Evening Star Newspaper, August 15, 1926, Page 63

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, AUGUST 15. 1926—PART 3. OTORS and HIGH-SPEED ARTERIES PREDICTED FOR FUTURE European Groups Plan Special Roads to Provide Rapid Transportation Between Cities. BY WILLIAM ULLMAN, What i< the future, so far as speed is concerned—and that, after all. 15 a primary factor—of motor bus. motor truck and gen- eral automotive transportation between large cities, where high- way congestion is hecoming more and more aggravated? The question may be answered, indirectly, by the following quotation from a consular report received from Berlin by the United States Department of Commerce. It is pointed out that : “There is a movement in Germany for the construction of speedways running directly from one large city to another and re- served for high-speed cars. As these roads are to be used only by a limited class of drivers, they cannot be built with public money. This scheme is to embrace all Europe, and already a society has been incorporated in Italy to undertake this work. “Deliberaticns already have taken place regarding the Ham- burg-Milano route, which'is planned to go via Hanover, Thuringia, South Germany and Switzerland. Later, lines to the Ruhr district, Berlin and (zechoslovakia are also planned. “The muin ies of motor travel will come to mind upon careful con- ere heing for the of | sideration of the question? an Construetion | _OPVIOUS it is that in the future some e 1O provision will have to be made for the Strassenbauver- | fleeter portion of the traffic stream 000 kilo- | Speedways connecting one large city . it is| with another, built to allow perfect some | safety at the higher speeds and ac- commodating definite types of vehicles | seem to be a logical solution | problem which is growing more and it appears, should | more serious with the increasing num- consideration” in this | ber of automobiles of every sort and rapid transportation | deseription being turned out by Ameri- wing necessity and | can manufacturers. movement of special B carriers from point to point often is Special Tests Possible. delayed by slower vehicles along the| It is easy to imagine—and it is not present route of travel. As pointed |such a flight of faney as one might out in the above quotation, these |expect at first blush—a scene on a speedways would be used only by cars |[typical speedway between any two and commen carriers able to get up|important metropolises of the country. to a very high ed and remain | For instance thera safely A roadway, than the av- With such « restriction there comes [erage now in_use, glass-smooth and the question of financing. It is hard- | built of materials designed to reduce 1y likely that much as State legis- | skidding to an absolute minimum Iagures and the United States Govern- [ would stretch from a point at mént firmiy in faver of an in-|outskirts of one city creasingiy comprehensive network of [of another, say gond roads. either would conside Speed limits would be dictated by Approy ic funds conditions only, and under ordinary profe y 1 circum- | eircumstances high-powered car or is true [bus would be 1 result {50 miles an hour. or more, well- | delay for miles and miles, despite | trailing an even swifter uch o |passing one with sever: even i blasts on a specially made horn, to and the ' be used exclusively on the speedwiiys felt in a Undoubtediy, the authorities in the sirability of | various cities would find it advisable {to institute special tests for those drivers who signified their intention =, and at the would be in- in order ain their fitness for the high k which they would have to travel to keep up the pace. er cut-outs, perha ome into favor on making frequent use of the ter roads, but it is doubttul wheth- {er the bus: {10 us augmented rumble would be an annoy- ance to many travelers. Widespread use of spesdways, seems assured, would fect upon motor car des struction. Speed would be empha- zed to a greater extent and auto- mobiles 1 with four forward . speeds in very wide- roadway is just |spread popular u er atten- iding | tion would be paid to the problem of 15 to 50 miles an hour inating wind resistance in passen- rifice one jota of | & safety i uipped with wings to (might be somewhat altered to meet anabie | Kin and jump over : the changed conditions, whereby the the picn ‘head. enjoying the [ordinary car would be sent catapult- i our ing