The Opelousas courier., 1903-01-24
{ CARRIAGES.
Their Advantages Set Forth In a Con-
vincinq Manner.

Their Advantages Set Forth In a Con-
vincing Manner.
Cugnot, in the latter part OF the
eighteenth century, built the first auto
mobile, and it was propelled by steam
power. 1t is interesting to note at
this time that in America at least the
steam automobile Is the one nos
widely used. The principal reason for
this is that a light steam carriage
. can be built for a low price, has the
power to run very rapidly and to climb
hills with a facility which is denied
gasoline motors Of many times the
horse power.
Steam carriages a be run long
distances, and are often used for tour
ing, the radius Of action being de-
pendent only on the size OF the gaso-
line tank, water being o%btainable any
where. The bugbear of obtaining
water and the inconvenience of using
bad water has never hurt the steam
automobile in any way. 1t is certain
ly little inconvenience to stop occa-
5IOAdlly anu ISplCLlAOA AN "US>A
The fact that this has to be done
every thirty or forty miles may seem
an inconvenience to those who wish TO
use an automobile for long-distance
touring, but when the remarkable hill
climbing power Of the steam carriage
is taken into consideration, its ease OF
manipulation and the freedom from
noise and vibration, 1t would seem
that the necessity Of occasional stops
for water could harlly be called a
drawback, in view of such remarkable
advantages as have Just been indi-
Gated.
This year has seen considerable use
of the gasoline carriage. and 1t Is
really very difficult to say why it has
not been used more before. The gas
oline carriage has much to recommend
it, being particularly suitable for long
distance touring at high speed. This
demand for gasoline cars has led
some people to believe that 1t was CO.
incident with the so-called dropping
off in demand for steam cars, but this
is not the case. There undoubtedly
has been a falling off in the demand
for steam carriages as they were built
two or three years ago. Such troubles
as buyers of steam carriages had with
these machines was not due to any
limitations Of steam as a motive
power for automobiles, but was IN
doubtedly caused by mechanical de-
fects and lightness Of construction,
both Of which matters have been en-
tirely overcome in the steam carriages
now on the market.
The principal advantages Of steam
carriages are as follows: Entire alb
sence of any noise or vibration;
moreover, the steam carriage does not
leave behind it a trail of odor of
burnt gasoline or lubricating oil;
great ease of control, making the
carriage very suitable to run in crowd
ed localities; great hill-climbing
powers, and last, and perhaps most
important of all, storage Of a large
amount Of reserve power which can
be drawn on in case the carriage has
to be operated over a very bad stretch
of road-for instance through heavy
sand or mud, CO :ditions which are
occasionally met with in a long run.
In other words, n light steam carriage
can surmount these difficulties easily;
s6Ud' N3R v9gifay7 Nmiltti tT nR66reaH ff TggAhIyb IF bot@WFggrleed
gasoline engine. It is true that a
steam carriage cannot keep this up.
but it can keep it long enough to pull
out of a deep mud hole or plough
through a bad stretch of sand. This
fexibility Of the steam carriage is
what makes it so good for allround
work, and there are now thousands of
of steam carriages in the
United States who are using their car
for allround purposes, city work
and touring as well. This is probably
The reason why steam carriages have
sold SO largely and have been so pop.
and Express.