The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-05-26
HOW AUTOS ARE RUN
The Little Town of Canda
and It's Indus
tries.

Down near the terminus of the sound
shore branch of the New York and Long
Branch division of the Jersey Central is a
big tract of land covered with car wheels
and big black buildings filled with costly
wood working and metal working ma
chinery of the most approved type, says
the Newark Sunday Call" The build
ings are impressive and the car wheels are
almost oppressive because they dominate
the view. Thousands upon thousands of
them stand in rows on the ground like
huge coins in rack, and they repre-
sent a big sum of money lying idle.
Most of these car wheels have been 1y-
ing there for five years, and scarcely
anything has been done at the immense
plant since. The place is called Canda,
the wheels are marked Canda and Mr.
Canda is in control of the plant. He
was car builder at Huntington, w.
Va, and came to New eJrsey to erect
this big plant for building car wheels
and freight cars. Among those who con-
tributed money for the purchase of the
thousand acres of land the erection of
the buildings and the installment of the
machinery, was the millionaire, C. P.
Huntington.
After thousands of car wheels were cast
and chilled by patent process some kind
of an argument was brought to bear to
show why the plant should not make
cars. and it prevailed. Just what the in
fluence was does not concern the public,
| inasmueh as it affects only those VINO put
money into the enterprise. The car build
ing Industry was never begun and the
buildings erected for that purpose contain
quantity of rusting machines, with mil
dewed belts.
The tract has over thousand feet Of
water front on Staten Island Sound, with
| considerable more upon the Railway Riv-
er. There is railroad station almost
| in the middle of the grounds, and
| good wagon road enters the foundry plant
from the public road, only two hundred
yards away.
Canda is not entirely idle. There is an
| infant industry" going on there with con-
siderable energy, or rather, two industries
which do not fill much Of the covered
space on the big tract. The more import
ant of these industries is the manufacture
of the Canda automobile vehicles. and the
other is the building of the Canda gaso-
line launches and engines. The automo-
biles are light structures with iron wheels,
twenty-six inches in diameter and big
pneumatic tires.
The operator sits upon a saddle connect
| ed with a diamond frame and steers with
bicycle handlebar connected with the
front wheels, which are pivoted to the
ends of the rigid ales. Two light car
riages springs rest upon the front axle
and support the comfortably cushioned
seat in front
The engine Is operated by gasoline va
por from tank suspended from the
| diamond frame, and is geared directly
to the rear axle. There is a spark coil
on one sid5 of the engine and a muffling
| chamber at the other, while a number of
small batteries are concealed under the
| front seat. A strap brake encircles the
axle near the gear chamber, and is OPP
Grated from the handlebar.
| The engine is rated at two and one
half horsepower, and will carry two
heavy weights up stiff hill. The machine
is handsomely decorated and has graceful
lines, but it is not stylish, because the
| wheels are so small and the body of the
vehicle so low. It has a juvenile appear
ance. but is a real hustler on the road.
The Canda company is building the first
| Ol THESE carriages anu nail d
dozen are in daily use on the road. Orders
cover al that can be turned out in the
next sixty days, and arrangements have
| been made for building 200 more. Every
detail of the construction is made at
Canda, with the exception of the wheels
and few bicycle fittings. which are regu-
lar articles of trade. The vehicle is start
ed by pedaling, and in case of a break
down of the engine on the road, can be
pedaled home. 1t would be heavy work,
but an improvement upon walking and
pushing the carriage ahead or hiring a
tow horse. The Canda machine is as
lightly constructed as is consistent with
necessary strength, and it is decided
novelty in automobile vehicles.
| The boat building enterprise is still new
er than the carriage business, and sim
| liar principle is being used in furnishing
power from gasoline vapor. There are four
| lounches from forty to fifty feet long, in
one of the shops, and in another is a ra-
Ger, which, when completed, is expected to
do wonders.