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.
[Illustration: 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 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.
[Illustration: 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
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