over the wt sustained no means ent of rates now made only sporadica in has a | the course of driving, enjoyment | Should a speedway plan be adopted traverses in the United States important country. |chanzes in many designs may be the bus |looked for in a not negligible propor or it can|tion of cars. The aim of bulilde For the |as now, would be speed, power, sturd ion on the part | construction, riding ease. In the ma driver will suf. | ter of speed, however, the manufac draws quickly to one side | turers would outdo themselve: 1 aliows the bus plenty The speedway proposition, as out. things are quite ail | lined in the consular report from about Sundays and | Germany, is feasible and brings out roads are crowded | number of points well worth de- in-hour motorists, how | tafled study. No country more than son when roads | this one nee + congested at |available instrument which will speed day and how | up all transportation. factors which «Copyright ) planned whole sermany by the Ger TUnion (De band). To est meters of these m: estimated in 1,600,000,000 1 saher blish about rks will he Tmportant to America. Euch ve try bus where the s stem, broader ar 100 ‘miles awa without perhaps arrier or warning speediviys n ine ed mate th it is fel the one side of need question of and com- « definite | same time spected b s and me g to the matier situation shapes up. will 1 s situation which ction to a la extent zi3 the vears go b - stion which now is cor mand the visioned tran gressive mot cor n ntion rortation men and pro- | would i ns for Speed Used. 1 the way in every ve the autow taken 1o spe in otier words. speedy conveyvor private automobile, every whim of which amble ind at tl ng pace nd from the for ex stive, a up | the it » some’ ef- gn and con- is 4 he 0 wi + bus capable of atong at without of nhour mar urely s as he through the And time servie is fami mie-an-hour the ther kind of | a little. indulge in if it is to keep it tuned | surplus. Keep the ofl level high, even necessary to put in a little The engine won't pump oil ivin'. but often |at high speed with the crankcase just ssed for time, |a little oversupplied. Lubricate the to 2o over generator hearin’s and the water hat's where it pump. See that the spark plugs are of drivin | tizht and that the pet cocks are firm. » distributor and put a very the whole ca v for fa head it to | Clean itures afety |the breaker. s the | If the goin’ is to be uphill. where are up 1o the | the engine is likely to overheat. the caps | tunin’ will call for drainin’ off the wre | water in the radiator and tightenin’ up the fan belt. In any case. the uni- the versals should be given a shot or two hat ' of ease. d r ramblin’ around town to show off the car, the tunin’ is a_case adjustin® tappets for less clearance lubricatin’ springs, removin' squeal |and cleanin’ the breaker points for smooth firin’ at low speeds. When out to climb mountains allow for more tappet clearance. FRESHLY OILED ROADS 250,000 AUTOS STOLEN AGAIN WARNING TOPIC EVERY YEAR. IS ESTIMATE Highway Officials Say Many, $218.000.000 Value at Basis of Routes Are Now Being Covered 8875 Each—Four of Five Re- and Are Dangerous turned. However. to pi For chack Nothi; when t tires and right pre and soe see 1 ind see up nobile thefts 000 cars, valued at cording to statistic Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Increased motor vehicle registr ion is finding its parallel in increased car thefts, the survey indicates. The estimated value of theft loss was ar rived at by appraising the stolen at an average price of $875 le attention |the basis applied by the Department i of Justice in administering the na ofled highWaX | yona1 motor vehicle act usual of | It is estimated that four out of five s expert says. |cars stolen were,recovered. which re ‘rv":dwlv otled 1o .