The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-17

"a AONG the recent inventions de-
~ signed for utility, pleasure or
comfort none has attracted 50
much attention the automobile
Primarily intended only to afford Il
speedy, comfortable means of locomo-
ton, the use of the horseless carriage
has been subjected to constant extern
sion until at the present time its en-
ployment as a pleasure vehicle is al
most subordinated to its application to
other purposes. The automobile has
entered the fields of business, of sport
and of war. The automobile motor, fit
ted to a business vehicle, has proved
its usefulness in the streets of our lar
ger cities. wherein the horseless fire en-
CINE, ambulance and patrol wagon are
also daily becoming more familiar Its
many advantages for these purposes
scarcely need enumeration, economy CT
operation and cleanliness heading the
list AT present the first cost Of the
automobile is somewhat too high to ad-
init OF its universal adoption, and, be-
sides. in the hands of a careless or in
experienced user it is too liable to be
dangerous. These objections bid fair to
be eliminated in the near future by i'm
provements in the automobile itself.
When this shall be accomplished, the
hOrseless age Will almost be here, and
the service of mans old time servant
and friend as factor in the business
world viii be relegated to the back
ground
Modern warfare with it's customary
greediness, has claimed the automobile
for its own. Nothing else is attracting
so much attention in European military
circles and our own war department is
waiting and watching sharply for de-
velopments. besides experimenting for
itself. The possibilities of the horselesS
carriage are illimitable, and its availa-
bility and efficiency need no demonstra-
ton In actual warfare, for transporta-
ton purposes, the uses of the automo-
bile would be manifold, while self NOV
ing gun carriages for destroying life,
and automobile ambulances for saving
it suggest themselves Immediately. In
this. as in all other automobile matters,
the French have taken the active lead,
and if continental Europe again be-
comes a battlefield the French automO-
bile Will prove very important factor.
The advantages of the automobile over
the horse are too many to be enumerat-
ed. There are a few drawbacks to its
exclusive use, the most serious of these
being its liability TO get out of order,
but improvements Will remedy that
shortening and all of the others.
In France experiments with military
automobiles have been carried on since
1897, and the machines have amply jus
pidity with which the French generals
have been enabled to move from place
TO place without fatigue while conduct
ing maneuvers or sham battles have
delighted them, and they are enthusi-
astic in their praise of the automobile.
During the 1898 maneuvers General ia
mont, one of the leading French com
manders, found that he could easily
cover so miles in one day and see for
himself the exact disposition of his
troops. a feat impossible on horseback.
During the September maneuvers this
year better results have been obtained.
This year. also. autotrucks were used
for the transportation of food, ammuni-
ton and supplies and proved to be bril-
liant successes The saving in cost and
in other respects over horse transport
is estimated at 30 per cent. Several
models of automobile trucks We're used,
among them the Sootte. the Dion-Bou-
ton, which hauls other wagons, besides
carrying supplies itself, and the Die
trich- Some OF these We're made up
into trains and attained an average
speed of six to seven kilometers (about