264 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



placed under tlic hody of the Coach, and is its 

 full length and hreadth. The Chimneys are fixed 

 on the top of the hind hoot, and, as Coke is used 

 for fuel, there Avill he no smoke, Avhile any hot 

 or rarified air produced a\ ill he disjielled hy the 

 action of the Vehicle. At ditferent stations on a 

 journey, the Coach receives fresh supplies of fuel 

 and Avater. The full leng-th of the Carriage is 

 from 15 to 20 feet, and its Aveig-ht ahout 2 tons. 

 The rate of travelling is intended to he from 8 

 to 10 miles per hour. The present Steam Carriage 

 carries 6 inside and 12 outside Passengers. The 

 front Boot contains the Luggage. It has heen 

 constructed hy Mr. Golds worthy Gurney, the 

 Inventor and Patentee." 



Gurney was held, hy a Parliamentary Com- 

 mittee, to he " foremost for practical utility " ; 

 hut that statement was owing, there is little 

 douht, to the influence of his many friends in 

 Parliament. Hancock's steam-carriages were at 

 least as efficient — hut then he had no such 

 influential supporters. Gurney claimed to have 

 lost £36,000 directly in his exjieriments, and a 

 much larger sum indirectly, through the excessive 

 tolls imposed, and hrought his grievances hefore 

 Parliament. A Committee recommended a grant 

 of £10,000 to him, as the first to successfully 

 apply steam-carriages to iise on puhlic roads. 



In 1824 Walter Hancock was ex2)erimenting 

 on similar lines, hut it Avas not until 1828 that 

 a proposal Avas made to run a service of steam- 

 carriages hctween London and Brighton, and not 



