“A new source of power… called gasoline has been produced by a Boston engineer. Instead of burning the fuel under a boiler (to produce steam), it is exploded inside the cylinder of an engine… The dangers are obvious. Stores of gasoline in the hands of people interested primarily in profit would constitute a fire and explosive hazard of the first rank. Horseless carriages propelled by gasoline might attain speeds of 14 or even 20 miles per hour… the cost of producing gasoline is far beyond the financial capacity of private industry… In addition, the development of this new power may displace the use of horses, which would wreck our agriculture.” --From the Congressional Record of the United States in the year 1875
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 12:00:17 +0000