The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-18
THE HORSES FINAL DOOM?
AUTO-TRUCkS FOR CARRYING
HEAyY LOADS SUCCESSFUL IN
ENGLAND.

Test at LlNernoOl-lh ne AouEHe Leo
p HiII and Down Dale and Nam.
moth Burdens Were Carried With
Apparent Ease-Sudden stops and
starts We're Made on the Sharpest
GradeS-Relief in England Thai
This Method of Transporting Pro-
duce VIII BE of Great Benefit to
Farmers.
Liverpool. Sept. 9.-Whether it means the
doom OF The horse as "A draught animal, is
what all this part Of the world is wonder
Ing. Long ago France, England and fin
ally America, reluctantly made up their
minds that the advance OF the automobile
would do away with our gentle friend as
6 motive power for pleasure and light
driving. Now-on the heels Of the auto
mobile cabs, and drags, and runabouts,
and phaetons and coaches. and 30 forth
comes the automobile truck. For some
years men have believed that perhaps
steam. or electricity. or condensed air, or
petroleum. or another wholly mechanical
motive power, might be properly and sue
cessfuIly used in light traffic, but they
have looked TO horses for strong hauling
Certainly the horses were never bred that
could have accomplished in the same time
and at the same expense what the auto
trucks" 0nat is the name which has been
given 10 them did the other day in their
Official trials here.
To deliver merchandise direct from the
chip 10 the shopkeeper; TO do away with
the many landings and transfers now
necessary in shipping goods; to tie Liver
pool more closely TO New York and Chi
cago: 10 bring all the worlds centers Of
trade and industry nearer and easier
these were the ultimate aims Of the sec
ond contest between autotrucks held by
the Liverpool self-Propelled Traffic As
ISOLATION
Five systems OF heavy horseless vans
were given the everest tests possible, and
they scored in consequence the most no
table successes that the automobile has
ever registered in an the world as an in
dustrial agent. People said it was i'm
possible that the mammoth autocars could
ascend hills rising one foot in nine while
bearing a total OF more than seven tons
in weight: but IL was done, and one sys-
TEN has two gold medals 10 prove that
rocky sleeps with heavy loads where the
strongest teams of horses would slip and
stall ana fail.
The Severest Tests.
Everton Brow is the steepest and most
difficult hill in Liverpool, and its equal
can hardly be found in all the United
Kingdom. II is paved at different points
with macadam, asphaltum, stone and
wood, ali of which are more or less trying
IN test of this kind on a steep gradient.
In addition il takes three turns, one Of
them being an acute angle, and had the
road been made TO order as a hill-terri-
It's trying purposes. Three separate hill
climbing tests were made on the first of
the three days of trial
As a starter each wagon was sent up
empty and down again. Then they were
loaded with sacks of corn, and in each
trip up and down the car was stopped by
signal on the most precipitous part Of the
rise and descent. To add to the difficult
the hill was watered in its
steepest portions on the sharpest turns.
Some Of the five contesting cars Slowed
around with their hind wheels and ekidded
a bit on the difficult turns, and two OF
them had to make a double start before
they got away for the climb. One of the
heavy vehicles threw the spectators into
a ANfEi ~ tAtlNttllFilL ny Il threatened DOlL
when on the most dangerous part of the
hill and a runaway, an upset and a steam
explosion seemed imminent for a minute
OF two. But the driver stuck pluckily to
his fractions mount and by whirling it
In a backward circle, was al last able to
bring the vehicle under control to try
gain, and successfully II was the most
exciting incident of the contest, and prov
ed the value of a good man In charge
Of the machine.
Quicker Than Horses mt Starting.
At a whistle from the judges. the cars
were stopped going up and down, and
the first complete arrest on the descent
was made I'm eleven feet. The next driver
kept his heavy van well I'm hand and pull
ed up in nine feet, but the Coulthard ma
chine beat them all in its prompt res
ponse, which set the wheels motionless
In six feet after the whistle sounded. It
was quicker time than the best trained
team could make. on the upgrade some
OF the stops were made in the space of Is
inches.
Genuine freighung loads were carried.
One OF the medal winners weighed in it.
self over three tons, upon which was load
ed four tons, and a heavy trailer attached
with two and one-haf tons more Yet il
walked off easily with this heavy drag,
and could evidently have done more
1t is a singular fact that motor cars are
only successful hill-climbers when weal
laden. II unloaded there is not sufficient
weight upon the wheels for them to grip
the earth on a steep ascent, so that there
Will, for the future, be no economy in
working light ito save the team"
Thirty-five miles and more was the
course laid out over all sorts Of highways.
for the Liverpool country road contests.
Two days were given 10 this under the
dragging burden Of heavy loads. and the
engines moved steadily along the route.
barring a few minor mishaDs, al a speed
varying from four to six miles an hour. At
present the law does not allow greater
speed TO that class of engines. The Judges
and followers Travelled by special automo-
biles, the freight wagons being officially
stopped on several of the steepest grades.
both up and down, and the time was tele-
graphed back to Liverpool from specined
points. Besides its regular cargo of corn
The winning Thornycroft carried seven
passengers, aside from its driver and ned
the way throughout All The vehicles re-
ceiVed their stores of fuel and water he
fore starting, and were not permitted 10
take on more, except that water was pro-
vided at fixed points. if necessary.
Cost Of present means Of transport Is
f1IF "a 2 don't in