The times., 1897-09-05
Goldenberg's, o24-o76-o2s 7th--7oo St.
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like that OF ha wing steam power. was
discarded on the ground that the driver
of q motor carriage must have an unre-
stricted view OF the ground immediately
In front of him, especially in the crowded
streets of London. Consequently the driTcr
is in the position of his half brother OF
the growler.
The Working OF the Cab.
To the left 81 the drivers seat is lever
The carriage commences to move immed-
lately this is pushed forward, and the
farther forward the lever is put the faster
goes the cab. Reversing the lever simply
means reversing the movement or the cab,
which runs with equal freedom forward or
backward The steering is done by moy-
ing small wheel, W hich is SO fixed .hat
no jol ting over stones or ruts can possibly
move ft from its position and so throw
the carriage out of its proper course. The
brakepower Is applied, as has been said,
10y the drivers right foot. Directly the
brake is touched the electric current is
Cut off, and sfmultan eousIy friction is
applied to the " heels in tho ordinary way.
The directors claim that these cabs can
be stopped far more quickly than horse
can stop the ordinary cab; Ia fact, should
coca sion arise W iIch calls for drastic meas
ures, the cab can be brought to an fu-
Simultaneous halt at any moment. but the
result, SO far as The passengers inside are
concerned, might he anything but Satis-
factory. The electric curr eut is supplied by
accumulators placed Immediately under
meath the vehicle.
They are contained In q single tray
which is suspended from the main frame
work OF the cab, and they are capable of
being detached and replaced By a second,
or reserve, set within two minutes. These
accumuiators consist of forty cells, and
each set is guaranteed to run the cab
| a minimum OF fifty miles. The public
! VIII be interested to know the cost Of
| fifty miles iaunt. The company pays
| 1 led. per unit for its electricity, and this
|, works out for the run at almost exactly
| 2 shiilings. These figures seem to show
| that, as between electricity and horse the
| former effects tremendous saving. 1t
| would cost lot of money to get tue
| average London cab-horse over a distance
| OF fifty miles III the streets of the city.
| The motor is OF three horse power, and Is
| placed in the hind boot and connected
| to a counter-shaft by gearing, and thence
| by driving chains to the hind wheels.
| The Appearance of the New Cabs.
| From the artistic point of view, these
| new street crawlerS are not half SO IN
| picturesque as the average motor-car
| Although no new form of vehicle has been
| evolved. and although at the first glance
| of eyes accustomed TO the growler they
| do appear TO have something lacking, the
| best has been done to make them attractive
| They certainly are more elegant in get-up
| and in the general fittings than the four
! wheelers that at present haunt the treets.
! At the moment, only fourteen are ready
| to take the public to their bosom, bat the
Electric Cab Company have already 100
vehicles made, or on order, and six mouths
from now the horseleSs cabs should form
| an apprecable addition to the mass of
| vehicles that cater for the travelling public.
| The send-off this afternoon was given by
| Mr.. w. Fl. Preece, the head OF the tele-
| graphic department of the general post
! office; and by Mr. 81 II. Mulliner, chairman
of the company. After speeches had
| been made. the vehicles formed in pro-
cession and made off across Westminster
| Bridge, along Whitehall, Pail Mall. and
| Piccadilly, TO show the pedestrians what
could be done in the way Of electric travel
| The cabs can run up to sixteen or seven
| teen niles an hour, but the law allow.
a maximum speed of only eight miles.