Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-16
Does This Mean the Final Doom of
the Horse?
HEAVY LOADS ARE EASILY CARRIED
Mammoth Burdens Hauled Over
High Grades.
GREAT BENEFIT TO FARMERS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

LlN ERPOOL, September ,, 1872.
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 re-
luctantly made up their minds that the ad :
vance of the automobile would do away
with our gentle friend as motive power
for pleasure and light driving. Now--on
the heels of the automobile cabs, and
d1ags. and runabouts, and phaetcns. and
coaches. and so forth-comes the automo-
bile truck For some years men nave be-
lieved that perhaps steam, or electricity,
or condensed air. or petroleum, another
wholly mechanical motive power might be
properly and successfully used in light
traffic. but they have looked to horses for
strong hauling. Certainly the horses We're
never bred that could have accomplished
in the same time and at the same expense
what the "autotrucks' Chat is the narne
which has been given to them did the 9th
er day in their official trials here
To deliver merchandise direct from the
ships to the shopkeeper; to do away with
the many landings and transfers now nee
eSsary 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 ultimate aims of the second contest
between autotruckS held by the Liverpool
Sef-Propelled Traffic Association.
Five systems of heavy horselcss vans
we're given the SevereSt tests possible and
they scored in consequence the most nota-
bic successes that the automobile has ever
registered in all the world as industrial
agent. People said it was impossible that
the mammoth autocars could ascend hills
rising one foot in nine while bearing a to-
tai of more than seven tons in weight: but
it was done, and the one system has two
gold medals to prove that the autocar can
rapidly go up and down rocky sleeps with
,1r CIV .Nf
horses would slip and stall and fail
The Severest of Tests.
Everton Brow is the steepest and most
difficult hill in Liverpool, and it's equal can
hardly be found in all the united kingdom.
1t is paved at different points with mac
adam. asphaltum. stone and wood all
of which are more less trying in a test
of this kind steep gradient. In addi-
ton, it takes three turns, one of them being
an acute angle, and had the road been
made to order as "A hin terrifer it could
hardly have better served its trying pur-
pose Three separate hill-climbing tests
made on the first of the three days Of
trial.
AS a 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 undertake
ing. the hill watered in it's steepest
portions. and on the sharpest turns Some
of the five contestfng cars slowed around
with their hind wheels and skfdded a bit
on the difficult turns and two of them had
to make a double start before they got
away for the climb. One of the heavy We
hicles threw the spectators into a fever of
excitement by threatened bolt when on
the most dangerous part of the hill, and a
runaway, upset and steam explosion
seemed imminent for a minute or two. But
the driver stuck pluckily to his fractions
mount, and by whirling it in a backward
circle was at last able to bring the vehicle
under control to try again. and success
fully. 1t was the most exciting incident of
the contest, and proved the value of a good
man in charge Of the machine
Quicker Than Horses at Starting.
At whistle from the judges the cars
were stopped going up and down, and the
first complete arrest on the descent was
made in eleven feet. The next driver kept
his heavy van well in hand and pulled up
in nine feet. but the Coulthard machine
beat them all in its prompt response. which
set the wheels motionless in six feet after
the whistle sounded. 1t was quicker time
than the best-trained team could make
On the upgrade some of the stops were
made in the space of eighteen inches.
Genuine freghting loads We're carried.
One of the medal winners weighed in itself
over three tons. upon which was loaded
four TONS and heavy trailer attached
with two and one-half tons more Yet it |
walked off easily with this heavy drag and |
could evidently have done more.
Heavy Cars Necessary.
1t is a singular fact that motor cars are |
only successful hill-climbers when well !
laden. II unloaded there is not sufficient |
weight upon the wheels for them to grip |
the earth on steep ascent, SO that there |
will, for the future, be no economy in |
working light ito save the team" |
Thrty-fve miles and more was the |
course laid out, over all sorts of highways, |
for the Liverpool country road contests. |
Two days were given to this under the |
dragging burden Of heavy loads, and the |
engines moved steadily along the route, |
barring few minor mishaps. at speed |
varying from four to six miles hour. At |
present this law does not allow a greater |
speed to that class of engines. The judges |
and followers travelled by special automo- |
biles. the freight wagons being officially |
stopped on several of the steepest grades, !
both up and down, and the time was tel !
egraphed back to Liverpool from specified |
points. Besides its regular cargo of corn, |
the winning Thornycroft carried seven pas |
way throughout. All the vehicles received |
their stores of fuel and water before start
ing. and were not permitted to take on |
more. except that water was provided at |
fixed points. if necessary.
Cost. Of present means Of transport is
evident In commercial city |
like Liverpool. where thousands Of cotton !
bales, boxes Of produce and merchandise of |
all kinds are moved daily at an enormous
expenditure of money. Goods landed from
ships have to be carted from the quay to
warehouses railway sidings transship-
ped upon railway wagons. conveyed therein |
to inland towns and carted once again. and |
sometimes twice. to their destinat ton. While
such tedious and expensive journey may
be inevitable where the goods must be con-
veyed for long distances. it is obvious that
any method OF transportation which would
receive the goods in Liverpool and carry
them over all sorts of roads right to their
purchaser up TO fifty miles away would be-
q boon in economy to merchants and man.
ufacturers. thus also lessening the cost to
the consumer. The American who travels
In this part of England could almost
imagine himself In the bustlng United
States by the signs of enterprise displayed
In such towns as Liverpool, Manchester
and Birmingham, in contrast to fogy old
London. tramping along half century be-