machine over a twenty or
thirty-n1ile course, because the storage bat
terry can exert its maximum effect for only
n very short time. The gasoline motorcycle
has always the same motive power.
ON A RUSSIAN CONVICT SHIP.