Out and Home.—By "The Extractor."
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ii ii Editors of " The Motor " have hkriloured me by lifting, with due acknowledgment, a portion of a biographical sketch which I gave in this column, in the issue of the rgth
and, in the effervescence which accompanies the cutting, they, liken me to a " huge bumble bee." If they desire to convey in a subtle manner that I only work in the spring and summer, how hopelessly they miss the facts; hut how perspicacious they are in so accu
rately divining my ideals! few years ago, I was touring in the Midlands with a companion, and, at one hotel in Shrewsbury, the visitors' book, which we were asked to sign, was carefully printed with three columns, respectivelyname; address; profession. The last column, in my experience, wa, qt:ize an innovation. The good landlady looked at us querulously, as I entered 4.Tpcsite my name the profession of " haymaker," and my companion duly described himself as a " silow-shovelter."
I was in the ancient city of York again last week, after many years, and was delighted to find in such a typical cathedral town an enterprising and live firm like the Sheppee Motor Company. They are makers of a fine steam vehicle which they call the " Sheppee Lowrie," and the of the last-named word arrested inv attention. I ventured, modestly, I hope, to doubt its correctness. They were ready for me with a dictionary, and the word " lorrie " in the singular reposes in its proper place. I may have looked askance in their dictionary, as its name was unfamiliar, but I find the word, on my return, in my Nuttall, but not, oddly enough, in Routledge in any shape or form. It is, to me, an interesting point ; a similar curiosity arises with the word, which our Editor insists on being spelt " tire," and in which case he has the classic authorities supporting him ; I believe the spelling of the word " tyre " was intro'aloud, along with the Dunlop, by that enterprising epoch-making individuat Mr. Harvey du Cros. * * * When at Peterborough, at the end of last week, Messrs. Barford and Perkins were just dispatching a motor roller to the new golf course at Stoke Park, near Slough. Everything is being done to make this into one of the most luxurious and complete golf clubs in the kingdom. * * * It is good to see the new drapery paper, " The Drapery Times " active to the advantage of the commercial motor. In their issue of the 21st ultimo, they give some interesting cornparatiye costs. This journal has, of course, gone over all the ground, and naturally returned to it all the time. They, however, like the co-operative suggestion in the shape of a Box and Cox arrangement between, say, a drapery house and a bakery business, as the latter would only require the van in the early hours, each part-owner to pay according to " a distance-registering instrument attached, the driver keeping a proper log." I shall be greatly interested to hear the result of any such combined trial; for it to be really practicable, the arrangement should be made with a contractor. Dennis Mail Vans.
This issue includes two illustrations, the other being on page 231, of the latest 33-5511.p. Dennis mail vans for the London-Southampton and LondonPortsmouth services. These vehicles have been rested on the road with threeton loads, and have proved their ability to meet the G.P.O. specification in all respects. McNamara and Company, Limited, of Castle Street, Finsbury,. E.C., has purchased the vans for the -discharge of the contracts.
A Mann Steam Roller.
A modification of the standard Mann -construction is depicted herewith. This small steam roller has just been delivered to the Cheltenham Corporation. and is intended for the rolling of small patches of macadam roads which are not sufficiently worn to require heavier rolling. The arrangement of the water tank and sprinklers can readily be seen, and the machine is capable of hauling a trailer, for the COnVeyanCe of road metal, if required, thereby forming a .compact and useful combination.
Motor Delivery of Spirit.
Mien will the petroleum-spirit companies adopt motor delivery more widely ? Several are already coquetting with the project, hut nobody has taken it up seriously. One example of such a use is illustrated on page 261; the -Grosnyi Company has several petrol vans; and Nlessrs. Meade-Kirw-, Robinson and Company, of I 1. Old Hall Street, Liverpool, turn to account the services of several tank wagons in conaction with its deliveries to the London General Omnibus Company. There are certain classes of delivery where it pays handsomely.
Automobile Engineers.
