The age-herald., 1901-01-06
AUTOMOBILES T00 T00
 BE MADE HERE Advantages and Disadvantages
 of Various Kinds MAKER TALKS ABOUT THEM Only Three Practical Motive Powers, Viz: Steam, Gasoline and Electric ity-Can Be Made Any Shape
 And Any Horse Power.
MAKER TALKS ABOUT THEM

Birmingham, always enterprising and up- to-date is soon to have two automobile factories in operation. One will manufac- ture a gasoline automobile and the other a steam automobile.
 An old resident of Birmingham who has been abroad for the last five years look ing into the progress and development of the automobile is largely interested in one of the factories. In talking to Age Herald reporter yesterday the subject of automobiles was mentioned and some in- teresblng information to people who con- template investing in these machines was obtained.
 'France," said this gentleman, 'is far ahead of all other countries in the success full manufacture of automobiles. This Is accounted for by the fact that they have been at 1t longer than any other country. They make machines of almost limitless speed. Vanderbilt's machine, for instance, which is of French manufacture, is capable of a speed of 100 miles an hour Most of the French machines use gasoline as a motive power Next to them the English probably manufacture the best machines, and the United States comes third. With the natural taste and genius of Americans
 
 when we will excell in their manufacture. Their study is comparatively recent in this country, and considering the short time in which manufacturers in this country have devoted their time to them, they have done remarkably we'll. New factories spring. ing up all over the country and it is only a matter of time and comparatively short time before they will be perfected.
 The Different Kinds.
 There are numerous kinds of automobiles that is to say there are numerous kinds of motive power. The general plan and out line of the carriage is the same in all. The carriage can be made in any shape desired, but the general tendency is to make a ve- hicle as light as possible.
 "One feature they all as a rule have in common, and that is the use of the sprocket wheel and chain. There is one chainless au- tomobile made which is worked on the plan of the chainless bicycle, and the cleo tric machines have the motors attached directly ito the rear axle, but generally speaking there is a chain and two sprocket wheels like the ordinary bicycle, only in the automobile it is reversed. The power is first applied to the small sprocket wheel, which makes about three revolutions to one of the large sprocket wheel.
 Among some of tHle various powers used might be mentioned electricity, steam, gas- oline, explosive engines, gunpowder engines and liquid air. Dynamite, gunpowder and liquid air are still too experimental to be considered, and the three chief motive powers are steam, electricity and gasoline. Each of these has it's advantages and dis tb1 ,oip is the most popular and the DeDion Bou- ton motor is generally used. In the rest of Europe electricity Is most generally used. In America I think the steam automobiles will prove the most popular. Tn cities where the streets are good and electricity easily obtained, the electric automobile is an ideal conveyance. All you have to do Is to touch button and you are off. Tn the smaller ctties or towns the electric vehicle will not prove so popular It is very heavy on &C., count of the storage batteries, which the acid soon eats out, making it expensive to maintain, and if run over bad roads or put to a strain, it is apt to break down. Then, too the original cost of the machine is much greater than the others.
 "The gasoline machine and all other ex- plosive engines have to use friction clutch. This is clumsy, as the engine has to first be started by turning crank. One advantage of the gasoline engines is that they will run long distances, say 100 miles, on one charge. A disadvantage is that the gasoline has to be exploded by an electric spark or heated rod. This is apt to corrode, causing trouble.
 "The steam engines when charged will run about fifty miles, The steam is generated by gasoline. They can be operated as cheaply as the gasoline engines, and if well treated will last indefinitely. One great advantage about the steam engine is that it will stand great strain. If the electric or gasoline engine is overtaxed 1t will break down. but the steam engine seems to have a reserve power. Steam is elastic and it's pressure steady, and the steam en- zine has been in use so long that 1t has become perfect and is we'll understood There is no friction clutch, and to start 1t you simply pull lever. Another great ad- vantage is in climbing grades. A steam zine will go up ae per cent grade. Steam and gasoline engines cost about 1a cent a mile to operate.
 Their Size and Cost.
 "The electric automobiles as- I said are the most expensive. The cheapest of them costs about thousand dollars. A good steam or gasoline machine can be coll structed and sold for about $75O. I expect to manufacture a steam automobile which can be sold at that price or less. It will weigh about 800 pounds and be constructed entirely out of metal. don't think 1t ad- vsable to put hot engine inside wooden bodv The latter will certainly he affected ? by the dampness outside and the heat within. All automobiles have a standard size wheel of 2S inches diameter. There is one exception which has 36-inch wheel, but I see that this is to be reduced to 34 inches. It is not advisable to have a big wheel on account of the weight of the body. If this is too high from the ground the machine is apt to upset in turning curve.