The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-02-10
HAYNES TELLS
OF FIRST CAR
Designer Breakfasts Story
OF Auto Building
ny EDWARD HAYNES

III INV am IN ND
lin a recent broadcast from tho
radio station Of the American Telo.
phone and Telegraph company nj
New York hwood Haynes told the
story Of making Americas first car.
This story Il full Of interest To the
present day motorist and IL reprinted
below
Ia 1880 moved from Portland.
Ind. 10 Orccniown. Ind. where l be.
came field superintendent for the In.
diana Gas and on company. then
about TO begin tho construction Of a
pipe line from the Indiana gas field
10 Chicago. Litigation and defective
pipe delayed ita construction
During the delay In the work OF
constructing the pipo line I had a
great deal Of driving 10 do. and II
occurred 10 me that some better
means OF locomotion over tho high.
ways than tho horse and buggy
might bo procured.
! laid plans for the construction OF
mechanically propelled vehicle for
nso on tho highway. first consid.
crcd the use OF steam engine, but
made no attempt 10 build a car Of
this description for the reason that
firo must be kept constantly burn.
ing on board the machine. and with
lie liquid fuel this would always be
menace In case OF collision or acct.
dent Moreover. the necessity OF
getting water would render n long
journey In q car OF this description
not only Troublesome. but very irk.
some as well. considered electric.
ity. but found that the llEhtestsbat.
terry obtAlnabis would weigh over
1900 pounds for capacity OF IA
horsepower. As this showed little
promise Of success. gave Il no fur.
Their consideration. and proceeded 20
consider the gasoline engine. Tyen
tho lighteat made at that time were
very heavy per unit OF power. and
were crude IN construction.
Ny work was confined 20 Green.
town. Ind. in 1890 and 1891. In the
tail OF 1892 | moved 10 Kokomo and
tho following summer nss5D had my
plans sufficiently matured 20 begin
the actual construction Of a machine.
I ordered a one.horaepower marine.
upright. two,uyclo gasoline engins
from the slntz Gas Engine company
Of Grand Rapids. Mich. This motor
barely glsyc one brake horsepower.
and weighed $50 pounds. Upon It's
arrival from Grand Rapids In the fall
Of 1894. lacking suitable place. the
motor was brought dirnot TO my home
and sst up In the kitchen.
When tho gasoline and battery
connections were Installed. the mo.
tor. after considcrabls crankinK. was
started and IL ran with such speed
and vibration that Il pulled itself
from It's attachments. Luckily, how.
ever. one OF tho battery wires was
wound about the motor shaft and
thus disconnected the current.
In order to countoract vibration, l
was obliged 10 make the frame Of
the machine much heavier than
first intended.
The first ''horHeless carriage" was
built up In tho form Of email truck.
Tho framework on which the motor
was placed consisted OF double hol.
low square OF steel tubing. Joined al
the rear corners by steel castings.
and In front by maileRble iron cast.
inEs. The hind axle constituted the
rear member Of tho frame and the
front axle was swiveled at It's center
70 the front end OF the hollow
square" This arrangement permit.
ted the ends OF the front axle 20
move upward and downward over the
inequalities OF tho road without
wrcnehing the hollow square" In
which the motor and crank shaft
were placed.
Tho total weight OF tho machine
when completed was about $40
pounds. July 4. 1894. when ready
for test. II wBB hauled three miles
into tho country behind n horse car.
riage and started on It's own power
on nearly level turnpike. II moved
off Mt once at speed OF about seven
miles per hour. and was driven about
one and one.half miles II was then
turned about. and run all the way
into the city without making sin.
gle stop. That was the first auto.
mobile run in the world
------------------=---ss--------