Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-07
BEATS REAL THING.
An Electric Automobile is Built
by a Moline
Man.
INITIAL TRIP A PERFECT SUCCESS

Arnold A. samuels Constructs the Vehicle
In His Barn and So Pleased is He With
the Results of His Efforts an Establish
ment Nav be Started for It's Manufac-
ture.
We are to have the electric automo-
bile in the tri-cities, in fact we have
it here now. 1t is homemade affair,
but it is said to be go, and it is pos
sible that we may have an establish
ment here to manufacture 1t.
Working in the barn in the rear of
his residence at 1920 Eleventh street,
Moline, and separated only by a thin
partition from the family horse now
superseded by the creation of his han
diwork, Arnold A. Samuels has con-
structed an electric automobile which,
| it is claimed, has already been given
practical demonstration of its success
as a traveller. 1t is the first carriage
of it's kind to roll over the streets of
any of the tri cities, and that it should
have been made alone by this one man
is more notable than if it had been
purchased and shipped n.
Tried Streets.
Six weeks ago the machine was
completed and shortly after it was
given it's maiden trip upon a back
street of the Moline bluff and in the
dusk of the evening. Surprise greet
ed it wherever it went and wonder ut
it's motion. The first trip was per-
| feet success and vindicated ideas of
the builder which he had incorporated
in his work. The speed, however.
| was too great, the automobile having
attained a maximum velocity of 20
miles an hour, msnifestly too swift
for city streets 1t has since been re-
turned to its quarters and new trac-
ton gears are being put on in place of
the first ones, reducing the speed. At
| the same time the wheels are being
changed from 80 to % inches, and the
new ones are being fitted with rubber
tires. These changes will be COM
pleted before very long and then the
carriage will not be faster than 129
miles an hour. At minimum it can
be run as slowly and as steadily as a
man can walk, with as much ease as it
shows making the higher rate.
How 1t Works.
The automobile is a single buggy,
known as a stick seat, with high back,
DuG hO up rum JUST ochIuu Inc
center of the dash rises curving
steering liver, to be operated by the
right hand. At the left hand of the
seat is the controlling lever. working
in a rack, allowing six different
speeds. Under the carriage is the
switch, and the bed of the carriage is
filled by the electric storage battery,
and hung beneath that upon the rear
axel is the motor. The whole weighs
go pounds.
The storage battery is one of Mr..
Samuels' own invention. and he claims
that it is far better than any other.
In the one feature of weight it has an
important advantage, weighing but
1874 pounds, whereas none others are
lighter than 225 pounds of the same
capacity. He does away with the
liquids, making it of the dry cell type.
1t will furnish 2-horse power for five
hours before becoming exhausted.
The motor is of 2I-horse power. but
over roads such as are in this vicinity
the automobile can run from to 10
hours, for upon level road but one
half horse power is required for mo-
ton. 1t will take a, 10 per cent grade
with ease. MIR. Samuels has been
working on the vehicle at spare mo-
ments since last January, but has
been several years evolving his idea of
a storage battery. The motor he pur-
chased.