Mr. Mervyn O'Gorman, before the Institution of Automobile Engineers, on Wednesday nest, the 9th instant, will read a paper entitled " How the weight of a motorcar is made up." Mr. O'Gorman, as mary readers of this journal are aware, is Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Royal Automobile Club, and a partner in the
tirm o Nlessrs. O'Gorman :tad CozensHardy, consulting engineers, of 8.2, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.
We note that good progress is being made with the I'Slablishment of the
Coventry centre, of which Mr. Alexander Craig, M.I.Mech.E., is Chairman. On Tuesday next, the 8th instant, he . will deliver an address upon " Some features of the exhibits of the London and Paris Shows.'' The Graduates Section appears to be making good pro gress, and is an encouraging feature.
Continental Tires.
The great increase of business whirl has been experienced by the Continenta Tyre and Rubber Company, whosi sales address is 102, Cierkenwell Road E.C., has necessitated the acquirernen of an additional building for erection it extension of its works at Willesden Building operations are about to hi started, in order that nest year's mad' mar be handled with every facility, an we are quite certain that nothing bu the finest plant and machinery will bt installed.
Maintenance at Wandsworth.
The Public Health (.7ommittee Wandsworth Borough Council has ilia under consideration 'the question of th, cost of repairs to its inotorvan for th, conveyance of infected bedding, etc. and as to the advisability of enterim into a contract for the maintenance o the machine. It has, however, corn, to the conclusion that the present sys rem is more economicttl. Mr. George J. Gawley, A.I.A. E., intimates that he has established himself as a consultingengineer at 89, Fleet Street, E.C. Mr. Gawley, for some years, was Editor of the " Industrial
Motor Review," and he bad prior experience in road-haulage work.
For the Haulage of Girders.
\Ye illustrate, on page 257 of this issue, it +L.-ton lorry that has just been delivered by Commercial Cars, Limited, to -Messrs. Hall and Pickles, the structural ironwork factors of Manchester. The chassis of this vehicle is of the standard four-cylinder, 3o-36h.p. type, and it is fitted with a special type of body to enable it conveniently to carry long and bulky girders and other awkward loads. The flat platform body is provided with the usual " bobby mid skid ''; there are the front and bark supports respectively as shown in the photigraph which we reproduce.
Spirit in Sewers. The Main Drainage Committee of the L.C.C. has decided to staid a copy of the Order prohibiting any petroleum, or products of petroleum, from being permitted to flow into sewers, to a number of firms. including : the National Mo tor Cab Co., Ltd., Cremorne Works, Lot's Road, Chelsea; Pickford's, Ltd., 57, Gresham Street, F.C.; the London Improvcd Cab Co., Ltd., Pakenham Street, Gray's Inn Road; Meter Cabs, Ltd., Oueen's Road, Battersea; and the Ouick Cab Co., Ltd., Tadema Road, Chelsea.
"Armoured" Macadam Roads.
A length of main road, between Accrington and Haslingden, is about to be laid with " Durax " paving by the Lancashire County Council. This con. sists of small cubes of machine-broken granite laid in intersecting circles. W(.• illustrated the method in our issues of the 25th January, 1906, and the 26th April following, Nuremberg's G.P.O. Garage.
Now that the Nuremberg Post Office has begun with the building of a garage and repairing shop, the advent of the postal automobiles, twenty-five in number, may be expected in two or three months. The automobile service was to have been introduced last summer, but had to be postponed on account of the lack of garage accommodation.
Importation of Automobiles to Seville.
In conformity with the German Consular report, 15 automobiles were imported into Seville during 1907. French makes, it is stated, are preferred, on account of their low prices. As roads are bad, the tire upkeep is too costly to admit of heavy vehicles paying. Light, strongly-built, small utility vehicles, the report suggests, might find a market.
A Home-built Fire Pump.
The Tottenham Fire-Brigade Committee, in a report issued on Monday, states that it made a further inspection of pumping tests with the home-built motor appliance drawing its water from 4-inch mains, and was quite satisfied with the result. Mr. Zwicky has undertaken to have the engine complete, and to hand it over to the Council within three weeks from the 21st ultimo. We described this engine on the toth July last.