MEN WORTH KNOWING.
Page 16
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i`Vir. Thomas Clarkson.
The name of Clarkson stands out as the successful man in modern steam locomotion for public passenger service and van work. Mr. Clarkson's record is indeed a brilliant one. His apprenticeship was served, between the ages of 13 and 21, at the Todleben Ironworks, Salford, from the year 1877 to 1885. Between 1886 and 1888 he was Lecturer in Metallurg-yat King's Cellege, London, from which post he undertook consulting and advisory work, and worked various patented improvements in mining machinery, for a term of years. He began, alone, in 1895, and was shortly joined by the late Mr. Capel, to experiment in steam road traction, and the Clarkson and Capel Steam Car Syndicate, Ltd., was formed in 1896. We well remember various interesting experiment s in Deverall Street, S. E. A move was effected to Moulsham Works, Chelmsford, in February, 1902, and the original syndicate was enlarged to Clarkson's, Ltd., with a capital of .4:100,000, in February, 1903
Mr. Clarkson, who is now 40 years of age, was the senior Whitworth scholar in 1885 and a National Science scholar in the same year. Ile is an Associate Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, an Associate of the Royal School of Mines, and a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. In reply to an enquiry of ours as to whether he intended to make room for an internal combustion engine, Mr. Clarkson laughingly replied that he was not changing, and had no occasion to do so. Mr. T. Clarkson.
Mr. Percy Frost Smith.
The subject of this short sketch, who is now engineer and manager of Messrs. Tilling's motor-omnibus department, was a pupil of Mr. Alfred Dickinson, the well-known consulting and civil engineer of Birmingham. Mr. Smith, after a six years' works and drawingoffice course, went to Spain, in the year 1845, to act for Mr. Dickinson in the conversion of the Madrid and Barcelona tramways to electric traction, which engagement lasted two years. On his return to England, he joined the surveying stall of the British Electric Traction Company, and remained with them until 1898. Mr. Smith was appointed works manager to the Motor Traction Company, Kennington Road, in November, 1899, and was occupied in the premature attempt to run a st rvice of motor omnibuses. It will he remembered that two double-decked 'buses, with iron tyres, ran for 15 months between Kennington and Oxford Circus. Mr. H. G. Burford offered Mr. Smith an engagement with Messrs. Milnes-Daimler, Ltd., in 1902, in connection with the organisation of the Liverpool-Manchester motor parcel-post service. ate Hastine-s and Eastbourne trotor-omnibus services, and the inauguration of other important departures.
Mr. P. Frost Smith. He resigned from this work to become works manager for Messrs. J. B. Fetter and Sons, Ltd., Yeovil, where he turned out about 600 oil engines, varying in size from 11 to. 3412.h•p. Mr. Smith is 30.
Mr. H. G. Burford.
The name of Mr. H. G. Burford is so well known in connection with motor omnibuses and commercial motors generally that an apology would not be out of place for a short sketch of his career, except for the fact that these pages will be perused by such a large number of newly-interested observers and patrons of heavy automobilism. H i s fame is not so well known to them as to older followers of the movement. Mr. Burford served his time to millwright a n d general engineering at Martock, Somerset, for the full period of six years. Between the expiry of his apprenticeship and the age of 27 he was successively employed in the Works of Cromptons, Ltd., Chelms. ford; Davey Paxman and Co., Colchester; The Small Arms Factory, Enfield Lock; and Messrs. Easton and Anderson, Frith. He joined the Liquid Fuel Engineer ing Co., Ltd., East Cowes, in 1893, where he remained until 1896, his work there being upon paraffin launches and experimental steam car trials. He was then with the Electric Motive Power Co., Gray's Inn Road, from which engage ment he proceeded to take up business on his own account at Twickenham. In 1901 he was appointed manager to the motor vehicle department of Messrs. G. F. Milnes and Co., Ltd., of Birkenhead and Hadley, out of which he took that section and formed Milnes-Daimler, Limited, of which he is now engineer and managing director. Mr. Burford is an associate member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and is shortly due to be admitted to full membership. He is in his 38th year and therefore approaching the prime of life. Mr. H. G. Burford.
The pioneer Milnes-Daimler 'bus of the London Motor Omnibus Co. (the " Vanguard ") made its trial trip under very auspicious conditions at the opening of the month. The 'bus is of 24-3o h.p. and runs remarkably smoothly. Six 'buses will be on the road by the end of the month.
The motor 'bus movement is engaging the attention of the Leeds railway and municipal authorities very earnestly just now. A scheme to run omnibuses from the Chapeltown terminus of the Leeds City Tramway, and so to open up Wetherby and its environs, has met with very favourable comment. The railway companies, too, are bent upon utilising the new mode of transport as far as possible, and to seek Parliamentary sanction where this is necessary.
The Government mining engineer in the Transvaal points out certain defects in the construction of the steam wagons which are being used. The machinery, he says, is frequently placed too low for the rough roads of the country; and fire-door and grate area are often too small for wood firing, which has to be resorted to in some districts. Where horse-sickness exists, or where cattle are scarce, motor traction is invaluable. As the necessity for keeping roads in good repair becomes more apparent, the value of motor transport will become greater; and conversely, as the value of this form of transport becomes more apparent, so will the necessity for properly repairing the roads become more urgent.