The consequences of this legislation were not long delayed. Automobile locomotion disappeared. Yet English builders of that period had already realised some excellent mechanical features. Certain among them had striking and remarkable schemes in regard to boilers, and had conceived extremely interesting 'water-tube boilers.' The boilers which my friends Normand and Thorneycroft to-day place on their torpedo-boats and torpedo-boat destroyers possess all the theoretical characteristics of certain apparatus conceived half a century ago.
Mr. Onésime Pecqueur, manager of the works connected with the Conservatoire for Arts and Inventions in France, designed in 1827 two very remarkable devices:
(a) The application of a differential gear to driving-wheels.
(b) The abolition of a forecarriage for steering-wheels replaced by the introduction of an axle fitted with two vertical pivots; the wheels pivoting separately on each, and being kept parallel with one another by a connecting-rod.
It is impossible not to notice how very much this invention has controlled the fundamental principles in the construction of automobiles.
It is no exaggeration to say that without these two very important devices, the automobile would not, at the present time, occupy the very prominent and progressive position it does.
In 1873 the firm of Léon Bollée commenced the construction of their vehicles, which attracted so much attention at the Universal Exhibition of 1878 in Paris.
At this period one of the most remarkable carriages was a Victoria weighing approximately 312 tons, including its complement of 8 passengers, 390 litres of water, and 300 kilos of coal. The effectual horse-power varied from 8 to 20 h.-p.; the greatest speed obtainable was about 40 kilometres per hour. The design of the vehicle was well proportioned and carried out. The transmission to the driving-wheels was effected by
