Part 11

In 1895, DeDion-Bouton produced their first liquid hydro-carbon engine vehicle--a tricycle with air-cooled motor and dry-battery ignition, which is so well known to everyone in the industry to-day. These were manufactured in large numbers, and were followed by larger gasoline vehicles into which they introduced their engine, namely, a vertical position. In 1899, their three-passenger, four-wheeled vehicle, and in 1900 a six-passenger vehicle, made good reputations. Since then their large factory at Putaux, France, well known under the name of DeDion-Bouton et Cie, has been continually crowded with work on vehicles, and with the manufacture of their motors which are still sold independently to other makers in France, as well as in other countries. In fact the manufacture of engines and parts might be said to be now their main work.

COUNT A. DEDION

Count DeDion's interest in an ingenious mechanical device constructed by Bouton, led to his backing the enterprise now so well known under his name. His activity in the Automobile Club of France, and in all the sporting events in the past ten years, has in fact brought him into far more prominence than his associate, Bouton. His interest and energy in connection with his company are well known, and though the credit for the mechanical work must undoubtedly be given to Bouton, DeDion is largely responsible for the great success and general prominence of the company.

ARMAND PEUGEOT

In 1885, and again in 1889, Armand Peugeot, a French inventor and manufacturer, brought up the subject of automobiles, and in 1889 he began to manufacture, using the Daimler motor. His first attention having been given to the motor, he brought out very soon his famous two-parallel cylinder mounted horizontally on the body frame. Originally of the firm of Fils de Peugeot, he severed his connection with that firm, and in 1876 formed the Society of Artisans. In 1898, additional factories were erected at Fives-Lille, and now the concern has works also at Audincourt. The latter works is claimed to be the most extensive automobile manufacturing establishment in the world. Peugeot is a member of many learned societies, was elected an officer of the Academie in 1881, and a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1889.

RADCLIFFE WARD

Ward commenced his experiments in England about 1886, and built a cab in 1887, which he ran in Brighton with more or less success. A second vehicle, an omnibus, was built by him and run on the streets in London in 1888, and actually covered, all told, five thousand miles.

MORS

A manufacturer of electrical apparatus, the Mors establishment made a steam vehicle in 1886, and some ten years later began to manufacture gasoline vehicles.

MAGNUS VOLK

In 1887, Volk built an electrical dog cart which, like that of Ward, was seen on the streets of Brighton. The next year he associated himself with Immisch & Co., and built for the Sultan of Turkey an electrical dog cart. This was claimed to have a radius of fifty miles at ten miles an hour, with seven hundred pounds of battery in twenty-four cells, driving the vehicle by means of a one horse-power motor.

BUTLER

About the same time that Daimler and Benz were at work, Butler, an Englishman, was studying to make a hydro-carbon engine. He had drawings in 1884 and got out a patent in 1887. He built a tricycle soon after that date. This had two front wheels as steering wheels and a rear wheel driven by a two-cylinder engine. But Butler did not carry his plans further, for, as he wrote in 1890, "the authorities do not countenance its use on roads, and I have abandoned in consequence any further development of it."

LE BLANT

The steam carriage that Le Blant, of France, built carried nine passengers, and its weight, fuel and water included, was three and one-half tons. The engine was three-cylinder horizontal, and the boiler, a Serpollet instantaneous generator, was placed behind the carriage, the fireman beside it and the driver in front.

EMILE DELAHAYE

Delahaye, of Tours, associated himself with the firm of Cail in 1870, spending some years in Belgium, but in 1890 the automobile so attracted him as to lead him to the construction of his first vehicle. For ten years he practically adhered to the horizontal engine under the seat, which construction we find him using in 1900. It is worthy of note that to Delahaye is given credit for the practical adaptation of the radiator in the arrangement now generally used in the cooling system.

ROGER

Roger, of Paris, was the French licensee for Benz, taking up that motor much in the same manner as Panhard & Levassor took up the Daimler. In fact he had such close relations with Benz as to guide the further development of both. To this extent he was doubtless largely responsible for converting Benz to the four-cycle instead of the two-cycle construction, and he is also credited with having brought about the change from the vertical crank shaft to the horizontal in the Benz cars. Making good headway in 1894, he had produced fifty or more machines by 1895, and ran one in the Paris-Bordeaux race of that year. He brought a car to New York in 1896, and took part in the Cosmopolitan race, from New York to Ardsley and return.

GEORGES RICHARD

In 1893, Georges Richard began cycle manufacturing in a small shop and two years later turned his business into a limited corporation. In 1897, he began the manufacture of automobiles. His motor is a development of the Benz, with ignition improvement.

POCHAIN

Pochain, in France, built in 1893 a six-seated phaeton with fifty-four cells of battery, which would seem to have been practically the first satisfactory vehicle of its kind.

LOUIS KRIEGER

Early in the nineties of the last century Krieger made an electric vehicle. About 1894, he introduced his four-passenger hack, converted by substituting an electric fore carriage for the front axle of an ordinary vehicle. He has since developed his electric vehicles in the class of city carriages. A touring car, built for England, called the Powerful, made in 1901 notable records in that country in a long tour through the Isles. The principal work of Krieger, however, has been in the development of front drive and steer construction.