\lwu:l, be ridden |duces the dead loss of automobile own e A ith the { €S to about $35.000.000 if accessories _:_"‘"“:"‘B at P It v | robes, spare tires and other equipment e < A0Y Jare not included andency urists right now many such | <tratches of ro and they would o well to use care In tra versing them. car when their Aute vearly total 2 $215.000.000. compile by ac the hway of fictals ar r g r warning against on freshly ubric: ht a4 warning that heeded with seri ous resu Ma o stretct and P s they ersons pay newly at their rate highway i Nineteen cities of more than 000 population had fewer fatalities 1n 1v2o then in 1424, Iy 100, motor to a| the | to the su\wurhs-‘ hle to bowl along at | senger | s would find it expedient | them. inasmuch as the greatly | s and standard equipment tires | s to avail itself of every | little oil or vageline on the cam of | which is| | marked by a tranquil beauty, but the that will be excessively hazardous in wet weather. mainly for its dozens of rut-pocked, treac le g N ' S T _Upperville motorist who chooses it must be read erous detours. Oq Under ho, ) 4 Manassas — fRvEd highmay == Crave/ and dii/ Under constroction Of the three routes to the enchanting Shenandoah Valley shown on the map above, “the longest way round is the sweetest way” there. It is the route to be taken by the motorist who desires a comfortable journey, free from hazardous, torturous driving. for a 5-mile drive at snail’s pace over a torn and twisted mountain roadway The most direct way, by Warrenton and Luray, Is over the highway that is good in spots, but notable The Middleburg-Aldie road traverses territory TO FINANCE COURTS Handling Traffic Cases, Says Connecticut Official. | Special traffic courts with a prose- {cutor and judge who are experts in {trafic matters and cr ed by funds ;II(‘ ved from fines collected from mo | torists are advocated by Robbins B. Stoeckel, commissioner of motor ve ihl"ll.\ of Connecticut, as a means of lowering the accident r: and main | taining stricter driving discipline Such court Mr. Stoeckel maintain: | would co-oper with police depar {ments for better results than are at present apparent. Declaring that such a step is the only way out of the growing traflic ).’Aml accident difficulties, Mr. Stoeckel says “The police cannot afford to spend much time in court. But it is a fair conclusion that each court will de mand less evidence as the problem of traffic gets more acute. The chance that the operator will he arrested and prosecuted is therefore ater than ever before | “Perhaps t | tially reckles: e i o-thirds of the poten- drivers are amenable {to moral s ion. But the rest ar |in the criminal motor vehicle ¢ |against which only arrest and pros | cution avail. | “As a principle, t lought to be directed | erring rticipants, | pedestrian, bicyele rider and team | driv But the motor vehicle is an !engine capable of such great destru: tion that it is fair to insist that fts operator be the most careful of all. his means that he must look out for everybody else to a much greater |@egree than they may be expected to look out for him. | “One qualification | be demanded more | him is concentration tend to busin. affic ilike against all including the which will particularly He must now of at- TIRE LIFE ANALYZED BY EXPERTS OF U. S. [ Cords Last Longer Than Fabrics in Bureau of Standards Experi- ments, Says Report. Factors which influence’ the life of | automobile tives have been definitely | determined by experts of the United Bureau of Standari These the subject of a paper just re defined as follow | A carcass in which the friction rub- | ber is slightly compounded appears to | stand up better under test than one | in_which “pure gum" is used Within the customary limits of air pressure used in tires, the higher the pressure the better the tire will stand up. Fabric tires develop a much higher temperature than cord tires, and their life is much less than cord tires Separation. which was the principal cause of failure in these tests, did not always take place in the same loca tion in the tire. It occurred in most | cases between the tread and breaker breaker and cushion, cushion and car . or between the outer two pli Some makes of tires “blow out much sconer after separation has started than others Compound inner tubes for truck tires appear to withstand the action of heat better than those of pure gum type. ! "It is interesting to note that of the tires tested. in general not more than one-half the samples passed the test requirement although a general im provement was noted during the pe riod covered by the tests in the of some tires . A total of 27 per cent of automobiles delivered in 1925 were driven to dest! nation_under their own power. HAWKINS | MOTO Conveniently Located on Fourteenth Street . 