The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-01
AuTO.CAR FOR var.

near CnlCABpI VIII NlSuA ~ . 1890
sapd-mile trip to washington with an
auto.mobile cannon carriage carrying
col, automatic gun. ThIag5B has Just
been completed by the Duryea's, of PEE
orIa III. It will be propelled by six
horse power gasoline motor, and It
weighs about 1000 pounds. 1t will
have three rubber-tired wheels, two be-
hind and one in front, with seats over
the rear axle for four gunners, side
bars being provided as on a gun cais-
SON to which the men may cling when
the cannon carriage is driven into ac-
zion. The gun Is carried on a trian-
rular frame In front Of the seat with
the muzzle pointing forward, 30 that the
gunners may operate 1t with the car
rage going thirty miles an hour. The
body work Of this vehicle has already
been thoroughly tested, so that neither
Major Davidson nor the manufacturers
have the least doubt that 1t will make
the trip 10 Washington, and draw up
before the war department with mes
sage for Secretary Root in as good con-
dlttou as 1t was when the company
started.
The equipment Of the gun on the exc
petition to Washington Will include eve
erythIug necessary to take 1t into bat.
tie 1t will have, besides 1000 rounds
Of ammunition 1t will have, all the
necessary tools for repairing break
downs, some duplicate parts where
weakness is suspected, and a supply
OF gasoline sufficient to carry 1t several
days. Besides this the manufacturers
have devised an apparatus for pulling
the carriage out of bitches and over
entertainments. 1t consists Of light,
but strong wlhdlass and tackle, and
while Major Davidson does not expect
to have any especial use for 1t on good
roads, It Is an adjunct which will be
Invaluable in battle.
While Major Davidson believes that
his new machine will be of the great
est Importance for actual military OPP
eratIons in the field where the country
Is rough, he suggests that Its most evil
dent use will be in the subsection OF
nobs and riots, where 1t can be brought
speedily to the scene by a small num-
ber Of trained men. The cost of the
gun and carriage being only $500 will
make 1t available for any municipality
or indeed, for any metropolitan police
force Tor use at such time and place as
necessity may dictate. The object OF
Major Davldson's trip is not only the
testing Of the gun carriage as an en-
CINE of war, but to furnish experience
in the teld for some of the cadets who
attend the Northwestern Military
Academy. 4eg
while this development is wonderful
enough in itself. it is only one of many.
Ineeed, so rapid is the advance Of the
AUTOMOBILES for all manner OF uses that
1t Is dimeult to follow It's newest won
ders. Just recently one of the foremost
Eastern manufacturers has built what
he calls an electric emergency wagon
in reality ladder truck for use in fire
departments. 1t somewhat resembles
an ordinary police patrol wagon. 1t
1arries ladders which can be erected at
moments notice, and portable fire
extEngulshers, lanterns, axes and other
fremens implements. When an alarm
rings it can be loaded with hremen and
reach the scene OF the fire long before
the engines OF the heaviestGhdse carts
have time to get there, SO that IL the
blaze is small 1t can be extinguished
before 1t gets any Roadway, In any
event, this pioneer crew viii have the
doors open and everything in readiness
for the coming OF the engines.
Another manufacturer is preparing to
build an automobile compressed air fire
engine. which he claims will have great
advantages over the present horse-pro-
PEELED engines. 1t Will have the ad-
vantage OF doing away with the cum
bersome boilers, and 1t will be much
less dangerous in a crowded city street
than four gallopIng horses. for 1t can
be controlled almos. Instantly by a
mere twist OF the lever. II necessary
Il can make a speed OF thirty miles an
hour. A compressed air engine would
cost no more than on ordinary fire en-
CINE. and all Of the men nov caring for
horses could be dispensed with. A
close estimate OF the comparative costs
OF horse and compressed air Rre engines
for city the size OF Newark, n. j.,
shows that the saving from the use OF
the automobile engines would reach
$4,000 a year. or about IA per cent
Of the entire cost Of the department
And just now the United States gov
eminent is taking into account OF the
automobile in authorizing experiments
for the collection OF mail in automobile
wagons. The first city to take 1t up
was Buffalo, n. Y, where, on the eve
ming Of July 2. the first collections were
made In an electric buggy by John d.
Leib, superintendent OF the CIty's mail
delivery system. 1t covered one Of the
most difficult routes in the city In one
hour and fifteen minutes. The ordi-
nary time OF the collection by horse
and wagon was not less than three
hours, Postmaster Dorr sent favor
able report Of his experiments to Wash
ston ind the system will be tried at
once In other cities.
Indeed there seems to be a, tendency
on the part OF municipalities to con-
slider the automobile seriously as fac
tGr IN their work For instance, the
CITY OF Paris b1g that nudTs contracts