Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19
BY III. CLIFFORD BROKAW.
Anton nbila Tarboirol Adyicar

Children in the grade schools in the
United States take the automobile for
granted. 1t is well that they do. To
them it appears to be a vehicle which
has always existed. Not so with their
parents, who can wildly recall the days
when, only a few years ago, the first
motor cars were making their appear
ance and creating sensation wherever
they happened to come into view.
Very little appreciation do the
younger school children have of the
struggle which the automotive industry
had as an infant. They realize little
as to how it grew into its own child
hood. adolescence and became a full
grown business, mammoth industry,
contributing to the happiness of mil
lions of people and to prosperity
never before experienced by any coun-
try. The history of the automobile
to date makes fascinating reading 1t
constitutes a record of achievement
hardly equaled in any field of mechan-
ical endeavor.
Progress Very Slow.
From time immemorial man has I'M
doubtedly dreamed about producing
some kind of locomotion which would
enable him to proceed without the aid
of some animal 1t was not until the
serious attempt to construct such a
mechanism was undertaken. So firm
was the belief of most people that such
contrivance was entirely impossible
that progress was very slow. How
ever, about the year 1000 man by the
name of Johann Houstach invented a
sort of chariot which appeared to have
within itself the ability to travel. This
continuance was in the nature of a
chariot nTor1fad " oh
ing 1000 PAGES an hour. There APP
pears, however, to have been no steer
ing apparatus and consequently the
machine was of no practical value ex-
cept that it represented progress and
was probably the first self-propelled
vehicle.
About this same period a kind of
ship on wheels known as Dutch wind
wagons" were said to be in use in Hol-
land. In 1914 a patent was issued by
Louis XIV OF France to Jean Theason,
enabling him to use a little four-wheel
carriage set in motion by two men
seated in it, probably a foot-propelled
implement something like toy automo-
biles which are available for children
today.
In 1880 Sir Isaac Newton is said to
have constructed model of a steam
carriage. This was propelled by the
escape of steam from nozzle in the
rear, the force of the steam pushing
the vehicle forward. Father Verbiest.
an obscure missionary at Peking, China,
is thought to have set up a contriv-
ance similar to steam turbine which
was invented by Branca in 1929. The
missionary applied mis- invention to a
road carriage of like construction,
axle by means of a gear shaft.
What Is said to be the first steam
automobile was constructed by Nichx
olaS Joseph Cugnot in France In 1869,
having the backing of the government.
This was in the nature of a three
wheeled gun carriage which had a
boiler overhung in front of the forward
wheel, the theory being that the weight
would be counterbalanced by the load
behind the boiler, consisted of two
13-inch single-acting cylinders. The
movement of the pistons was trans
mitted to the axle of the driving
wheel. The engine could be reversed
at will This inventor was able to
carry load of two and half tons In
his new carriage at speed of three
miles an hour.
Watt Goes to Work.
About this time in England in 1859
DR.. John Robinson suggested steam
propelled vehicle to James Watt, in
ventor of the steam engine. Later DR..
Erasmus Darwin did the same thing.
Neither Of these men appeared to make
much impression on Watt, although he
did patent steam carriage in 1874.
One of Watts pupils, William Muir
dock, in 1871 constructed what was
called "a fiery little devil" on account
of the way its operation after dark
lighted the scenery therabouts. In
1890 Nathaniel Read of Massachusetts,
invented a steam road wagon.
In 1902 Richard Trevithick patented