From Our Berlin Correspondent.
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Death of Dr. Isidor Loewe through Blood-poisoning.
Greheimer Kommerzienrat Dr. Isidor Loewe, head of the great firm of engineers trading as Ludwig Loewe and Co., passed away on Sunday night, the 28th ult., in the Grunewald sanatorium, where he had been staying for six weeks previously. Blood-poisoning is given as the indirect cause of his death, which was eventually hastened by a complication of diseases affecting the organs of secretion and digestion. Dr. Loewe had nearly attained the age of 62 years, having been born at Heilingenstadt on the 24th November, 1848. He entered the firm of Ludwig Loewe and Co. in 1875, and, on the death of his brother, which occurred in 1886, assumed the reins of management. In the 'nineties Dr. Loewe established, at Martinikenfelde-Berlin, the machine-tool works which have since become famous all over the world, and may be regarded as a model of their kind. Another creation of Loewe's was a department for the manufacture of small-bore arms and smokeless powder, which subsequently developed into an independent concern under the name of the German Arms and Ammunition Factories (Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken), a combination comprising two or three outside firms in addition to his original creation. His firm supplied the German army with several types of rifles. The year 1892 saw him co-operate with the Thomson Houston Electric Co., of Boston, in the founding of the riaion Electric Co. in Berlin, which, however, failed to retain its independence, but was fused with the General Electric Co., of Berlin, eleven years afterwards. Dr. Loewe participated in the management or superintendence of a large number of industrial undertakings, but his energies were mainly directed towards the development of the machine-tool factory. The deceased belonged to the Jewish people, and was buried in the Jewish cemetery. The Guerrini Auto SweeperCollector.
Messrs. Gala and Conelli, the Milan firm of engineers who have put on the market the Guerrini automobile collector-sweeper now on view at the Brussels International Exhibition, inform me that they purpose demonstrating with this automobile in London shortly. It was tried at Berlin before being transported to Brussels, and I forwarded at that time a brief description of it, together with a couple of illustrations, which duly appeared in THE ContramacxAL MOTOR. I have before me an official report by Signor Giovanni Masera, the municipal engineer in chief at Milan, who strongly recommends the machine on the following grounds, based on actual experience :—" (1), the machine can easily be worked at any hour of the day and night, even in places where there is considerable traffic; (2), the possibility of shifting the collected sweepings rn masse into a cart in the street [We may remind our readers that the Guerrini scheme comprises bins or boxes within a closed receptacle behind the revolving drum which bears the brushes, and these boxes, when full, may be taken out and emptied into a cart.—Ea.]; (3), the machine does three times more work in a given time than a horse-drawn vehicle ; (4), it works more satisfactorily from an sesthetic-hygienic standpoint iThe sweepings are shot by the re volving brushes into the above-mentioned closed receptacle.—En.]; (5), the costs of cleaning are reduced from 16.66 to 9.12 francs per hectare; and (6), the sweeping staff may be reduced to a third of the original number."
Freight Automobiles at the German Army Manoeuvres.
As usual, freight automobiles and trailers figure well in this year's army manceuvres in East and West Prussia ; a column has been attached to the cavalry division of the 17th army corps for the express purpose of conveying the commissariat supplies for horses and troops. All the motor trains belonging to the War Office are being employed, as well as half-a-dozen "trains " which have been hired from the Daimler Working Co. at Konigsberg, one of the many working concerns called into being by the War Office's subvention scheme. Two "trains " are to act as tenders to the military airships that are taking part in the manceuvres.
Germano-Russian Motor Line.
From Tilsit, the East Prussian city which recently adopted motor taxis, comes the news that an automobile line has been established between that place and the Russian town of Shavli. the line being carried through Tauroggen. The distance between Tilsit and the Russian terminus exceeds 80 miles, and hitherto travellers to Shavli have had to go by a diligence which took a very long time to cover the road, or else to journey per railway via Interburg and Eydtkuhnen, whereby, owing to the roundabout way, not much time was saved. It is proposed to run two services daily. Russian roads at the best of times presenting no surface very favourable to motor traffic, one may assume that the Tilsit-Shavli service will possess a pronouncedly-intermittent character.
Let's Go and Buy Some Beer.
Several of Berlin's motorcab drivers have been victimized in a novel way of late by a couple of thieves, who work together. Their method of procedure is to hire a " taxi " for a " J3ierreise " (beer-run), and to end up in a street adjoining the Tempelhofer Feld, the crossing of which forms part of the scheme. But before crossing this field one of the " fares" takes the chauffeur into a public house for a glass of ale, and while the two are refreshing themselves the confederate in the cab unloosens the straps securing the spare tire, and also removes the tools from the locker under the cabman's seat, and hides them in the body of the cab. When passing over the field, the thieves noiselessly drop tools and tires out of the cab, and immediately afterwards pay the cabman and decamp with their booty. Of course, they work rather late at night.
Sicily has at present but two automobile lines, the one connecting up Canastra and Misbretta (Messina Province), and the other between Termini and Monte S. Gioliano (Province Trapani). A eompanv at Catania purposes establishing a line round Mount Etna.
The Hungarian P.O. have establisheil a motor-post line between Karlowac and the Plitvic Lakes, in conjunction with the Agram-Fiume railway. The buses are of the light type, with seats for nine passengers and plenty of space for luggage. They cover the distance in 4-5 hours, running at some 16 miles an hour.
Austria's International Trade in Industrials.
Austria's collective international trade in automobiles of all classes increased from 13.5 to 15.9 million crowns during the year 1909, imports being, as usual, heavily in excess of exports. Turning to imported freight vehicles, their value rose from 961,440 to 1,371,830 crowns. Great Britain appears to export no freight vehicles into Austria, although she imports a few from that country. The Chili Market.
According to the South American Trade Journal," Chili is very backward as regards modern vehicles for road transport, and affords a good opening for firms making a speciality of taxicabs and freight automobiles of suitable design for service in that country.
Auto.s For Servia.
The Ministry for Public Works purpuse acquiring six automobiles for carryi»g passengers and freight in connection with the Paratchin-Zajetchar railway. It seems that this lino is not yet complete, and that the automobiles will he used pending completion. So far as I am aware, the Ministry are still open to offers from motormanufacturing companies.
An Antwerp Venture.
At Antwerp, a limited liability company, with a capital of 100,000 francs, has been floated for the purpose of working motorcabs in the city, Messrs. Benz's Belgian representatives, A. Servais and P. Wildford, being chiefly interested in the concern, which will work under the name of the Taxis Bleus Compagnie, The running of motorbuses and freight automobiles is also included in the company's scheme. German Army and Motor'Ambulances.
Although the self-propelled ambulance-vehicle is sure to play a big part in the rolling stock of armies, comparatively little progress has been made towards making it a familiar feature of the army corps. Nor, indeed, can the military authorities be blamed for having manifested reserve, since the automobile had first to establish itself as a reliable means of locomotion. Now that several makers produce reliable machines, the question arises: What type is best suited for army work ? The German military authorities, for instance, are tackling this problem, and, naturally, they look for a solution by practical trials. A recent trial was made with a speciallyconstructed Gaggenau vehicle in the presence of German officers, a number of soldiers constituting the " dead " and " wounded " required for the experiment. The superstructure is open on three sides, and fitted with curtains which, when let down, convert it into a closed body that is demountable. The Gaggenaci has evidently been modelled on the Austrian type of military ambulance-wagon, which was described and illustrated in TBrE ComNTERCIAL MOTOR of the 23rd December last (pages 335-0).