1333-37 14th St Mzin 5782 Convicted Motorists Should Pay for | discipline | e FINES ARE PROPOSED LONGEST ROUTE TO SHENANDOAH |ONE FOR MOTOR Motorists going from Washington to the Shenandoah Valley should fol- |1ow ‘the longer route. through Fred | erick and Harpers Ferry, if they de |sire a safe and comfortable journ all_the way This is the conclusion reached by The Star's motor tours department after a survey made recently to de- termine the Summer. After covering the two so- called short routes, the one by way of Aldie and -Middleburg, and the { other, through Warrenton and Luray, it plain that automobilists should be strongly advised against either. Not only are the two shorter routes uncomfortable in all kinds of | weather, but they are positively dan gerous in spots when the roads are Direct Route Worst. The road through Warrenton and Luray is by far the worst and should not be attempted by any one who does not want to take plenty of | chances and his full share of bumps. | It is alternately macadam and dirt or | kravel, and its dirt portions are ex- | cessively hazardous fn wet weather. There is a_l6-mile detour over the mountains from Luray to New Mar- ket that provides especially hard go- ing and in rainy weather might read ily result in a serious accident. While the road through Aldie and Middleburg to Winchester is nearly | all concrete and bituminous, there is la stretch of about five miles, half on either side of Paris, which is under | construction. The road at.this point as been torn up and in the best of ather the trip would be filled with | more jolts than the average motorist vishes to suffer. This portion con- s of red clay and, to make matters the part under construction passes over the Blue Ridge Moun- | tains, combining the hazards of moun- tain roads with an exceptionally slip- pery surface. When The Star's touring investi- | gator passed over this stretch of the road recently it had rained earlier in the day and he narrowly escaped skidding several times into.the ditches |on either side of the roadway. It is | extremely foolhardy to attempt to | cover this portion of the road in rainy | weather unless one's liddleburg-Aldie and Warrenton-Luray Ways Are To Be Avoided by Autoist Who Wants an Easy, | Safe Drive to Virginia Valley. conditions existing this |- aking | |EASY PARKING SEEN COMFORT LOVER| | - ) Engineer Believes Small Cars Solu- tion of Problem—Predicts Low Operating Costs. Motorists who put most of the mileage on thefr cars driving around looking for a place to park may a small grain of comfort in the fore sts of A. Ludlow Clayden, a Phila lelphia._engineer, which indicate that ithin 20 vears the parking problem will have heen entirely solved. Within the next two decades, Mr. |Clayden told the convention of the American Petroleum Institute, Amer- ican familles will ride in closed aut mobiles smaller than the smallest ma- chines of today and capable of run- ning all day on less than a_dollar | worth of fuel. In five years Mr. CI den sees automobiles achieving gaso- |line mileages of from 40 to 50 to the | with skid chains and the man at the wheel fs a skilled and careful driver. | Even so equipped there are more chances of geéing off than staying on the road. so slippery does it hecome | ¢ after a rain. This road would be a hard one to drive over if it were en- tirely on the level, but, since it goes through the mountains, it is one to be_avoided. Were it not for this bad stretch the run from Washington to Winchester | would be but 75 miles, as compared to 193 miles by way of Frederick and Har- Ferry. But with conditions a are now motorists are urgentl advised to make the extra 18 mile rather than try the hazardous five mile drive over the Blue Ridge Moun- | gallon. tains. | "'The high-compression engine The route by way of Frederick has | bring this change, Mr. Clayton |been shortened 11 miles by the open-| This engine can be produced at |ing of the road through Hyattstown. |lower cost than the present one, M {1t may be reached by going out Wis-! Clayden holds. The saving in one consin avenue or over Connecticut|year to the motor owners of the coun- avenue to Bradley lane to Rockville|try will amount to approximately pike. There are some sections of the | 500,000,000 gallons of gatoline. road near Gaithersburg on which con- cgete shoulders are being placed, re- quiring _slow travel for short dis- tances, but otherwise fast time can be | made. Turn Made at Frederick. On reaching Frederick a sharp left ! turn is made in the heart of the town, | continuing_the distance of four city | blocks to Telegraph street, where the road branches to the left. Then con- tinue on the main road through Jef