DEDETRICH

Baron DeDetrich is of the well-known house that claims to have been founded more than one hundred years ago in Luneville, Alsace, and has grown to be one of the greatest works for the manufacture of locomotives and other machinery. In 1880 the concern is said to have employed four thousand men. Its connection with the automobile industry began practically in 1895, when the construction of automobiles on the system of Amédèe Bollèe & Sons was undertaken. With large resources and ability development was naturally rapid, resulting in the production to-day of one of the first-class French makes.

DAVID SALOMONS

Sir David Salomons, Bart., was born in England, in 1851. He was educated for a short period at University College, London, and afterwards at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was graduated with natural science honors. He is a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, where he took leading part for many years on the Council, and served in the positions of honorary treasurer and vice-president. He is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, of the Physical Society of London, and of the Royal Microscopical Society, and an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Sir David was one of the first in England to adopt the electric light. This was about the year 1874, when he found it necessary to make the lamps, switches and other apparatus himself, as those were unobtainable at the time; much of the apparatus in general use to-day has been copied from his models. About 1874-5, he constructed a small electrical road carriage, which was in use a short time only, owing to the trouble of re-charging batteries, as no accumulators existed at that period. Devoting himself largely to scientific investigation he is the author of various works on scientific subjects, such as photographic optical formulæ, photography and electrical subjects, his chief work being his three-volume Electric Light Installations, now entering its ninth edition. Of this work, the first volume on Accumulators was for a great many years the only practical work on the subject. He is also the author of many papers read before scientific societies, including the Royal Society and Royal Institution. He is an original member of the Automobile Club of France and of the Automobile Club of Great Britain, being a member of the committee of the former and member of committee and a vice-president of the latter, and is also an ordinary or honorary member of most of the Continental automobile clubs. He was Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, 1894-5, and High Sheriff of Kent in 1881, and is a Magistrate for Kent, Sussex, Middlesex, Westminster and London.

The connection of Sir David Salomons with the encouragement and development of self-propelled traffic in the United Kingdom, constitutes one of the most important chapters in the contemporaneous history of the automobile. His first step to secure a favorable public opinion for the legislative measures that he proposed was to have an exhibition of vehicles, which took place at Tunbridge Wells, in October, 1895. As a result of this exhibition and a voluminous correspondence thereafter, the newspapers of Great Britain and many of the members of the Houses of Lords and Commons were brought to see the justice of the measures asked for. Next, the Self-Propelled Traffic Association was organized. Sir David Salomons was elected president and the campaign for Parliamentary action was inaugurated and brilliantly and energetically prosecuted. When the bill came before the Commons and the Lords it was substantially supported, but its provisions received a great deal of discussion. Some amendments, particularly relating to the questions of smoke and petroleum use, were attached to it. In the end, however, the act that was passed was generally satisfactory to all interested in the promotion and protection of self-propelled traffic. It has been said that "there has hardly been an act passed containing more liberal clauses and with more unity of action." Its provisions allow of reasonable travel of all kinds of self-propelled vehicles throughout the Kingdom and the act as a whole is regarded as one of the most notable advances made in this matter during the present generation.

LEON BOLLÈE

A brother of Amédèe Bollèe, Leon Bollèe has been long interested in the business that bears the family name. In 1896, he brought out a motor cycle that was a type between a cycle and a vehicle. It had two front steering wheels and one front driver. The same type of vehicle has been adopted for light work, such as parcel delivery.

JOSEPH GUEDON

Guedon made his appearance at Bordeaux, in October, 1897, with a four-wheeled wagonette, which he made under the name of the Decauville. His special construction was claimed to very largely eliminate the vibration of the vehicle, and his success can be fairly judged from the results in the past few years. The Decauville cars have been developed and refined to such a point as to be among the best of the French makes, and now have an international reputation.

RENE DE KNYFF

De Knyff became an enthusiastic automobilist, and with other gentlemen, sportsmen of the nobility, became a great amateur. He was and is still known as the King of Chauffeurs, having won several of the most important races, driving the Panhard cars to victory.

ADOLF CLEMENT

Born in 1855.

Entirely a self-made man, Clement had experience as a locksmith and served an apprenticeship as a tinsmith. He started and built up a bicycle manufacturing establishment which, in 1894, was considered one of the finest in France. In time this developed into the finest cycle manufactory in that country. It is situated in Levallois, near Paris. In 1899, Clement contracted with Panhard & Levassor to manufacture under their patents, and in 1900 he made a most successful light vehicle of four horse-power. Since then he has developed his automobile factory, and in the past few years has produced competitors for honors in the first class, which are known at home and abroad as the Bayard or Clement-Bayard cars.

A. DARRACQ

About fifty years of age, Darracq has had an energetic and successful career. He is now president of the Society of Engineers, Paris, and a member of the Legion of Honor. He is best known as an inventor in connection with the automobile industry. Among his inventions are a shaft drive and a beveled gear drive which are now universally used. He originated the idea of placing the operating lever on the steering post and made the first moderate priced automobile in France. He is now the engineer and manager of one of the biggest factories in the world.

