If you were to give someone from the 1800s a newspaper clipping from modern day, I feel like this might be the one to give. They'd understand maybe just enough of the words to be thoroughly perplexed.

Obviously, they'd be confused by cars and everything, but they could probably be told, "like a carriage but futuristic." I just don't think they could understand, "we are trying to put sails on boats to cross the ocean"