Automobile Biographies Part 13

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 pa.s.sengers, 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, a.s.sociated 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 & Leva.s.sor 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-pa.s.senger hack, converted by subst.i.tuting an electric fore carriage for the front axle of an ordinary vehicle. He has since developed his electric vehicles in the cla.s.s 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 princ.i.p.al 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 Amedee Bollee & Sons was undertaken. With large resources and ability development was naturally rapid, resulting in the production to-day of one of the first-cla.s.s 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 Inst.i.tution 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 a.s.sociate of the Inst.i.tution of Civil Engineers.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SIR DAVID SALOMONS]

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 un.o.btainable 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 acc.u.mulators existed at that period. Devoting himself largely to scientific investigation he is the author of various works on scientific subjects, such as photographic optical formulae, 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 Acc.u.mulators 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 Inst.i.tution.

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, Suss.e.x, Middles.e.x, Westminster and London.

The connection of Sir David Salomons with the encouragement and development of self-propelled traffic in the United Kingdom, const.i.tutes 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 a.s.sociation 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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed 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 BOLLeE

A brother of Amedee Bollee, Leon Bollee 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 n.o.bility, 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 & Leva.s.sor 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 compet.i.tors for honors in the first cla.s.s, 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. DARRACQ]

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 compet.i.tion 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 compet.i.tion 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.