The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-09-30
MOTOR WAGONS COME
GREAT CHANGE IN TRANSPORT
TATION.
The Electric Carriage Will Soon Be Q
Common Sight On the Country Roads
Las Years Tests and This-Ths
Gas Powers. v

The day when motor wagons will
supplant the horse even in the country
and ove country roads is slowly COM
ing. The London Times of Aug. 4
gives an account of the second annual
series of trials of motor vehicles for
heavy traffic, held that week at Liver
pool by the Liverpool Self-Propelled
Traffic association, which is interest
ing. These trials are said to have in
dicated considerable progress in the
construction of the automotor wagons
since the first trials, which, it may be
remembered, took place in the same
place and under the same auspices IN
May of last year.
The progress made in efficiency waa
evidenced by the fact that the LEY
land" vehicle which, with some slight
notifications, was identical with the
winner of the first prize last year, was
this time adjudged worthy Of a silver
medal only, being bracketed in the re-
ceipt of this award with a vehicle en-
tered by Messrs. Bayleys Qimited), OF
Newington causeway. This years high
est awards-the gold medals Of the two
classes of entries-were o by the
"Thornycroft' vehicles, which showed
a vast improvement on the exhibits
entered by the same makers last year..
These makers, it should be noted-and.
indeed, all those who have competed
for the ~trials-employ steam as theiI
motive power, generated by liquid fuel
or coke. Electricity and oil motors
have been unrepresented in either year,
but this is partly accounted for by the
fact that the limit OF three tons fars
imposed in England by the Light Lo.
comotives act of 1896 puts all CONT.
mental vehicles out of competition.
Last year the tests were confined to
the number Of distance runs over two
routes of about thirty miles each, but
| this whilst the same routes. which
comprise many varieties OF road, were
xgain traversed, special hill climbing
trials were introduced by which the
efficiency of the competitors in ascend
ing, descending, stopping and repairing
on the most severe gradients likely to
be met with in this country was sub
| iected to the most searching tests. The
| course chosen for these hill climbing
trials comprised gradients ranging
from 1 in % to 1 in 9, there being nc
less than 50 yards of the latter, pre-,
coded by Is yards Of / in 10. More
over. the roadway traversed, whilst In
Guiding a stretch of macadam and an.
other of impervious pavement. started
with a section paved with the old style
Of sets and terminated in about e
wards of boulders, the gradient at this
end being 1 to II. In short, it was the
unanimous opinion of all who saw thu
ronte that no more severe test Of hill
climbing capacity could have beer
chosen. Yet, with n exception, thu
! six vehicles successfully negotiated thu
course. both empty and loaded; or were
thew embarrassed when, as a final test
the severest gradient was lightly sprin'
k1ed with water. Especially fine wa
the work done by the two "Thorny'
croft wagons, the larger of which, de-
scribed as a 'steam lorry and trailer
carried it's full load Of six and a hall
tons to the top of the hill and down
~.again without the slightest difficulty
and at a good speed. The same two
vehicles were also conspicuously sue
cessful in the long distance runs, theil
average speed throughout being fully
FIVE miles an hour. The war ofice, the
local government board, and several
provincial corporations were repre-
scented at the trials, the arrangements
of which were organized by Mr.. r
shrapnell Smith. the honorable secre-
tary of the Liverpool Self-Propelled
Traffic association.