The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-08
AUTOMOBILES At BUFFALO
The New Industry Represented at
the Pan-American Exposition.
Every Sfage Of the Development of
the Vehicle P0rtraycd-ConVey-
aHccs of All Descriptions to- BE
Scen-UHiquc Inventions Displayed.

BUFFALO y Y. June Sat the Pan
/ American Exposition the automobile is
shown in all its various details, COmpris-
J iug a greater range Of class, style. de-
! sign, utility. and finish, than any other
/ vehicle or mode of Iocomotion. The gen
/ eTaI plan of the exposition is to show the
/ steady advancement along mechanical
( lines, step by step in the development of
/ industrial Improvement. Useful articles
/ are shown in a manner to represent this
/ growth from the crude imperfect tools or
utensils of our Eraudfather's time, down
I through the many different stages in the
! line OF progress to the present unitarian
product.
( Some OF the early automobiles that
! were invented before the word was coined.
/ look to US like clumsy Anticipated at
/ fairs, although measured by years their
/ span of existence on earth is rot an ex-
tended one Some of these early contriv-
aHces Were successful in a measure. but
/ others. and we might say the majority,
! were iamentabIe failures.
Automobile manufacturers have ar
ranged the automobile exhibit for the pUr-
! pose OF carrying out this idea to the full
! est extent possible They are not show
J ing Anticipated failures. as the general
public feel no interest in mistakes even if
| the space available should be sufficient
| There are, however, a great many fail
Ures TO one success, a fact that should
not be lost sight Of in considering sub
ject Of such universal interest and fmpor-
lance Early partial successes are repre-
scented by a few pioneer road wagons that
would actually run y means of self
contained power One of these early at
! tempts which was in measure success
& fYr4 dot l.I-g
a steam cOntrivance having inclined CYL
inders patterned somewhat after the ear
Her railroad engines. It is Row in a good
state of preservation and could be used
on 8 suitable road 4 is d roomy convey
auce and VIII carry with ease about a
dozen people
Another invention is balanced cart fash
ion on two wheels about ten feet in diam
eter which are housed after the manner
OF boxing the side wheels of a steamer
These are not wheels at all in the ordinary
acceptatiOn of the term, being but rings
/ which run around the wheels; the object
/ being to provide an endless metal track
that would enable the car to easily pass
over stones and scraper loads Of earth
careIessIy left IL the middle OF the road
by absent-minded farmers Attempts to
provide movable track for such wretch
ed highways proved 10 be a popular Hlu-
sion about thirty or forty years ago.
NumberIess inventors took up the propo-
sition but invariably found it impractical
bic.
w H Thomson. of Edinburgh invented
about the year 1871 d three-wheeI steam
road engine, designed for use on common
F.! highways in India. 4 number Of these
engines were built for the Indian Govern
70 1r oh
miles in the Punjaub. This was about the
first automatic road wagon to be fitted
with rubber tires These tires We're sec
tionaI. being mere blocks Of rubber four
and one-haif inches thick, extending
across the face Of the drive wheels which
were fourteen and oae-haIf inches wide.
Bunkers were provided with a capacity Of
one ton Of coal and tanks sufficient 10 car
~ 30 gallons OF water. the total weight.
including coal and water was about
twelve tons.
a coach IN the shape Of an omnibus was
towed behind 70 carry passengers This
omnibus was balanced on two wheels
which were large and provided with q
wide tread. A great deal was claimed for
this rig. Among other things a speed OF
twelve miles with the ability TO climb
grade Of one in ten and to turn easily and
quickly We might take an extra pinch
Of salt and allow part of this statement
only that the balance Of the account IN
Dragging about .he wonderful merits Of
the omnibus with its springs and rubber
truck tires claim that it ran so smooth
" even on a rough road, that it is quite
possible 10 write. perfectly. when sitting
inside"
This description was written thirty
years ago at d time when writing in one
Of the best railway coaches while running
on good track at ordinarily speed was
a feat difficult to accomplish
IN 1881 a three-wheeI motor carriage
was patented by c H Warrington, Of
Westchester Pa Illuminating gas was
the motive power which was mixed with
air by means of a feeding attachment and
exploded in the cylinder after the manner
Of the ordinary gas engine a weighted
compressihIe bellows held the gas and de
iivered it to the engine under the proper
pressure Sufficient storage for gas must
have been a serious problem in this de-
sign, which was accomplished by making
the body of the vehicle exceedingly com
rnodious. AS the wheels were saTSe the
crank formed in the rear axle and the
shaft connected directly to the piston, the
speed of this road engine. q it was styled,
must have been very erratic at times 1t
was, however. one step in the evolution
Of the automobile.
Invention along this line was not con-
fined TO any country or nationality. We
have an elaborate account of an ITishmau
who invented about the same year an
open and shut fange. for a car wheel, the
object being to provide wheel, Hanged
for the purpose Of following a car track.
or smooth tired when used on common
road The hange was operated by means
Of double eccentric; these eccentrics
were so arranged as to neutTaIize each
other. The outward throw of a lever ex-
tended the fanges alike IN opposite d.
TeCtiOus. thereby charging the hauge per
Iphcry sufficient to- keep the wheel on the
track When necessary to run the car
without tracks these Ranges were shut
in. thereby reducing the face Of the wheel
TO q smooth surface. A clear case Of try
ing to -'Stracdie the fence feat as diff
the politician
While looking at the present exhibit OF
graceful automatic vehicles Of 50 many
different designs. comprising as they 30,
light TunaDOutS for The city business men.
comfortable carriages for family Use,
heavy freight trucks for moving Herchan-
disc. and handy farm I over for blowing
and cultivatirg the soil, one feels SeTi-
Ousiy impressed with the CeaselesS prog
ress of the age.
TOvyed by "a Moose.
(From the Chicago Trfbune.)
St Paul. Niun-A fishing party at Black Duck
Lake, this State had novel experience which