The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
THE ELECTRIC CAB.
London Cab Horse Making Way for
the New Motor Carriage.
London Mail.

When the electric cab first made its APP
pearance In the streets or LONDON the orul-
nary Jehu exhausted the sarcastic re-
sources of his extensive vocabulary IN rldl-
culing the newcomer.
But though only a few months have
passed since cabby jeeringly invited the
drivers of the motor-car to take that man
gle 'ome" or suggested that they should be
careful not to bust the bellows, the sit
uation has undergone striking change.
I'VE have hundreds of cabmen on our
books who are anxious to take our electric
CABS said an official of the company when
Intercepted on the. subject; in TACT we
can't get the cabs made fast enough to
meet the demand"
There are now Twenty-Five electric cabs
on the streets of the metropolis, and, ac-
cording to the official statement, the aver
age takngs daily are sufficient to leave q
handsome profit per cab to the company
after the drivers remuneration has been
provided for OF course the expenses are
much lower than in the case of the ordl-
nary cab, since there are no horses TO be
fed stabbed and doctOred, or replaced IN the
case of disablement or death. The driver OF
the motor cab needs no technical knoWl-
edge in order to handle his steed: Before
he is allowed to take vehicle out, however,
he has four hours tuition inside the works
at Lambeth on cab specially provided Tor
the purpose and certainly man OF ordi-
nary intelligence would find it difficult to
make mistake so simple are the arrange
ments. If he wants to go ahead ne pushes
a lever forward, while if he wishes to stop
suddenly he has simply to put his foot OF. a
brake which interrupts the electric current
and brings the mechanism to a standstill.
In order to go backwards he must pull MS
lever towards him, and bis steering gear is
SO arranged that he has only TO turn the
wheel in the direction he wishes to CO.
When the cab is duly charged 1t will per-
form a journey of fifty miles: then II mas
to come back to the works in order that
the cells may be taken out and new ones
put in their place. In gallery at Lam
beth are arranged about sixty lots of cells,
each lot of which is sufficient to drive p
cab, and however much the Amaigamated
Society of CabhorSes may condemn these
silent steeds, they go their way oDlivlouS
of the great change they may be destined
to make in the appearance OF Londons
streets.
Little mishaps will occur even in the best
regulated vehicles, and when an electric CAB
gave out at Greenwich some time back, In
consequence of the exhaustion OF the cells,
there was jov in the hearts of the cabbieS
who beheld the stoppage, and no doubt Sc
cret exultation reigned in the breast or the
horse whose services were requisitioned on
that occasion. But mishapS of any kind
have, according to the ofncials, peen re-
markably few, and there is an increasing
demand for the cabs. not only by the gem
eral public, but by private hirers. one gen.
tleman, for instance, having recently asked
for no fewer than sixteen TO take party
of friends to and from a dinner party at
one of the big restaurants.
Undoubtedly the ordinary cabhy who has
stood us in such good stead for so long IS
dreds have registered their names at the
headquarters in Lambeth, and are patiently
awaiting their turn for q motor CAB, While
hundreds of others would gladly exchange
their flesh and blood SteedS for mechanical
ones tomorrow if they had the chance.
The next batch of electric cabs put on the
streets will contain several important i'm
provementS, including an arrangement
ton felt bv the fare when the vehicle starts
on its Journey.