The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-27
TELL SPEED OF AUTO.
New Automatic Register Which Is
Expected to Benefit Both
Chauffeurs and Public.
Passersby on Either Side of the
Street Can Tell Exact Speed
' Of Carriage. =

Automobiles will not be able to COM
plain much longer that the public Is
prejudiced against the horseless wagon,
disposed to exaggerate the facts and
make the speed at which the auto IS
driven more than it really was. The
man afoot or driving a horse will know
the exact speed at which each machine
is going. He will not have to conjecture
as to whether the speed exceeds the limit
set by the ordinance. Standing on the
sidewalk, he can tell at q glance the
speed Of an automobile which passes, and
If it should be in excess Of the prescribed
limits, may report it to the authorities
if SO disposed.
One reckless driver can create as much
| antipathy on the part Of the general pub
lie against this class of vehicles that
the care exercised by. other drivers in
handling their machines on the street is
| overlooked, and the same feeling of
prejudice is visited on unoffending driv-
ers. AS a general rule, most chauffeurs
are careful in the guidance Of their au-
tomobiles and mindful Of the rights Of
others.
AS measure of protection against the
| reckless drivers, it has been suggested
! that the chauffeurs organize and adopt
| reasonable rules and regulations, barring
| out all who go beyond reasonable limits.
| This plan would doubtless result in the
| greatest benefit to the public, and at the
| same time prevent the adoption OF un-
reasonable restrictions which might work
! disastrously to the autonobilists them
| selves and prove almost prohibitive.
| E. ]. Hodgson, a local architect, has
devised scheme that will without doubt
| solve the problem. He has just applied
| to Washington for patents on an auto
matte register that will indicate the exact
| speed at which the automobile is being
| driven, most of the registers now in use
I a iah h11f Nr ri Qir1oe
| to have removed this difficulty. g..
! The new registers particular value to
| the public lies in the fact that it will per-
nit passers-by on either side of the
| street to tell the exact speed at which the
| horseless wagon is going. There will be
| two faces to the dial- which is placed in
| front Of the automobile, the hands and
numerals being large enough to indicate
| the speed at a glance. 1t will register a
speed as high as eighty miles an hour.
The larger hand will register the speed
up to thirty-six miles an hour, while a
smaller hand will indicate the speed up to
the limit.
In the case of an accident there will be
| no question as to what was the speed of
| the horseless wagon at the time the acci-
| dent occurred. The mechanism Is so ad-
justed that while the larger hand moves
back as. the machine slows down, an
other hand remains for five minutes at the
| 1lS uie llulCat1IlS tHe Speeu OIL tIle duIOHlO-
| bile at the time the accident occurred.
When automobilists are required by
ordinance to equip their machines with
Mr.. Hodgson's device, and each machine
is compelled to have a plate on the rear
| inscribed with the number, making the
identification of the driver easy, there will
be no further menace from reckless driv-
ing. The danger of having their licenses
taken away from them will keep the
chauffeurs within proper bounds, and will
tend to eliminate all cause for prejudice OF
anirnosity on the part of the public.