The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-28

can be desired Of comfort and pratica.
| convenience. The owner can, when he
! lliis.SSS, cit On the box and drive himself.
Wien he Is tired Of that, or too busy. he
| can sit inside at his ease and is able TO
get in and out with the rapidity only p S.
| sihle in victoria. But. granted the vic
| toria is the best all-round shape, what Is
the best method OF propulsion? He would
be bold man who would venture to try
to decide such question finland; but
this much may be said: II the storage OF
electricity could be made easier and qri k
er, and generally improved, electricity
would without question be the IDEAL
! driving force. car charged with
electricity can be driven by child.
There is practically nothing 60 get out CT
order or go wrong A hard working goblin
has been imprisoned in the accumuato7s,
and for the number of miles which he Is
condemned to serve the car is bound to
run. Nothing is easier than to drive a
properly made electric motor car. Unfortu-
nately. however. the accumulators can as
rule only be charged to run some fifty
miles, and when that period is reached the
car must rest five or six hours while the
electricity is being resupplied. But this
means that the car is not tireless, but
capable of exhaustion and requiring rest
defects which go to break the charm o.
freedom which is especially delightful in
a motor car. Some day. no doubt, cleo
tricity will be properly broken in to the
work. but as yet man has not mastered
the lightning.
Methods of Propulsion.
The other forms Of force are the steam
engine and the gas engine. Very possibly
the steam engine will triumph, but as yet
although there are some good steam cars,
the best results do not belong 20 the
steam but to the gas engines. Propulsion
obtained by utilizing series OF explosions
OF petrol" at present holds the field.
The motor car driven by petrol" produces
not only the highest speed, but is the most
practicable and the most Trustworthy The
petrol driven car does not want to rest
like the electric. but will run as long as
it is wanted, provided only that the tanks
of petrol can be filled up from time tn
time. For the present, then, petrol Is
the best source Of power and will be gen.
orally employed by those who wish to be
able to make long journeys at a quick
pace, and to be Independent of external !
help, other than the purchase Of oil. But, |
as we have eaid above the ingenuity OF |
the inventor will no doubt very soon |
greatly improve both electric and steam |
propulsion. |
Probably in the end all three forms will |
prevail. and will be employed each for |
the purpose to which II is best adapted
Just as We have traction by horses. DON
keys. mules and ponies. No one metho'!
will have monopoly. In the same way, |
no doubt, horse traction will still go on |
for very many years, though it cannot but |
dwindle In amount. The motor car has, |
as We have said come to stay, and We |
may be certain that 1t will gradually be-
come the normal method OF transport for |
distances up to. say, fifty miles, for the |
very good reason that 1t so greatly IN
creases individual mobility. The motor
car will, in fact, do more fully what the
bicycle began. e.. give the nation back
its roads.-The Spectator.