Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-08-08
AUTOS MUST BE CHEAPER.
Kerosene. Gasoline and Petroleum
Motors Becoming Popular

Kerosene, Gasoline and Petroleum
Motors Becoming Popular.
The first step coward a cheaper We
hicle must be TIT of standard or in
changeble bodies 18th wheels, tires,
zles, springs, &c. 5 and other parts OF
uniform size. i..actric automobiles
must. sooner or ter. be provided
with interchangl~1. batteries, so
that old batteries can be thrown out
and newly charged batteries subsitut.
ed without long waits, as is now the
case. To accomplish this result manu-
facturers will either have to agree
upon a standard battery or the inyen-
tive genius of our electricians must be
called up to produce some quick
charging means
Apart from the present slow system
Of charging electric batteries and the
rapid deterioration Of motor batteries,
the American electric automobile of
today surpasses all other automobiles
in many points. First of all, it is
easiest to manage. 1t starts at
touch without having to wait for the
generation of steam or for carburibza-
ton. 1t has no noisy and conspicuous
exhaust, nov does it offend by its odor,
as is the case with automobiles pro
PEELED by gasoline or kerosene motors.
No skill is required to run it.
On the other hand. there are some
distinct drawbacks. There is the UNI
due weight and bulkiness OF the bat
teries, which in itself is bound to IN
terfere with grace of design. AS a We
! hicle it's runs are confined to narrow
limits. The motive power is measured
| by the capacity of the storage batter
les. Charging stations outside the
large cities are few and far between.
If the power gives out between sta
tons, it is impossible to replenish.
Another bad point already indicated,
| is the fact that it takes several hours
to charge battery to it's full capacity.
The seam motor, while the farthest
advanced, likewise has it's drawbacks.
First Of all comes the question of fuel.
The lightest and most effective fuel
| for generating steam at present APP
pears to be gasoline. Yet, even with
gasoline, it takes several minutes to
generate steam for propulsion before
starting. Nearly three times as much
gasoline is consumed in this way as it
would actually take to run a GasoIinG
motor This increases the running ex-
penses. While the gasoline is light
enough to carry supply for fifty or
sixty miles the water tank in the aver.
age steam vehicle will hold only
enough for twenty or twenty-five miles.
This means that q stop must be made
for water at least once or twice during
good days run. In long distance
races this is a serious consideration.
The most economical motor for light
road purposes, without a doubt is the
gasoline engine. AS perfected in
France, the gasoline motor comes
broadly under two systems. The first
of these is dependent upon direct car
burization. Air is passed over gas
oline in a tank. The gasoline issues
| forth in such a manner as to mix with
from seven to nine parts of air. The
chief disadvantage of the system is
that the density of the gas is affected
by atmospheric conditions and "Ne
! temperature of the fluid.
The other gasoline system depends
for it's effectiveness upon yaporizing or
spraying. Limited quantities of the
gasoline in the tank are sprayed into
the carburizing chambers, where, Mix
ing with the air, it forms the explosive
mixture which drives the motor. The
| trouble with this system is its uncer-
| tain ignition AVID explosion, often caus-
ing annoying delays at the start. Both
sysytems have the advantage of cheap
ness and peculiar adaptabiLity for light
and rapid work.