News from Central Europe._F c r o o r m res O p Own o u i r idents.
Page 17
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A Motor-plough which is Winning Prizes-A Trolleybus Set-Back in Berlin Coolie-drawn Fire Pumps Wanted for Japan.
Prague Motor-plough Competition.
On 9th and 10th September, the Ageieultural Central Society for the. Kingdom of Bohemia will organize a motor-piaughing competition on the royal domains at Jerre, near Prague. Medals and eiirtificates will be awarded.
A Successful German Plough.
For the international motorplough competition at Galenta, rinegary, 21 machines were entered, amongst them seven German, two Hungarian, two English and ten American. Each had to plough up a five hectarefield to a depth of 8-9 ins. A German petroldriven make and a 100 h.p. ling
steam-driven plough made the best time, tying with W., hours. The German make, the Stock, which we illustrate herewith, and also on page 19 hereafter, operating under remarkabla difficult e 0 I AltiOn S2 scored in the ree,mt plough competition in Russia. It consists of a low chassis borne ' by two immense wheels, fitted with primers ; and behind this is the share-attachment, having a coinpar atively small guiding wheel at the rear -on. the near side. Upon the attachment the driversits. The plough is a one-man affair.
Accumulator Omnibuses for The railless trolleybas has not proved so practical for Metropolitan conditions in Germany as was anticipated, and there is now a project to supplement existing means of passenger traffic by accumulater omnibuses of an improved system, a beginning being made with a couple of lines, both along exceptionally busy thoroughfares. This scheme has found favour aith the Berlin Commissioner of Police and the boroughs through which the projected lines are to pass, but I am disposed to think that, unless the working company can see its way to bring the fares down to the general Berlin level, the scheme is predestined to failure. The proposed fares, which, 1 uatierstand, represent the bottom estimate for working at a profit, arc, generally speaking, double those charged by the firms working the electric cars and the petrol buses.
Motor Fire-Engines for Japan: A Suggestion.
1 note that the official commercial expert attached to the German Consulate at Yokohama. suggests that. makers of motor fireengines might find a good market for a suitable combination in japan. The narrowness and labyrinthine character of the Japanese streets in general, however, preclude the um.Yersal application of fire-engines such as the Briton understands them. To have-any chance of success, the proposed vehicle must be charaeterized by the flexibilit3.. of the popular two-wheeled '.coolie-drawn cart, which can wind itself into and out of the narrow and sinuous Japanese streets. The irmtor, observes the expert, must deal with a suer:on depth 'Of "5-6 'metres (say 17 ft.) and pump the water through a hose of 1-20 metres in length (i9-02 fl..) to a distance of 110-10 metres (9a131 ft.) and to a height of 12-io metres (3949 fie). Perhaps some practical British engilleer ;flay think it worth his while to study local conditions with a view to producing a likely machine for Japan. Mineral oil is easily obtainable there. The Leipzig Fire-brigade Show. Our local correspondent .wrires :
" in connection with the German Fire-brigade Congress at Leipzig, there was a general exhibition of tackle, apparatus and rob ides used in fire-extinguishing work, a round dozen firms showing autorao biles. This participation on the part of automobile builders constitutes an interesting sign of the times, showing, as it does, the marked tendency of German firebrigades to motorize their vehicles.
" Benz-Gaggenau were represented by as many as five automobiles, including two engines with rotary pumps, an escape, an elegant car fox the staff, and an ambulance wagon, which last kind of automobile is now seldom wanting in the rolling stock of a German Fire Brigade organized on really modern " Messrs. R. Klinger and Co., of Berlin-Tempelhof, sent what Germans term anl Ueberlandspritze,' overland engine,' that is, a. car with a capacious touring body, and equipped with a centrifugal puma in addition to ladders and gear_ This Ueberlandspritze ' embodies the latest idea in fire-engines required for long-distance calls.
" Messrs. Missing contented themselves with a splendidly-built vehicle of the same category, but possessing a greater propulsive aria purnping efficiency.
" From the A-dlerwerke came five rotary-pump tenders as well as an ambulance wagon, the pumps being high-pressure Sulzers. The Duxwerke, Leipzig-Wahren, had on view a smart staff-car designed for the Leipzig Brigade. Kieskich Brothers, of Patzschkav, exhibited a number of vehicles.
" Naturally, Magirus and Co., of Uhl), whose productions could be seen at the earliest motor shows in Berlin, were represented, their exhibit consisting of a petrol-electric vehicle, with a Magirus escape ant, gas-engine, intended for first aid. The IN.lagirtis goes to :Vienna.
" Messrs. :Hader, of JOhstadt, well-known specialist in fire-brigade vehicles and apparatus of all kinds. showed a. Horeh-overland,' as Well as a motor-pump. Messrs. Opel and Daimler (Marienfelde-Berlin) exhibited respectively a rotarypump wagon and escape, and two tenders with centrifugal pumps. The pumps in the Daimler vehicles were high-pressure Sulzers. A. rotary-pump wagon ca-me from the Aachen Motor and Lorry Co., also from J. C. Kaiser, of Munich, who had built up on a Saurer chassis of the latest standard pattern.Y.