STATE COACIIES. The Romans during the Em pire had a system of public vehicles for hire which traveled over definite routes and probably at stated times. During the Middle Ages no such system of public conveyance prevailed. Toward the end of the sixteenth century wagons began to travel regularly between the principal towns of England to carry goods and people. These wagons were called stages. They were soon superseded by coaches. In 1662 we find a writer ccndemning this innovation because "these coaches make country gentlemen come to London on small occasion, which otherwise they would not do but on urgent necessity; nay. the eon venieney of the passage makes their wives often come up, who, rather than make such long jour neys on horseback, would stay at home. Here, when they come to town, they must be in the fash ion, get fine clothes, and by this means get such a habit of idleness and love of pleasure that they are uneasy ever after." In spite of such protests coaches became more and more popular, and by 1750 an elaborate system of routes had been established. In 1784 these coaches began to carry the mail. The flourishing period of the stage-coach was at the opening of the nineteenth century About this time an extensive good roads movement had been inspired by the sys tems of Macadam and l'elford. The stage-coaches acquired a speed of ten miles an hour on the most important English routes. In America stage routes, although established between some of the principal cities, were never developed to the ex tent to which they were in England. The intro duction of transportation by steam proved a speedy and successful rival. This form of car riage—the railway-car—has been given the name of coach, and, indeed, the early passenger-cars were modeled in shape after the coaches. For further history, see COACIIING.
At the beginning of the twentieth century coaches are built both for public and private use, and in design they are closely akin to those in use in England during pre-railroad days. They may be described as consisting of two parts—the carriage and the body. The former comprises the axles, perch .(o• reach), futehells, and transom (or bed), and ninny minor component parts, which together with the wheels form a complete vehicle or carriage upon which the body part is supported by the springs. The latter are secured to the bed and body by clips, and are always made of several stiff plates, because of their greater elasticity as compared with one plate of steel of the same length. The pole fits between the inside futehells, and completes the carriage part. In the best-made carriages the dimensions of a pole are: 31/4 inches wide, and 'deep, measured at a point 2 feet from the splinter bar. For horses averaging between 15 and 16
hands, the length of the pole is usually 9 feet from the front of the splinter-bar to the .cross head or the pole-head; for smaller horses, cobs, etc., about 3 inches shorter. The both is prac tically the same in all coaches, and is usually 4 feet 10 inches in length, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet 2 inches high. It is built as lightly as pos Bible, so as not to detract from the centre of gravity of the coach. The roof is almost fiat, in order that seats may he built on it, or for bag gage. and the sides have a 'cant' in a horizontal direction, and the 'turn under' in a vertical direction. There are two boots, the one in front being a few inches higher on the body than the hind boot, which latter is about two feet long (the front one three feet), and two feet deep. Both these boots are a little narrower than the body. The box and driving seat are placed on the front part of the front boot, and are supported by solid ends or risers. The shape of the seat is made by the cushion, and not by the seat itself, which is always flat. All modern coaches have brakes. but a good driver rarely has re course to them, except in emergencies. (See DRIVING.) A complete set of tools is carried in case of accidents to horses or vehicle. The weight of a road coach varies from 2200 to 2600 pounds. Builders generally contrive to throw more of the whole weight into the carriage part, in order to keep the centre of gravity low, and because it has to withstand the bulk of the strains. The cost of a coach depends very largely upon its finish and the country in which it is built. Approximately, average prices are: in America, $2400; England. 300 guineas; and France, S000 francs.
The typical American coach is the Concord coach, so called from Concord, N. H., where many of them are built. Its principal con structive features are three parallel straight perches connecting the hind axle with the front transom bed, which steady a very rigid, rect angular frame. At each of the four corners of this frame are placed stiff iron standards carry ing at their upper ends square iron shackles. Connecting with these shackles are strong leather straps, upon which rests the body of the coach, a mode of suspension common to European car riages before the use of springs. These latter are entirely absent in the Concord coach. The so-called Hackney roach is a smaller four wheeled vehicle for hire. Consult: Adams, Eng lish Pleasure Carriages (London, 1837) ; Thrupp,. History of the Art of Coach-building (London, 1877). See CARRIAGES; COACIII.TG.