JAMES GORDON BENNETT

So interesting was the sporting side of the automobile movement that it early attracted the attention of James Gordon Bennett. The great runs, or tours, or races commenced in 1891, and continued annually from 1894 on, resulted in the offering of the Bennett trophy for international competition under conditions which may have been suggested by the America yacht cup races. In January, 1900, this was announced in Paris, and the custody of the trophy initially given to the Automobile Club of France as the first and foremost champions of automobiling. Elaborate and excellent rules govern the annual competition for the trophy, and the races are held in the country whose representative has won in the previous year. In this way the first race was in France, as well as the second, and the 1903 race in Ireland, while that of 1904 was held in Germany, but was won by a Frenchman, so that the 1905 race will again be held in the land of the original custodians of the trophy.

INDEX

Adamson, Daniel, 158

Anderson, James Caleb, 145

Andrews, F., 137

Armstrong, 163

Automobile, Origin and Development of the, 11

Battin, 155

Baynes, John, 129

Bennett, James Gordon, 176

Benz, Carl, 94

Bernhard, Anthony, 154

Blanchard, 121

Blanchard, Thomas, 68

Bollèe, Amedèe, 90

Bollèe, Leon, 174

Bordino, Chevalier, 139

Boulton, Isaac W., 163

Bouton, G., 166

Brown, Samuel, 133

Brunton, William, 127

Burtsall, T., 132

Butler, 169

Carrett, W. O., 159

Cartwright, Edmund, 131

Church, W. H., 87

Clement Adolf, 175

Clive, 139

Copeland, 166

Cowan, T. W., 162

Cugnot, Nicholas Joseph, 31

Daimler, Gottlieb, 95

Dallery, Thomas Charles Auguste, 122

Dance, Charles, 142

Darracq, A., 175

Darwin, Erasmus, 118

Davidson, Robert, 148

Decauville, 174

De Detrich, 171

De Dion, Count A., 167

De Knyff, René, 175

Delahaye, Emile, 170

Dietz, 144

Dudgeon, Richard, 155

Dumbell, John, 126

Du Quet, 126

Edgeworth, Richard Lovell, 120

Evans, Oliver, 38

Farfleur, Stephen, 112

Field, Joshua, 143

Fisher, J. K., 153

Foreword, 5

Fourness, Robert, 123

Genevois, J. H., 126

Gibbs, 141

Goodman, 153

Gordon, David, 56

Griffiths, Julius, 130

Guedon, Joseph, 174

Gurney, Goldsworthy, 64

Hancock, Walter, 71

Harland, 137

Hautsch, Johann, 111

Hayball, Charles T., 162

Heaton, W. G., 148

Hill, F., 150

Holland, T. S., 135

Huygens, Christiaan, 111

Inventors, Pioneer, 29

Investigators, Noted, 105

James, William Henry, 59

James, William T., 77

Jeanteaud, Charles, 165

Johnson, 70

Kestler, J. S., 121

Krieger, Louis, 171

Knyff, René de, 175

Le Blant, 169

Leibnitz, Gottfried Wilhelm von, 115

Lenoir, Jean Joseph Etienne, 89

Levassor, 99

Lough and Messenger, 155

Maceroni, Francis, 78

Mackworth, Humphrey, 115

Marcus, Siegfried, 93

Masurier, 121

Medhurst, George, 124

Messenger, 155

Millichap, G., 144

Moore, Francis, 120

Mors, 169

Murdock, William, 34

Nasmyth, James, 135

Neville, James, 134

Newton, Isaac, 113

Norrgber, 153

Noted Investigators, 105

Ogle, Summers and, 140

Origin and Development of the Automobile, 11

Papin, Denis, 116

Parker, T. W., 133

Pecqueur, 138

Peugeot, Armand, 168

Pioneer Inventors, 29

Planta, 121

Pochain, 171

Pocock, George, 133

Pyott, L. T., 164

Raffard, 165

Ramsey, David, 110

Ravel, Pierre, 164

Read, Nathan, 48

Renault, Louis, 101

Renault, Marcel, 101

Richard, Elié, 114

Richard, Georges, 171

Richter, A., 164

Rickett, Thomas, 156

Roberts, Richard, 82

Robinson, 118

Roger, 170

Roper, Sylvester Haywood, 165

Russell, John Scott, 83

Salomons, Sir David, 172

Selden, George B., 91

Serpollet, Leon, 100

Stirling, 159

Stevin, Simon, 109

Summers and Ogle, 140

Symington, William, 45

Tangye, Richard, 161

Tindall, Thomas, 129

Thompson, R. W., 154

Trevithick, Richard, 50

Vaucauson, 117

Vegelius, 114

Verbiest, Fernando, 112

Viney, James, 138

Vivian, Andrew, 125

Volk, Magnus, 169

Von Leibnitz, Gottfried Wilhelm, 115

Ward, Radcliffe, 168

Watt, James, 122

Wildgosse, Thomas, 110

Yates, 144