ferson and Harpers Ferry to Win | chester. On entering the center of the town make a left turn on Braddock street to the road, which continues into the Shenandoah Valley pike tog Staunton. The road is all boulevard bighway and well maintained. The shorter routes lie by way of Fairfax and are reached by going over the Key Bridge, then turning sharp right one block beyond, continuing through Falls Church to Fairfax. The Warrenton-Luray road is excellent as far as Centerville, and to that point the motorist might wonder why the road had been criticized, but arriving there he will be given his introduction to the bad stretches by a lengthy detour. In the case of the Shenandoah Val- ley routes, the longest way is the best, and one will be well paid for follow- ing it. will Driver Best Re, Mistuking the generator cutout. or for a_device to prevent over- of the storage battery is among inexperienced = car owners. It is the “third brush,” a current wasting device incorporated In the generator, which protects the | battery against overcharging under | normal operating conditions. The | simply cuts out the generator | when its output is not equal to that | of the battery. | But in case the third brush fails to keep the battery from being over. charging common to the trouble of having the position lof this brush changed. to meet tem- {porary conditions, the driver becomes the best charging regulator as yet | developed. He can use the starter- | motor quite frequently to pull down [As EBONITE Strings oaick | SoitWi FRICTION wears out gears! Its the little demon that surely and quickly destroys any car. “Metal rubbing against | > metal.” At and wervice Cheekerhoard pump only. dealers in five-pound cans, stations from the COLUMBIA 5228 gl;ialor Yet Found For Keeping Battery Rightly Charged charged. and one does not want to go | = or he even can blow the horn more. Elther of these is preferable to driv- ing with the headlights burning. New York May Scrap Tracks. Public hearings on proposals that the city acquie street surface rafl- w which are found to be obstruc- tions to traffic_ have heen started be. fore the Board of Estimate of New York City If an equitable arrange. ment can be made, the tracks will be removed and bus lines substituted. New Velie yet? If There’s buoyant pick-up and a sil Sensev TERRY Motorists to the Seashore AVOID DELAYS—save 60 miles and several hours. Avoid traffic in large cities. Cross the Dela- ware River on the big, new Fer- ries at upper end of New Castle, Del. Four modern, big capacity boats. Frequent service, no wait- mg. Extra Service Week-ends and Holidays WILSON LINE'S NEW FERRY NEWCASTLE, DEL. PENNSVILLE, N. J. The Upper Ferry in New Castle The Shortest Route to South Jersey Summer Resorts NE! long life. AT NO DISTANT DATE| find | Mister Man! Have you driven the understand. If you haven’t —do! with definite meaning. These things mean healthy, long-life! Even the vibrationless ism, built into the motor, not at- tached later, is so simple that no complications can arise —added Velie talent doesn’t pause with this achievement. It follows with full forced feed lubrication to drive a flow of oil between accu- rately machined parts, preventing 1136 Conn. Ave. SERVICING AUTO OWNER AS WELL AS CAR ADVISED Repairs Tha; :I‘al;e No Account of Men- tality of Driver Often Disappoint Customer and Mechanic. BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. Motorists who experience difficulty obtaining the right kind of service for their cars may find the trouble lies in their failure to engage mechanics who understand them as well as their cars. That this is a plausible explanation of the present difficulty 1s demonstrated by a comparison with medical aid. It has been found that the most successful physician is the one who knows his pa- tient as well as he knows the patient’s ailment. In motordom, hoiwever, few mechanics understand the human side of th This is believed to be due to too much drifting from one reparr shop to another. The car owner hears of a particalarly skillful mechanic who always hits the nail on the head. and gives him 1 shot at trouble at the first opportunity. The motorist does not apprecigte that the particular mechanic’s reputation was earned not entirely through his understanding of automobiles, but largely through understanding the peculiarities of the owners those automobiles which he serviced. It s getting to be a question of |something