The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-12-23

CINE on a four-wheeled wagon and
drove it around the circle where the
city hall of Philadelphia now stands,
and then down to the Scnuylkill river,
where the engine was taken off and
connected with a paddle-wheeled boat,
which il made to move down the
stream. About 80 or 40 years later an
Englishman named Hancock estao-
lished a coach line run by steam over
the ordinary roadways He kept his
car running for 20 weeks and during
that time carried more than 10000 pas
sengers.
The steam engine, however, did not
prove to be practical and it was not un-
til the explosive gas engine was m
vented that the commercial automobile
had any chance of success. rms was
first patented in England about ~
years ago. Later on 1t was attempted
in France, and in 1879 George B. Sell
den, an American. filed an application
at Washington for a patent gas en-
CINE His patent was not granted until
1895, and it formed, to large extent,
the basis of our automobile industry.
Since then there have been inventions
of many kinds, and the automobile
business has steadily grown. In 1899
there were 81 factories making automo-
pies. Win an annual output VI oiVS
machines, which sold for a little less
than $4,000, 900, and four years later
the production had risen to 1000 ma
chimes. In 1910. Is years after the Sci
| den patent was granted, the number OF
| cars produced was $4,000, and by 191 .
| the number of cars in use had grown
| to more than 100000. In 1916 we had
| according to the government count
more than 100000 motor cars and 25O.-
| 900 motorcycles nearly all of which
were run by gas engines. As I have
| said, the number of cars in use today
| is probably more than 100000.
The value of the motor car in the
field of war cannot be overestimated
| The armies now fighting have several
! thousand such vehicles An entimate
made last year put the German supply
at 10000 and the French at more than
| 100000. The Belgian army has more
! than 5000 motor vehicles. and the Eng
lish army more than 10000. During the
war something like $4,000 trucks have
! been shipped from the United States te
| Europe. Such trucks are used to trans
port men. food and ammunition. and
/ they have proved of enormous value tc
| the forces on both sides of the battle
| line. The Germans used them to rush
| certain parts of their army into Bel
GUM and they aided the French great
/ " at Verdun. About one year after the
| war in Europe began our war college
] at Washington made a report to Con-
! gress as to the value of motor trans
ports, and gave recommendations as to
/ the increase of this branch of our army
/ establishment. 1t advised that auto
| trucks be used for moving the men and
! guns, and stated that a single truck
/ would carry 20 men and equipment II
! stated that the trucks could be sup
piled with trailers and showed how a
comparatively few could bring 1905
men to the reinforcement of the
trenches within a few minutes Such
!, trucks are expected to make ~ miles
! per hour and to travel 100 miles in a
| day. For all-round service the one-and-
| -half-ton truck is the best
] The motor transport of the modern
| army is thoroughly organized. 1t has
/ It's officers and it's privates, its trained
! chauffeurs and its machinists. Con-
nected with every army in the field is
what is known as an automobile park
| or motor car hospital. This is where
the vehicles are taken for repairs
/ Ordinary road troubles are rem edied
| by the chauffeurs, who carry extra
parts with them, but other repairs are
made in these machine shops which
| have power 1athes, shapers. vulcaniz-
ing shops and blacksmith shops. Every
park has its oxy-aceteylene welding