The Iron-Spoke Innovation of 1876
A radical new design in carriage wheels promises a smoother, sturdier ride for Seattle’s muddy, nascent streets.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A new principle in the construction of carriage wheels has been brought to notice by an English inventor—every part of the same consisting of wrought iron, with the exception of the tire, which is formed of the best cast steel. The method of fastening the spokes—which are hollow—both in the rim and in the boss, is such as to ensure safety by the simplest means. The tire is so constructed as to protect the other parts of the wheel when it runs against the curbstone or comes in contact with another vehicle. Neither in putting on the tire, nor indeed any portion of the work, is a single bolt or nail employed; the spokes are slipped into their places in the rim and boss, and afterwards locked up by a nut, while the tire is firmly inserted into a groove in the rim. The strength of the axle-tree is increased at the points where it is most liable to give way, and the boss is made to accommodate about four times the usual quantity of oil for lubricating purposes. Although made of iron and steel, the wheel is not more than two or three pounds heavier than the ordinary kind.
“Neither in putting on the tire, nor indeed any portion of the work, is a single bolt or nail employed.”
This 19th-century focus on 'carriage wheel' engineering reflects Seattle's long-standing obsession with mobility infrastructure. Much like today’s heated debates over street design and vehicle weight, the concern for the 'curbstone' and durability reminds us that the city's relationship with its pavement is as old as the city itself.
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