The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-03-06
RAPID TRANSIT
Automobiles Are Now
on the Way
Details Of Plans for Iioooluius Horse.
less Hack Service Told by
E, D, Tenney

Speeding between chicago and San
Francisco are now a quarter of hun.
dred automobiles bound for Honou.
lu or course they are not courslng on
their own wheels, but are In boxcars OF
the Southern Pacific Railroad In tran
sit from the Windy City for shipment
20 this port They are the equipment
OF the Hawaiian Automobile Company
and twenty OF them are intended for
use as public vehicles on the streets
here. Just when they will arrive is in
definite but those interested in the
enterprise will lose no time in prepar-
ing for their coming.
II. ID. Tenney, one OF the company
gives some interesting details OF the
work necessary to get the new auto
hack line in operation
we will have u surreys by the
first shipment" said Mr.. Tenney yes
terday. They will be much like the
most comfortable style of hack now
in use here These will be the initial
equipment of our service, and, besides,
we will have three roadwagons of the
single-seat kind and brake with two
seats and a canopy top Electric stor-
age batteries will be the method of
propulsion and rate of speed that will
make a horse feel tired is guaranteed.
THE batteries will have sufficient ca
pacity for 25-mile run, and we will
generate our electricity in a plant
which we are about to establish on the
property adjacent to the Executive
Building. There we will have our pow
sr-house, on the best and latest plans.
When the storage battery of motor
IT, l.,,.
Der of few minutes to reach the plant
and receive a new supply of energy.
The system has been thoroughly tried
in Eastern cities and we will have the
benefit of many failures and successes
in Europe and the United States
Mr.. Tenney gives assurance that the
rates of the automobiles, both for time
and distance, will not exceed those of
bhe present hacks, and holds out hopes
that they will even be lower.
I'VE have not settled on the Tariff
yet" said Mr.. Tenney, land this mat
ter will adjust itself when we get to
running. Perhaps we may have to
make an experimental rate to start,
BUT Honolulans may rest easy upon the
certainty that they will have rapid
Ransit of most agreeable style at a
minimum figure. Our drivers will be
thoroughly trained to manage the au-
Sos and none will be given charge of
enc until he has mastered 1t perfect
II.
Doubtless we will have to establish
v training school as is now the custom
in Europe. In these a tract OF land
rough in places and smooth in others is
selected and on this the ambitious
would-be drivers seek to gain the same
control of the auto as good bicycle
pider has of his wheel. This is a matter
Of time and practice. Various obstacles
such as the driver would likely meet
with on the public streets are in his
path in the school and he must learn
TO evade the subtle bicycle, the cunning
pleasure carriage and the deadly lum-
Der wagon, as well as other autos and
the needless pedestrian.
This is not as difficult matter as
might be thought | have run my own
horseless carriage and know that 1t Is
easier for a careful man to guide 1t
than to direct a horse. The auto never
runs away nor SHES nor balks. Speed
Is determined by touch of the lever
and brake stops it almost instantly.
The driver in training will learn to
meet the everyday troubles of his class
and to be coOlheaded and active when
danger threatens.
I'VE can manage almost any grade
that a horse can safely and |, myself,
have travelled on one of IL per cent with
no difficulty. Honolulu's streets are
adapted to the auto and / look for
reception of them which will prove us
sp-to-date. ! believe there are four
autos in the city now; three propelled
BY electricity and one by steam They
are costly affairs to purchase and our
investment will reach close to hun
bred thousand dollars"