Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/84

* COACH. 66 COACHING. sible, so as not to detract from the centre of gravity of the coach. The roof is almost flat, in order that seats may be 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 liind boot, which latter is about two feet long (the front one three feet), and two feet deep, iioth these boots are a little nari-ower 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 i-isers. 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 ease of accidents to horses or vehicle. The weiglit of a road coach varies from 2200 to 2000 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. Appro.ximately, average prices are: in America, .$2400; England, 300 guineas; and France, 8000 francs. The ty])ieal 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, up^n 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 coach is a smaller four- wheeled vehicle for hire. Consult: Adams. Eng- lish Fleusure Carnages (London. 1837) ; Thrupp,. History of the Art of Coach-building (London, 1877). See Caeeiages; CoAcnrxG. COACH-DOG, or Daxmatian CiyujiAGE-DoG. A dog of medium size, related to the hounds (q.v. ), and having the form and smooth coat of a. pointer, which projierly is used only to follow a carriage, as an ornamental part of the equip- age, and as a watch-dog about the stable. This dog should, therefore, be capable of endurance on foot, trim of form, well groomed, and 'stylish' in appearance. The coat must be pure white, evenly spotted with small, roimd, distinct spots, from half an inch to an inch in diameter, either perfectly black or pure brown. The head should be long, fine, and like that of a pointer, but not so deep. This dog is commonly said to have been first bred in Dalmatia, but the same breed seems to have been common in Spain as far back, at least, as the sixteenth century. It is often used in Denmark to draw carts. See Dog. COACH-HORN". A straight tapering horn made of brass or copper, and used to sound certain simple calls. There are no keys and the range is limited to the six open notes (c'-g'-c-- e'-g'-c'-), of which the high c is exceedingly difficult. The coach-horn varies considerably in length, a short (42-inch) horn giving more brilliant notes, and a long (56-inch) horn giving a softer, riclier tone. The various calls s(mndcd with the coach-horn have a well-recognized place in coaching; and in addition to those used uni- versally, as in the case of the examples noted be- low, there are others employed by particular coaches and routes. A few of the best-known calls are as follows: The Start. Cle»r the Road. 3=it: P-»— ^ m Off Side. To the Right. Change Horses. To the Left. i^i^ s:*:; COACHING. Driving or being driven in a coach (q.v.) drawn by four or more horses. The driving of a coach requires great skill, coolness, judgment, and a knowledge of horses on the part of the driver; and. where indulged in as a sport or pastime, may be said to derive its greatest attraction from that fact alone. The history of coaching is naturally part of the history of the coach, for which see article Coach. The first stage in England was put on the road in 1659 and traveled between London and Coventry. At the beginning of the eighteenth century there were many coaches employed throughout the country; but the slo'wness of travel was such that it took a week to go from London to York, and proportionately for all lesser distances. The royal mail, which had been carried by a system of post-boys under a contract speed of five miles an hour, was, in 1784, undertaken by Palmer's mail-coach service, which carried mail as well as passengers, and grew to such a success that the average speed-rate of mail coaches was brought up to 10 miles an hour. This, however, was due almost entirely to the improvements in road construction instituted by Macadam and Telford. Tn 1836 coaching had become so important an institution that 54 coaches were employed in England, 30 in Ireland, and 10 in Scotland. The British Government exercised a rigid supervision