-48 Rki'ok'i S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



gas engine, as certain difficullies altending it are gradually combated 

 with and overcome, will su])ersede the steam engine for land 

 purposes. 



Great [irogress has been made in gas engines recently. In 

 1900 the first gas engines above 400 h.p. were started running with 

 Mond gas. In the same year at the Paris Exhibition the 600 h.p. 

 Cockerill gas engine was exhibited. Since then Messrs. Korting 

 Bros, have made a large number, of which in Se])tember last 32, 

 with a total of 44.500 h.p., averaged 1.390 h.p. each. The John 

 Cockerill (\)m])an\ has built one of 2.500 h.p., and the Snow Steam 

 Pump Works of Buffalo. New York, have just made two large gas 

 engines, gas compressors of 4.000 h.p. each. 



The internal combustion engine has found a great field in small 

 power engines in small vachts. torpedo- boats, and in automobiles. 

 Motor cars mav still be said to be in their infancy, and much time, 

 money, and research will have to be expended on them before they 

 liecome as reliable as commercial machines should and must be, l)ut 

 there is an enormous field before them. The haulage of heavy loads 

 along the roads is becoming every day more of a necessity. Motor 

 wagons can carr\ larger quantities an(l heavier amounts of goods at 

 a higher speed than is possible bv horsed vehicles ; they take up less 

 room in the streets, and the damage to the road surface should be 

 less than that caused by the ordinary traction engines. The motor 

 omnibus has certainly not yet reached the stage which some predict 

 for it, viz.. that it will supersede the electric tramway. The motor 

 carriage that will never break down, and that can be purchased at a 

 price within the means of all those who can afford a horsed carriage 

 is still a thing of the future. Automobile petrol inspectors" cars are 

 alread) running on some of the railways in this country. On railways, 

 too. there may be a great future for automobiles. They are being 

 tried at the present moment on one or two of the railwaxs in Eng- 

 land, and bv the Gardner .Serpolet Company in France. For 

 suburban traffic, where thousands come to their work in a city in the 

 morning, and make a return journey mid-day for their meal, and 

 return to their homes in the afternoon, large numljers have to be 

 conveved within a verv .short period at certain times of the day, 

 whereas during the rest of the day the traffic is much less, and trains 

 at ten minutes or fifteen minutes interval will accommodate it. 

 Hitherto electric traction has generally been proposed to meet the 

 case. There is. however, a hesitation on the part of railway autho- 

 rities generalK in incurring the heavy cost of electric installation, 

 and it is rather a moot point whether there is any saving in working 

 cost, although the increased accommodation is a benefit to the public. 

 The multi]>le unit s\stem by which one. three, five, or more cars can 

 be despatched at a time all under the control of one conductor gives 

 just that elasticit\ of accommodation that is wanted to deal with the 

 dailv variations of suburban traffic. ]f this svstem is adaptable to 

 motor cars which is the subject of enquiry at the moment, there may 

 be a great development of the automobile for suburban railways. 

 There is no costlv installation, nothing has to be changed on the 



