Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
HORSELEsS VEHICLES.
Automobiles Signal the ApprOnch of
New Means of LOcOmOtiOn.

Until recently man has found but two
practical means of conveyance along the
solid surface of the earth, says a writer in
Lppincotts, these being the rail cars and
the horse or other trained quadruped. On
unrailed routes, however long or hard, the
alternatives were the quadruped or the
human bped; but the day of the horseless
and unpedalled vehicle has dawned.
In France the production OF these vehicles
with their inanimate propellers had in the
autumn of 1898 reached the rate of about
500 month, while several other of the
European countries and our own were fol-
lowing rapidly in the same manufacture.
The vehicles are already constructed of an
known forms, and of sizes suited for carry
ing from one person to two dozen. The
motive apparatus is at present divided in it's
adaptation, nearly in the order of mention,
between steam, the vapor or gas of hydrocar-
bon liquid, and electricity, the latter being
next to steam as respects any one single
form for road use.
In general the various automobiles weigh
each about twice as much as the same kind
of carriage built to be drawn by a horse, for
in all these systems except the one the
horse rides. In this one-known as the
electric horse systematic motor is mounted
by itself and may be attached to any form
of vehicle, which, however, must be specially
constructed for attachment to this machine.
The distance an automobile will travel
without replenishing the reservoir (whatever
the power material used) Is, of course, de-
pendent on the capacity of the latter, and the
effort being to keep the bulk of the ap-
paratus at the smallest limit that will serve
the purpose, the result is generally a trip
not much greater than the twenty-five miles
accorded to the practical electrical vehicle.
The weight of the compressed air carriage
with ita apparatus Is little less than that of
a storage battery vehicle of equal capacity.
The motor apparatus suitable for carbonic-
acid gas, ammoniacal gas, and liquid air
would differ little from that for steam in
appearance and weight. The lightest
automobile OF which l have learned is a
French wagon for two persons, equipped
with a steam motor, the entire weight being
stated as l4O pounds. Several of the applied
motive powers have apparatus sufficiently
compact to be contained in little more
than The space under the seat of the vehicle,
among which is the very volatile petroleum
spirit.
An existing automobile vehicles except
the electric carry apparatus for producing an
electric spark or flame, for igniting the Vapor
or gas in the cylinder, or for warming the
expansive material.
Most motors now recommended for road
vehicles can be driven at any pace up to
the speed of an average trotter, and the day
of automobile racing has already arrived in
France and probably will not be long de-
layed in other countries. The prize contest
at the Charles River park exhibition of
horseless vehicles in Boston last autumn in
volved the following conditions: Speed at
lever grade at greatest possible grade, turn
ing around in smallest space, stopping at an
unexpected signal in shortest space, economy
OF fuel. quickness of preparation, and dura-
bility and cost of machine.