The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-05
TINY AUTO BOATS
IN PARIS B0|S.
Races Take Place to the
Great Amusement
of the Children.
ARE MOSTLY RUN
BY CLOCK WORK
Some Boats Are Provided With
Steam Engines and the In
ventors Are Seeking
Suitable Petrol Motor
AS a Means of
Propulsion.
Especial Cable to The Time, Dispatch and

Especial Cable to The Times Dispatch and
'-l'715[l Now York Herald.)
{CppyrKht ny tiiu New ivrk Herald Coz
PARIS, November i.-ooine Jays ago
ttero was held on the Grand Lac In the
Bois dc Boulogne an autoboat contest
presenting many interesting features, not
tho least OF which was that the owners
and drivers OF the autoboats were child,
rem.
Inquiries made by correspondent Of
the European edition Of the Herald show
that tho construction Of model autoboats
OF from ono to ono and q half metres in
length Is u growing industry.
THE race In question. which was for
cup offered by q photographer named Be-
ranger was the first of Its kind. or
two-score craft entered five only left the
starting limo and Of these only one had
adopted petrol motor as Its means
of propulsion. The remaining four were
driven either by steam or clockwork.
Misfortune overlook the petrol launch.
In It's slender hull had been placed q
small horse power motor. a cycle motor,
and this proved far too powerful and
heavy. It began to ship water as soon as
t started and half way across the lake
the entro contrivance foundered.
with regard to the her craft TO
which had been applied the more tradi-
tional forms OF motive power, their fate
WIS less BudSllys III CO. o. eAtiy - oIC,
traversed the lake, and the other one
might easily have done SO. had 1t not
changed Its course on the way.
Examination of any well stocked toy
shop will reveal the fact that the younger
generation has not failed to become abb
sorbed In autoboat sport. Most of the
leading successful autoboats, which have
figured at various race meetings. have
been faithfully reproduced in miniature.
OF these the Tre1e a Quatre is by far
the most frequently5met with. The re-
production is in most Scases really ex-.
cellent, ID and doubtless thousands have
been sold These hulls. which vary from
half a metre to near two metres in
length, are in most cases propelled by
clcckwork machinery though II In some
Instances small osclllating steam engines
have been employed.
a we'll known toy merchant said that
up TO the present, the models driven by
cIock-work had been most sought after.
Some children were permitted by their
parents to have steam engines, though.
generally speaking. the steam driven
type were purchased by English or
Americans
He said there could ibe no doubt what
ever that the various autoboat meetings
Ill over Europe had undoubtedly given
the trade in model boats. and especially
those mechanically propelled very
favorable Impetus He always expected
quite a demand for the model Of any
boat as son as its victory in race
was announced. and he was rarely dis
appointed.
1t will thus be seen that in model au-
ito-ooating there exists very pleasant
pastime for children. perhaps quite as
pleasant from their point OF view as the
larger sport is to their elders.
While at present there seems some
doubt as to whether the Petrol motor
Will be applied to such meode's with sue
cess, there can be no doubt WhateVer
that many attemps will be made to con-
struct Petrol motor Of the required d.,
renslons, SO that real auto-boat, which
is essentially petrol outt~boat may
eventually exist In miniature, complete
10 its most trivial details.