Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240: Contributions From the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 34-44 on Science and TechnologyMuseum of History and Technology (U.S.)
History
Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240: Contributions From the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 34-44 on Science and Technology
Museum of History and Technology (U.S.)
Science -- History; Technology -- History
[35] Telling of the first use of the car in later days, Frank Duryea
mentions the many noises and vibrations that accompanied the
trip: the vibrating tiller, the tinny sounding muffler, the
clattering chains. He later reported speeds of 3 mph in low gear
and 8 mph in high gear.
[36] Letter from Frank Duryea to Charles Duryea, Jan. 19, 1894, says
they went up hill via Summer and Armor Streets, then out Walnut
to Bemis' at Central Street School.
[37] The letter read: "I have designed a new muffler and we will
proceed to make it before long, in a day or two. Instead of one
shell 1/8-inch thick I shall put a shell 1/16-inch thick inside
another of equal thickness, but about 1 inch greater diameter
i.e., one chamber within another so as to cause sound to turn
corners to get out. Still another shell will be added if it
prove insufficient, making it turn about again--taking care in
each case to give ample room for expansion--outer one need not
be more than 1/32 inch possibly. Will let two threaded rods with
nuts hold heads on both or on three cases, if the 3d be
essential."
[38] This letter gives further proof that the car never had a brake.
Frank said the car came back down the hill with no brake, but
that the engine held the vehicle back.
[39] DURYEA, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 37.
[40] It is possible that a few parts were removed at this time to be
used on the two-cylinder car. The muffler may have been one of
these, and even more likely, the governor parts. Charles Duryea
wrote to C. W. Mitman December 27, 1921, stating that his
younger brother Otho and a Henry Wells had put in a battery and
gasoline in 1897 and started the engine. Because the chains were
not on the car they could not attempt to operate it; but the
engine ran too fast, and finally something broke, probably the
engine frame, found to be broken during the recent restoration.
Charles thought the engine ran too fast because some of the
governor parts were already missing.
[41] Recorded interview with Frank Duryea in the U.S. National Museum,
November 9, 1956. On the formation of the Duryea Motor Wagon
Company, Mr. Markham was rewarded for his part of the venture.
He had invested nearly $3000 in the work, and sold out his
rights in the company for approximately a $2000 profit.
* * * * *
Paper 34 - Transcriber's Note
The transcriptions retain all typographical and gramatical errors.
* * * * *
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY:
PAPER 35
THE BORGHESI ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK IN THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
by
_Silvio A. Bedini_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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