The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-03-31
M OTOR M AGO COME
GREAT CHANGE IN TRANSPORT
#.s5 'T.ATION. #z@ #.
The Electric Carriage VIII Soon Be q
Common Sight on the Country Roads
Last Years Tests and This-The
% Gas Powers. ~" e. =

Inc day when motor wagons will
supplant the horse even in the country
and over country roads is slowly COM
ing. The London Times OF Aug. 4
gives an account of the second annual.
series Of trials of motor vehicles for
heavy traffic, held that week at Liver
pool by the Liverpool Self-Propelled
Traffic association, which is interest
ing. These trials are said to have in
Dictated considerable progress in the
construction of the automotor wagons
since the first trials, which, it may be
remembered, took place in the same
place and under the same auspices in
May of last year.
The progress made in efficiency was
evidenced by the fact that the LEY
land'' vehicle which, with some slight
notifications, was identical with the
winner of the first prize last year, was
this time adjudged worthy of silver
medal only, being bracketed in the re-
celpt of this award with a vehicle en-
tered by Messrs. Bayleys Qimited), of
Newington causeway. This years high
est awards-the gold medals of the two
classes of entries-were won by the
'Thornycroft" vehicles, which showed
a vast improvement on the exhibits
entered by the same makers last year.
These makers, it should be noted-and,
indeed, all those who have competed
for the trials-employ steam as their
motive power, generated by liquid fuel
or coke. Electricity and oil motors
have been unrepresented in either year,
but this is partly accounted for by the
fact that the limit Of three tons fare
imposed in England by the Light Lo-
comotives act of 1896 puts all CONT
mental vehicles out of competition.
Last year the tests were confined to-
routes of about thirty miles each, but
this year, whilst the same routes, which
comprise many varieties of road, were
again traversed, special hill climbing
trials were introduced by which the
efficiency Of the competitors in ascend
ing, descending, stopping and repairing
ON the most severe gradients likely to
be met with in this country was SUBJ
jected to the most searching tests. The
course chosen for these hill climbing
trials comprised gradients ranging
from 1 in % to / in 9, there being no
less than 81 yards of the latter, pre-
ceded by rs yards Of 1 in 10. More
over, the roadway traversed, whilst in
Guiding a stretch of macadam and an
other of impervious pavement, started
with section paved with the old style
of sets and terminated in about 70
yards of boulders, the gradient at this
end being to Il. In short, it was the
unanimous opinion of all WHO saw the
route that no more severe testeof hill
climbing capacity could have been
chosen. Yet, with one exception, the
six vehicles successfully negotiated the
course, both empty and loaded: or were
they embarrassed when, as final test,
the severest gradient was lightly sprin-
killed. with. water. Especially fine was
the work done by the two "Thorny-
croft wagons, the larger of which, de-
scribed as a, steam lOrry and trailer"
carried it's full load of six and half
tons to the top of the hill and down
again without the slightest difficulty
and at a goou speed. The same two
vehicles were also cons picuously sue
cessful in the Long distance runs, their
average speed throughout being fully
five miles an, hour. The war Office, the
local government board, and several
provincial corporations were repre-
scented at the trials, the arrangements
of which were organized by Mr.. E.
ShrapnelT Smith, the honorable secre-
tary Of the Liverpool Self-Propelled
Traffic association.