AN ELECTRIC HORSE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue VIII, 14 August 1897, Page 242

AN ELECTRIC HORSE.

Horseless carriages, while favoured by many persons, are equally an eyesore to many others. These latter are. as a rule, ardent lovers of horses, and it naturally pains them to think that the day is evidently quickly coming when the horse, as a beast of burden, will be rather an unusual sight in any large city. The former, as a rule, have never cared much for horses, and consequently they naturally welcome any mechanical contrivance which is able to take the place and do the woi k of the animal. Mr Blackmore, an English inventor, has been trying to make peace between the two factious, and with that object in view he has patented a one-horse electric carriage. This contrivance, he claims, should be welcomed by all—both by those who want a horse as well as by those who want an electric motor. He styles his invention the electric horse and he insists that no other motor for carriages can equal it. In the body of this not uncomely quadruped there are stored, not armed warriors, but peaceful electric accumulators. The ordinary horse requires a goodly ration of oats before he will do a long journey ; all this horse needs is a few volts of electricity. Two conductors transmit electric energy to a motor, which is placed between the legs of the animal, and power is then transmitted to the hind wheel by means of a chain similar to the one used on bicycles. But this is not all. If it were tbe horse would be a mere dummy. The horse, however, can walk, trot, amble, pace, gallop, and even caracole. The automaton on the box seat has only to manipulate the reins cunningly in order to produce any desired motion. These reins communicate with the front wheel, and are the most important part of the whole contrivance. Tbey must be managed properly, or otherwise the electric horse will prove as unmanageable as any living Bucephalus. The tail, too, plays an important part. I seems that the animal will not trot unless the tail is moved a good deal to one side, and that it will not gallop unless the tail ia removed altogether. Anyone, therefore, who desires to become an expert driver of the electric horse must carefully study the various uses of the reins and tail.