Figure 29. — Mr. and Mrs. Frank Durvea examining vehicle in 

 the Smithsonian Institution before restoration. 



to Charles on December 22 that he was "having Jack 

 Swaine [a local blacksmith] make a couple of clutch 

 rims so we can get over this snow and ice. . . . Our 

 detachable rims referred to will be of }s iron 1% wide 

 and drawn together at one point by two screws, one on 

 either side of felloe. It will be studded with calks 

 in two rows." " 



January 18, 1894, was a day of triumph for Frank 

 Duryea. Writing Charles about his success the next 

 day he said, "Took out carriage again last night and 

 gave it another test about 9 o'clock." The only 



34 Letter from Frank Duryea to Charles Duryea, December 

 22, 1893. Also letter from Frank Duryea to David Beecroft, 

 November 15, 1924. Copies in Museum files. 



difficulty he mentioned was a slight irregularity in the 

 engine, caused by the tiny leather pad in the exhaust- 

 valve mechanism falling out. 35 Speaking of this 

 trip, Frank recalled in 1956: 



When I got this car ready to run one night, I took it 

 out and I had a young fellow with me; I thought I might 

 need him to help push in case the car didn't work. . . . 

 We ran from the area of the shop where it was built 

 down on Taylor Street. We started out and ran up 



35 Telling of the first use of the car in later days, Frank Duryea 

 mentions the many noises and vibrations that accompanied the 

 trip: the vibrating tiller, the tinny sounding muffler, the 

 clattering chains. He later reported speeds of 3 mph in low 

 gear and 8 mph in high gear. 



26 



BULLETIN 240: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



