The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-25
AUTO-YRUCKING.
F4 F4VORABLE RESULTS OF REGENT


 Doom of the Horsc-Enormous Load;
 Were Drawn Up Grades Whore tho
 Heaviest Team of Horses Could Not
 but Fnil-American Competition.
 Whether it means the doom of the horse as draught animal, is what all this part of the world is wondering. Long ago France, England and finally America. reluctantly made up their minds that the advance of the automo- bile would do away with our gentle friend" as motive power for pleasure and light driving. Now-on the heels of the automobile cabs and drags, and runabouts, and phaetons and coaches, and so forth-comes the automobile truck. For some years men have be- lleved that perhaps steam, or electrici- ty, or condensed air, or petroleum, or another wholly mechanical power, might be properly and successfully used in light traffic, but have looked to horses for strong hauling. Certainly the horses were never bred that could have accomplished in the same time and at the same expense what the "au- to-trucks" (that is the name which has in their official trials here.
 
 the ship to the shopkeeper; to do away with the many handlings and trans fers now necessary in shipping goods; to tie Liverpool more closely to New York and Chicago; to bring all the worlds centers of trade and industry nearer and easer-these were the ulti- mate aims of the second contest be- tween auto-trucks held by the Liver pool Self-Propelled Traffic association.
 Five systems of heavy horseless vans were given the severest tests possible, and they scored in consequence the most notable successes that the auto mobile has ever registered in all the world as an industrial agent. People said it was impossible that the mann moth autocars could ascend hills rising
 
 more than seven tons in weight; but it was done, and one system has two gold medals to prove that the autocar can rapidly go up and down rocky steeps with heavy loads, where the strongest teams of horses would slip and stall and fall.
 Everton Brow is the steepest and most difficult hill in Liverpool, and it's equal can hardly be found in all the United Kingdom. It Is paved at different points with macadam, asphaltum, stone and wood, all of which are more or less trying in a test of this kind on a steep gradient. In addition, it takes three turns, one of them being an acute angle, and had the road been made to order as a hill-terriaer, 1t could hardly have bet ter served It's trying purpose Three separate hill-climbing tests were made on the first of the three days of trial.
 As starter each wagon was sent up empty and down again. Then they were loaded with sacks of corn, and in each trip up and down the car was stopped by signal on the most precipitous part of the rise and descent. To add to the difficult undertaking, the hiss was wa tered in Its steepest portions and on the sharpest turns Some of the five cars slowed around with their hind wheels and skidded bit on the difficult turns, and two of them had to make double start before they got away for the climb One of the heavy vehicles threw the spectators into fever of excitement by threatened bolt when on the most dangerous part of the hill and runaway, an upset and steam explosion seemed imminent for a minute or two. But the driver stuck to his fractious mount, and by 1t in backward circle was at last able to bring the vehicle under control to try again, and successfully. It was the most exciting incident of the | contest, and proved the value of a good | man in charge of the machine
 At whistle from the judges, the rars were stopped going up and down, and the first complete arrest on the de- | scent was made in eleven feet. The | next driver kept his heavy van we'll in | hand and pulled up in nine feet, but the Coulthard machine beat them all in it's prompt response, which set the wheels motionless in six feet after the whistle sounded. It was quicker time han the best trained team could make On the upgrade some of the stops were made in the space of eighteen inches.
 Genuine freighting loads were car jed. One of the medal winners weighed in itself over three tons, upon which was loaded four tons, and 1eavy trailer attached with two and ,ne-l1alf tons more. Yet it walked off asily with this heavy drag, and could have done more.
 It is a singular fact that motor cars Ire only successful hill-climbers when we'll laden. If unloaded there is not weight upon the wheels for hem to grip the earth on steep ascent, o that there will, for the future, be no conomy in working light "to save the team"
 Thirty-five miles and more was the curse laid out. over all sorts of high ways, for the Liverpool country road ontests. Two days were given to this nder the dragging burden of heavy pads, and the engines moved steadily long the route, barring a few minor at speed varying from four o six miles an hour. At present the nv does not allow greater speed to hat class of engines. The judges and oI1oHyarc trovale6 by cnaoia1 o,,to,,o l