Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-24
THE AUTOMOBILE SHOW.
Large Attendance and Much Interest
Manifested.

In a setting Of bright colors and to the
accompaniment of soft music Washington's
third automobile show opened last night at
the Washington Light Infantry Armory
The hall was crowded with beautifully fin
ished, gracefully appearing machines that
1t seems almost sacrilege to put foot in
There are all styles, from the heavy and
fast-touring cars to the light runabout for
city use, having electricity, steam or gaso-
line as the motive power.
There was large attendance the opening
night, notwithstanding the threatening
weather, and outside the armory there were
| scores of autos left on the curb by enthusi-
asts who already own machines, but want
| to see how much improved the new models
are. In the hall there were machines an
parently just pulled out of a wreck but
| near approach disclosed them to be merely
| denuded OF body and ornamental covering
! to show the working parts. Those so dis.
| sected were all gasoline machines and it
was revelation to discover the simplicity
| of their parts and the manner of their oper-
| alton.
| large electric sign over the space occu-
| pied, and with the aid of acetylene lamps
| that throw a ray like searchight the hall
| was brilliantly illumina ted. At each exhibit
| there was a chauffeur demonstrating the
| manner of operating the machine and cx-
| planning its advantages over all others Sew
eral firms have not been able to get their
vehicles to the exhibition on account of de-
| lay in transportation by rail-
| The largest and heaviest machine at this
| exhlpitlon Is an electric truck for carry
ing heavy goods: It is capable of carry
| ing two and one-half tons of material
A Gun Carriage.
| One of the most interesting exhibits is
that of the Northwestern Military Acad-
envy, which has an automobile gun car
| riage, in charge of several cadets from the
academy, under the command of Mai. R.
P. Davidson. Maj. Davidson may be re-
membered by many as having made sew
| eral crosS-country trips with a military
company on bicycles. In 1897 he organ
| lied a corps of twelve cadets to carry a
| message from Major General Brooke, then
commanding the Depar tment of the Lakes
at Chicago, to Secretary Alger of the War
Department in TITS city. Four cadets
brought one of tt machines to Washing
ton during the G. "A. r. encampment last
year. ls
The machine exhibited at the armory this
week Is steam carriage weighing $500
pounds. The front and sides are armored
of the machine a Colt I'm. rapid-fire
gun is mounted on a pivot. protected by
a shield through a silt in which it is
fired This gun will fire 4SO shots a min
and cartridge belts are fed.
There are several exhibits by Baltimore
agents who have no stores in this city.
High-Grade, American Cars.
Several new makes Of high-grade Amer
lean cars are exhibited, and a Washington
agent handles one Of them. There are
three makes of autobicycles represented.
In the electric hne7there is a new depart
ure in the manner of applying the power
shown by one firm. Instead of having a
motor suspended under the body of a ma
chine and the power communicated by cogs.
the wheel itself Is made motor. The field
is wound on the axle, which Is rigid, and
the armature is built on the wheel
In roaming about the hall many of the
ladies became fatigued, and found comfort
and rest in the space set aside for public
comfort, where there were chairs and
palms to rest the body and please the eye.