The Washington herald., 1914-01-18
AUTOBIOGRAPHY Tells
Of AUTOS EARLY DAYS
EIwood Haynes Describes His Ex-
periences in Connection with
.'Horseless Carriage"
INVENTED THE GASOLINE CAR

Eiwood Haynes, Oldest automobile
manufacturer in America, to whom We
as a nation are indebted for the gasoline
automobile. is still young man, being
only fifty-six years old. He was born in
Portland. Ind, and at the age of four
teen invented an apparatus for making
oxygen gas, and succeeded in melting
brass, cast-iron and high-carbon steel
using a furnace and blower of his own
construction.
cester Polytechnic Institute and grad
uated three years later. He discovered
Tungsten steel the same year.
Returning to Portland, Mr.. HayneE be-
came principal of the Portland High
School, which post he held during the
years 1854. The year following lie en-
tered Johns Hopkins University, Balti-
more, Nd, and took a postgraduate
course in chemistry and biology. and, re-
turning again to Portland. taught science
in the Eastern Indiana Normal School
two years.
Mr.. Haynes then entered the CONNER
cial field. accepting the managership OF
the Portland Natural Gas and Oil Com
pany, Of Portland. and during his con-
nection with that company invented and
~
The year 1890 found Mr.. Haynes identi-
fed with the Indiana Natural Gas and
Oil Company. of Chicago. In the capacity
OF field superintendent. His work neces-
STATED a great deal OF driving, and It
occurred to him that some better means
Of locomotion than the horse and buggy
might be produced.
In his recent autobiography Mr.. Haynes
speaking of his early experiences in con-
rNs<- .
says:
II found that the great trouble with
the horse was his lack of endurance. I
accordingly laid plans for the construc-
ton of a mechanically propelled vehicle
for use on the highway. The use OF a
steam engine was first considered. but
made no attempt to build a car of this
description for the reason that a fire
must be kept burning constantly on board.
and with liquid fuel this would always
be more or less of A menace.
81 next considered electricity, but as
this showed little promise of success. l
gave it no further consideration and pro-
ceeded to consider the gasoline engine.
In the fall of 1892 l moved to Kokomo
Ind, and the following summer I had
plans sufficiently matured to begin the
actual construction OF the 'horseless car
rage 1 ordered a one-horsepower ma
rine upright, two-cycle gasoline engine.
This motor barely gave one brake horse
power and weighed $50 pounds.
THE little machine was built up In
the form OF a small truck. Its total
weight when completed was $50 pounds.
July 4, 1894. when ready for test, 1t was
hauled into the country for three miles
behind a horse carriage and started on a
level turnpike. 1t moved of at once at
about seven miles an hour and was driven
about one and onc-half miles further into
the country. 1t was then turned about
and ran all the way back to kokomo
without making single stop.
Il was convinced upon this return
trip that there was a future for the
'horseless carriage although I did not
at that time expect It to be so bril-
liant and imposing.
THE best speed attained by the little
machine in this condition was about
eight miles per hour. whereas nine
teen years later the Haynes Six model
%. on which I was a passenger dur
ing the 1913 tour of the Indiana Auto
mobile Manufacturers Association.
from Indianapolis to Los Angeles,