approximating an acquatnt servicing the car owner as well as [ance? the car. It fs not mere Change Made in Owner. i taking the car to the official serv T it involves more |QUAFters for the particular make, servicing of the owner than of the | "™ ! car, for human habits and mental lim- | S 1 itations are playing a conspicuous | if taking the il role in reducing cars to junk. One repair shop every time he ork dene. Service stations that spa- 3 ced repairman contends that I“ 4 n at spe Erliabtamn cialize on one particular make of car he fixes more minds in the course of]nu understand the but it requires a vear than motors. fmore than execllent mechani i The chief difficulty appears to lie in |1~""]— Io put that shop in a_position the matter of adfustment. One man olve all of its customer’s problems will complain that his br: do not Mar work well enough, and if the repairer | To perfect lis not equally familiar with his man |the shop that as with the car he may he unable to |found necessary | make a satisfactory adjustment. This | for =t particular driver may be the kind to | tomers | treat his brakes more gently than the | wheel | average. which means that an ordi- | his nary brake adjustment, no matter how | effective for the average, will not do | for him Drivers who slam on their | | should not have even normal brake |according to instructio tadjustment, hecanse the combination | A notable example of the extrema | makes for dangerous stopping and en- | opposite of this method is seen in the {tirely too much wear and tear on the |case of an owner who taok his ear to | car in general. Yet in many hops |a shop to have it “tuned up.” A me. | the mechanies are not at all familiar {chanic unfamiliar with the needs and | with the persons who will drive the |habits particnlar owner took A cars being repaired. The vesult is|ride in the and found that ft that the rough user of brakes gets an | would <moothly in | adjustment that is too responsive, | gear at inder while the more gentle soul fails to | hour he recei the sort of adjustmén he | hours adjusting the | needs. carl drivers ont been a perfect mechanic did not An hour after {#t was back again at the “terrible o [ gine.” Tt seems that speed, and it {role in his by | for a that could “ [ high gear. only for one that {run at top speed smoothly the mechanic’s efforts had vain case of A matter of alwavs in many cases y ce establishments the unknown t ers Study Patro the facilities of spec < heen in 1 instances to study cus. nd hehavior at the er who understands a me s that appl job. If the hout anvthinz ¢ and proceeds service tin instruct the particular anic is in doubt brakes | he consults the manag to 15 miles an i spent several Clutches Need Care. Somewhat the same holds true for clutches. Some drivers are extremely | cautious about letting in the clutch and frequently overdo it sons should have clutches little more abruptly If their clutches work smoothly, it is a foregone conclusi that the combination will be Clutch plates will be burning out. On the other hand, drivers who habitually engage the clutch without regard for themselves or their cars | should be given the smoothest possi- | W FAuHS ble working clutch. It is the me e chanfe’s way of compensating for it |driver's natural failings as a motor- | vehicle operator ar left the shop ‘ner incensed dition of the en his hobby was 1 important 1 ne need Wiy in would AlL of been in 1lso played He h run Are Found. a serviee station of the many was unabla til he had h him and found rvide the customer he man zaged in adjust shock-absorhing de But how is the mechanic to judge |12 satisfy a custom his man if he never has seen him be. [taken a few rides fore, or if the motorist does n out what_sort of with him long enough to (Continued on Ninth Ps ic AMERICAS LONG LIFE actual contact and life-shortening wear. Idling, or traveling at 70 miles, the Veliec motor has the same velvety, hushed action. 81% of all Velie cars built over the period of 18 years are still doing active service. For those who are aware of Velie quality, it is not surprising. To those who are not, it speaks convincing evi- dence. you have, you'll power, flashy ent smoothness mechan- Any Velie owner will gladly testify to the lasting qualities and long life of his car. Learn what he knows so well by an actual demonstration. VELIE MOTORS CORP. Moline, Lllinois ., Washington Velie Co. NORRIS H. ENGLE Main 8496