Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-07-31
ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
THE IDEAL POWER FoRAUToMoBILE
is ELECTRICITY.
New Ideas Being Worked Out Con
stantly and Weight of Storage HDe-
teries Being Reduced-Its Resexvs
Power Instantly Available.

Power Instantly Available.
The wonderful development of elec-
tricity within the past few years, for
power purposes, and Its great economy
adaptability, and usefulness in that
line as shown by its universal adop-
ton for the propulsion of street rail-
way ears, also clearly demonstrate its
superiority as n convenient and easily
controlled power for motor vehicles,
which are becoming so popular.
While the well known trolley car
takes its power through the overhead
or underground wires and conductors
from an incxhaustible source Of cleo
tr city, the motor vehicle Is limited to
tts charge or amount it can carry, In
EonseQuence of the fact that it is in
steniied to travel In places and over
pads where there is no continuous
outside supply of electricity. Hence,
the means of storing electricity eco
nomically in the form Of batteries Is
now one of the problems which is an.
dergoing development
New ideas are constantly being
worked out, and 1t Is confidently ex-
pected improvements will continue by
which greater efficiency will result. At
I present changes have been made In
the construction of storage batteries
whereby a surprisingly large quantity
of active material is put into a small
space, and this accounts for the neater
appearance electric motor vehicles now
possess over former designs. 1t Is also
n fact that the aggregate weight of
battery for the amount of current dis
charge obtained is less than formerly.
The factor of weight is one of the
features in electric vehicles that prac-
ical men are working to overcome, and
1t is said that whenever storage bat
terry or n system of storing the electric
current is invented by which the
weight of the battery is greatly re-
duced. there is certain to be an impe-
tus given to the electric motor vehicle
industry such as has never been
thought of.
One of the essential requirements in
n motor vehicle Is that the reserve
power shall be instantly available for
q brief period of time, as, for example,
when heavy grades are met with. In
storage battery this condition Is per-
fectly met, the increase of current de-
manded being readily given off and ac-
curately measured by the ampere me-
ter, SO that by observing the latter
while travelling on an apparently level
road one can detect slight grades by
the varying position Of the ampere
needle.
The battery may be considered rs
an elastic equalizer capable of giving
off in an instant the amount of current
needed at various times and emergen-
cies This makes electricity an ideal
power for vehicles, for 1t eliminates
the complicated machinery Of either
gas, steam, or compressed air motors,
with their attendant noise, heat and
vibration. 1t is not only serviceable as
power but also as light at night.
The vertical steering shaft is con-
nected underneath the carriage by a
crank and rod with one end of an in
terror movable hollow hub, around
which the front wheel runs on ball
bearings; the hub Is pivoted on its In
terror to the carriage frame. Another
connecting cross rod extends from this
hub to the same style of hub on the
eA.c.ite side. So that the movement