The San Francisco call., 1909-12-19
LONDON'S RECORD
FOR MOTOR CARS
Chief Commissioner of Police
Reports Much in Favor of
t1e Automobile
By R. R. LHoMMEDIEU


An interesting statement has just
been made by the chief commissioner
of police Of London for last year The
statistics show that the number of
public carriages licensed was increased
bv as as compared with the previous
year. The number of licenses for motor
cabs and tramway cars of the electric
type was increased by 2.3l7, and the
horse drawn cabs. omnibuses and
trans. and curiously, motor buses
show a decrease Of 1895.
The commissioner explains the de-
crease of motor buses by saying that
ia is probably due to the fact that GER
tain Of those previously licensed have
been found unsuitable, and were not
brought forward again. but have been
broken up or put TO other uses
The total of 2.09o new vehicles
licensed is almost entirely accounted
for in motor cabs. new horse drawn
cabs being only So as against Lib
motor cabs The gradual decline of the
horse drawn vehicle is plainly to be
seen by The following numbers:
SHOWS ENoRMOUs INCREASE
Ia 1895. so new horse cabs and only
s. new motor cabs were licensed, but
against seven horse drawn omnibuses
uo fewer than 60s mechanically pro-
pelied .omnibuses or public service ve-
licles were given the necessary per-
mission 10 ply their trade IN the new
year the number Of new motor cabs
showed the enormous increase of 54l,
while horse cabs decreased by 2l2-
Great as the increase in motor cabs
was ia 1907. it was nearly doubled in
sos. Not = single new horse bus was
licensed last year. The number of ve-
hicles presented ia defective condi-
1iOu and consequently rejected by the
inspectors ia various districts was
2.0Ss the greatest number Of these
being the hanson cab. Of which 75I
were rejected. The motor cab came a
close second. there being 4s1 reflections,
making il evident that a high standard
is insisted upon. The same high
standard is applied 10 the examination
Of drivers Of motor cabs OF the 4,06S
men applying for licenses but 2,327
ps ssed muster.
With regard to the number of fatal
accidents. the report shows that the
UncoVere horse drawn carts have been
responsible for the greatest portion OF
the 326 Their record is 50 fatalities
against 80 for the motor vehicle.
Thirty-one persons were killed by COW
cred carts and vans. while covered mo-
Tor cars of all classes caused % deaths
in the year. An analysis Of the total
shows that in spite of the great in
crease in the number of motor vehicles.
animal traction heads the list with
I47 deaths against 1s1 fatal accidents
for which motor cars of all kinds.
which includes electric trans and
steam traction engines, are responsible.
FEWER ACCIDENTS NOTED
Accidents not attended with fatal
results show a slight decrease over
previous years, the total reaching the
figure Of 1854, OF which 6.065 We're
caused 10y horses and horse drawn We
hicles; A-o26 by motors Of all kinds. in
Guiding motorcycles; 2.066 by electric
trans, s.502 BY push pedaF' cycles.
nine by fire engines and four by trac-
tion engines. The danger of hanging
on behind" IS is done by the small boy,
0r the bicycle rider who is 6 foolish
labor saver is shown by the fact that
people were killed and 80 injured,
I'm consequence, as the report puts it.
of their improperly riding. or attempt
ing TO ride, behind vehicles" These
figures are interesting to every road
user and. coming from the metropolis
Of the world, are instructive as well.
Aeroplane schools are being estab-
lished throughout France. When Henry
s. Farm broke
SchooIs for away from the
xeropIapfsts VOisin brothers he
...-- pitched on the mil
Mourmelon, near Chalons. as the fu-
ture scene Of his activities.
A vast plain two hours from Paris
bH rah but so far removed from VIII
lages as 10 be beyond the reach Of
crowds. was loaned to him by the
military authorities.
Adjoining land was bought, work
shops were erected, and the first aero
Champagne Land.
There is q special aeroplane. known
as the taxi" on which pupils are
taught to fly. Its power is low. and
us plane so adjusted that IL can
only be got off the ground with a
certain amount Of difficulty. For the
with the pupil by his side, and while
alternately running over the ground
and flying through the air explains
The movements 10 his pupils
Then comes the. first flight alone
Starting from the door of the shed
the machine runs up the rising ground
without being able TO rise into the air.
Then the top of the slope is reached
the aeroplane is handled properly IL
viii fly over the descending ground
without any particular effort of the
pilot. !. After covering about a mile
hOweEer. the rising ground is again
reached and as the power Of the en-
gine has not been sufficient 10 rise TO
great altitude. the wheels touch and
the machine once more runs over the
surface.
When il is possible TO fly around the
course in this manner the pupil is
sufficiently advanced to take his own
machine, equipped with more power
ful motor and adjusted TO rise from
the S1oping ground. Under this method
Of instruction very little time is lost
IN repairs. The taxi has covered
several thousand kilometers. running
over the ground and flying in the air
in the hands Of various pupils without
single breakage.
The time necessary to learn varies
considerably. one pupil flying easily
after two lessons while another
struggles for months. Instructor Cha
teau fnds that the best pupils are
aUtomobilists who have had yachting
experience. The automobile has made
them familiar with high speed while
the gentle movements Of the helm on
2 sailing vessel have prepared them
for similar movements with the eleva-
ton rudder and warping planes OF a
flying machine.
KVo~7 x.-oc ,.aoosx~a9 x-ac4a,Sa.- - W