The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-31
Three SYSTEMS
o. Automobiles or Horse
less Carriages.
Latest Developments as Described
by Hi'a Percy Max IN ina
Late Magazine.

There are al present three practical
bic systems OF automobiles or horseless /
carriages-the electric. the gasoline or
pared and described in their lates; d,vel- |
opments by Hiram Percy -. AKIN tn Cas-
sier's Magazine tSeptemberl. The au-
thor bids us distrust the oft-repeatei
better than the others. Which Is the
best depends. he says. on the kind OF
use it is to- receive. He continues:
In New York city today there ar.
about hundred motor hanson and
coupe cabs in public service: abou;
twenty motor wagons are engaged in
the delivery OF light merchandise: and
there are between thirty and fifty p-i-
vate motor carriages. usually carving
two passengers. In London there are
today about forty motor coupe cabs in
public service. and fully three times a
many private motor carriages as in
New York. and about rs many motor
delivery wagons. In Paris there are
twelve public motor coupe cabs in reg
uiar service. large number OF motor
delivery wagons. and three or four
thousands OF all types OF private motor
vehicles. Other cities also have motor
vehicles in use witLin their areas. but
the three cities mentioned are all that
il is necessary tn study to- indicate the
present condition OF affairs. In Lon
don, Paris and lew \ uTk every one OF
the public motor hanson ar motor
coupe cabs is propelled by the electric
system, using electric storage batteries.
In New York about % per cent. of the
private motor carriages are similarly
propelled. and every one of the deliv-
cry wagons rs well. she remaining
per cent. % practical private motor
vehicles which are seen upon the
streets and in regular use are propelled
| by gasoline engines. In Boston. where
| local causes have affected development
| steam takes about an even place with
| gasoline. In London not more than 90
| per cent. OF the private motor vehicles
| used regularly are propelled by storage
| batteries. The remaining ones use Gas
| cline engines, ar petrol motors. as
| they have been called. The motor de-
! livery service. both heavy and light. is
almost entirely accomplished lay steam.
| In Paris about - per cent. of jhe pTt-
vate motor vehicles are propelled by
gasoline engines or 'mojeuTs petT1lc.'
| The same Is probably tde case with
! the motor light delivery wagons. The
| other per cent. OF ali vehicles In use
may he safely said ia Ice equally divid-
| ed between electricity and steam. the
| latter being almost exclusively used for
! heavy traction. There Is every reason
| for us to recognize that for shor; dis
! tances. for relatively light loads. AMI
HaaHn Nuss
| electric system has succeeded in fore
| ing out all other system: for heavy
| weights and long distances steam has
! succeeded in displacinE all Compc;i-
| tors: while for high speeds. for indeti-
\ mite distances. and light weights. the
gasoline engine has proven best
| suited
Mr.. Maxim first takes up the electric
| system. whose advantages ne sets forth
as follows:
In public city service. IL j. obviously
| necessary that a cab. in order to he
| successful. must he absolutely control
| liable in heavy traffic even in compare
lively unskilled hands. free from un-
| pleasant odors and the general mocha
| meal disadvantages usually iuSep1ra-
BILE from an engine. and this. added tu
| the limited requirements OF cab service
as to mileage. makes II easy ter under
| stand why the electrical system has
| been the most successful. How long
| this state of affairs will exist depends
| entirely upon what u accomplished
with the other systems. As Improve
ment in the capacity per pound OF
| storage battery Is. to- all appearances.
advancing more rapidly than Improve
ment in gasoline. steam. or other sys-
1 - hn ole
/ tricity for cab service will very soon
be supplanted. In the case OF the prt-
| vate motor vehicle. the requirements
are not as uniform as with the public
| cab. but nevertheless there has been
| enough experience to permit classified
ton OF the different requirements and
| TO understand their limits. IL does not
| seem to be generally understood that
| the intentions OF the owner regarding
| his motor carriage invariably deter
| mine the best system for his purpose.
| Other things being equal. the electric
carriage is generally preferred ON aC-
| count of its extreme simplicity OF opeT-
| alton. its ability to meet almost ideal
esthetic demands. and its instantane-
Gus availability. The limitations OF
the best electrical carriage on the mar
ket today are. therefore. an index OF
the status OF the electric carriage.
1t is possible to- buy today in Amer
lea an electric carriage which will car
~ either two or four passengers a dis
lance of thirty miles over ordinary
grades at an average speed OF eleven
miles an hour on one charge OF its
storage battery.
The operation OF the carriage Is the
simplest OF all. The maintenance con
sists in keeping the motor commu;atoT
and brushes clean, bearings oiled. nuts
tight. charging batteries. and. from
-, time TO time. adding 20 the eleCtrolyte
in the batteries enough water 10 make
up for evaporation and decomposition