The San Francisco call., 1899-07-15
AUCTION SALES
TIE COMING AUTOMOBILE,

nth the starting of The Call-Herald automo-
AGi bile on its trip across the continent there be-
gins a system of overland travel destined to de-
ve1op into enormous proportions No intelligent
man will venture to fix the limits OF speed, OF
strength and OF convenience the vehicle may yet
attain before some better system OF ocomotion is de-
vised by increasing ingenuity to supersede It.
At the present time it is disputed point whether
the power for propelng the vehicles can be best ap-
Piled by gasoline, by electricity or by compressed
air. Each has its defects and its advantages. For
long distance journeyngs gasoline is preferred, and
will be used for the automobile speeding across
the continent to The Call Office Recent experiments
in France however, show that good roads stor-
age batteries are capable of propeng the vehicles for
considerable distances at high rates OF speed with
out being recharged. A journey made by such a
car short time ago from Paris to Rouen distance
of sixy-ive miles within little seven hours.
What may yet be accomplished by compressed air
is hard to forete1. SO wonderful its possibilities
that not few sanguine experimenters maintain it
will be eventually the sole motive power in by
civilized nations where anything more is needed than
a windmill or water-wheel. At present, however,
the force of compressed air has not been extensively
applied although notable successes have been at
tanned with it in many directions in experimental
way and for street railways in Eastern cities.
is to electric storage batteries, therefore, must
look for the development OF the use OF automobiles
in the immediate future at least in districts where
electricity can be readily obtained.
1t is announced that the Standard Electric Com
pany is considering plans for supplying electricity for
use by automobiles along both sides of San Fran
cisco Bay as far south as San Jose. The electricity
is to be generated by power from the Blue Lakes, in
the Serras, and frequent stations will be provided in
the route around the bay at which the storage bat
teres can be recharged. The plan appears feasible
and if carried out will doubtless prove profitable.
With the coming of the automobile many issues
that have long complicated local transportation
problems will vanish of themselves. The good roads
men will not have to enter upon campaign OF edl-
cation the advantages of wide tires, for the new
vehicle will necessarily have wide tire and will en-
force the construction of better roads We shall also
avoid the evils arising from slippery pavements and
the difficulties which horses have in maintaining a
foothold upon them. The automobile will not slip
nor fall
SO the new era IN transportation comes with the
coming of the automobile across the continent from
the Herald office Even it progresses on its long
way new progress is being made by inventors and
mechanics in perfectng it. When it arrives here and
is exhibited at the Mechanics Institute it will repre-
sent the best mechanism and the most wonderful &C
complshment of automobiles up to date but it will
not hold the record long. In the new machine the
history of the locomotive is to be repeated and for
years to come it will be improved continuously until
in the end it becomes something more wonderful than
is dreamed of at this time.