The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-08

! The nrst sutomoblle contest OF inn
portance took place in 1894 at the insti-
CATION OF The Petit Journal OF Paris
ana was over the roads between Paris
ana Rouen. One hundred vehicles en-
tered but few kept up 90 the last the
race being won by a gasoline motor
winch covered the distance of eighty
I'VE miles m a little over five hours
. The United States soon took up The
rad and in 1895 race was won here
py a gasoline motor built i'm Massachu-
setts. The next year the British had a
great contest TO celebrate the modifca-
tlon or their stringent road laws. and
there was also race i'm France be-
tween Paris and Marseilles. In 1898 oc-
CURED the decisive contest OF passen-
ger carrying cabs i'm Paris, upon which
was based the radical revolution of the
system I'm that city. the electric auto
cabs superseding horse drawn vehicles
altogether. That was only three years
ago and At the same time London and
New YORK. Washington and other large
| cities were experimenting with the au-
tos with view 10 their Introduction
as means for city transit which has
now become fairly general.
Having survived several protracted
| periods OF neglect in the century and a
tAird that has elapsed since its inven-
| ton, the motor carriage. or automobile,
has az last come 10 stay and has been
| accepted as an eventual substitute for
horses. Poor equus will have 10 be rel
egated 10 the rear, IL wolld SEEM
| though for some time yet he viii be a
| familiar and obnoxious feature of our
streets. Now that speed strength and
A "a f~I -. -
| ball bearings. bicycle construction and
pneumatic tires; now that the matter
| OF speed is practically one of good
roads and intrepidity on the part OF the
chauffeur and now that it has been
demonstrated that an auto costs hardly
more for fuel and repairs than a horse
costs for his food. almost any one rich
enough TO pay the initial price OF an
automobile may indulge i'm the luxury
OF spin upon his own machine.
Scarcely a day passes without its
| chronicle OF accidents through the &C.
centricities of the automobile. which
has most disagreeable habit of skid
ding" on wet and clayey roads. some
times takes a notion to blow up its
boiler If steam auto. to explode If a
gasoline or unaccountably balk IL an
electric. The three different types-the
electric, gasoline and steam motors
all have their advocates. but IL would
seem that the perfect machine is yet TO
be produced. II may be of one type or
another, but will probably be a comb-
/ nation between the gasoline and cleo
trio. The great races such as that
from Paris 10 Berlin last June. when
Fournier completed the $50 miles in 1sh.
6m and the populace went wild over
The winner. have been won by the gas
olines, IL is true, but the steam and
/ electrics still have their devoted ad
mirers. There lis no type so easily man
aged as the electric, none so strong and
economical as the steam and the gaso-
I line, but likewise none so evil smelling
and noisy as the latter. At the, same
time il will be a survival OF the fittest,
and there is not the least doubt that
the composite machine OF the future.
provided good road construction keeps
pace with the auto inventors and the
laws will allow il, will be able to do its
hundred miles an hour.