Evening Star Newspaper, March 17, 1929, Page 64

~— 'MAJ. SEGRAVE CLAIMS SPEED TESTS AID CAR DEVELOPMENT Golden Arrow’s Record of 231 Miles Cited as Forerunncr Of Superaufos on Special Highways. “Every major development or im-|regard to aerodynamics in racing auto® > provement of the motor car has come | mobiles—improvements that will enable of racing—four-wheel | a lighter-powered machine to equal, if | brakes, demountable wheels and devel- |not surpass, the feat of the Golden Ar- as the result opment in divers and sundry descrip- tions” With this pronouncement Maj. H. O. D. Segrave, British racing car driver, | National Advisory Committee for Aero- | explained the motive behind his speed | nautics at Langley Fleld, Va. in mak- tests with the Golden Arrow racing car, | ing history in the study of this new which culminated Monday with his | ficld of research developed by the enor- iloting his superspeed vehicle over the ard, wave-packed sands of Daytona | Beach, Fla., at a rate of speed hitherto | only referred to in theory—231 miles an hour—a speed that will not be used in actual travel over the highw of | the Nation for maybe a decade, per- haps longer. Maj. Segrave sees the top speed of | the Golden Arrow as the top speed of | the motor car as it is known today. Every precaution was taken to In- sure the safety of the driver at the maximum speed it was figured by the foremost automotive engineers of the Nation a machine could travel over | the earth’s surface in the construction | of this superspeed machine, Tires were | the limitations. About $75,000 was spent, and more | would have been spent—there was more avallable from the immensely wealthy anonymous backers of the British daredevil—to develop tires that would stand a strain of higher speeds and motors could be bullt or forces de- vised that would force an object| through the air at a higher speed, but | for the safety of the pilot of such a| vehicle tires were needed, and, with all | the precautions taken with the ground contact of the Golden Arrow, the limit | was set by these same famous auto- motive engineers at 245 miles an hour. The Golden Arrow made 231 miles an hour under rather unfavorable con- ditions on the first serious test to be made with the machine. Maj. Se- grave believes that the machine will make the speed for which it was de- signed—245 miles an hour—but he is not anxious to try it unless some one comes along to better his newly es- tablished mark, which bids fair to stand for a long time. ‘What Price Speed? . Maj. Segrave is through with super- as they are known today. He does not say he will not go 231 miles an hour or even more, sometime, but he will not attempt it with the facilitie§ at present available. The death of Lee Bible in J. M. White's Tri-motored juggermaut is believed to have strengthened his re- solve to be through with super-speed forever. The question arises now as to what questions with which the average mo- torist is confronted do the accomplish- ments of Maj. Segrave and the Golden |grave believes, the beautifully and sci- Arrow answer? If, in a decade or so, the facilities for fast motor travel are such that machines of the sort that Ma). Segrave Toared down the sands of Day- tona Beach in will be practicable for the man in business or for the Gov- ernment in time of great emergency are manufactured in quantities, what will the accomplishment of Maj. Se- grave in his machine, that is but a blur in motion, mean? The third question, of course, is, will the State and national authorities, which in the past few years have in- dicated a growing respect for speed on the road, as evidenced by the raising of speed limits, or - abolishing them altogether in the rural sections of country, recognize a need for speed- such &s Maj. Segrave has developed, or ‘will the airplane answer the ques- tion? Of course, there are advantages to the plane which cannot be denied. The plane does not need costly places upon which to ride, but it does need costly take off. Golden Arrow Is Answer. The answer to all these questions is in the Golden Arrow itself. | From the earlier experiments with the giant mystery machine with which Maj. Segrave startled the world with a s in excess of 200 miles an hour, & great deal was learned which | was applied to the construction of the Golden Arrow. Maj. Segrave regards the motive power for such a vehicle, strange as it may seem, as merely a matter of mathemat- ics and as one of the simplest problems of all. But the matter of geiting & bulky object through the air resistance, wlich is tremendous at such speeds as Maj. Segrave has traveled, is still an- other thing, and a knotty problem to be dealt with. Most of the preparations for the con- struction of the Golden Arrow were with regard % streamlining the machine so that it would present the least resistance possible to the air through which it was to pass and at the same time to guard against & machine that at enor- mous speeds would tend to leave its natural element of the road and take to the air—a problem that involved utilizing air resistance and frustrating it at the same time. ‘Time was—and no distant time, either —when 20 miles an hour was regarded as a speed at which no man could travel in safety. Why not 200, 300, even 500—when human research tells us what dangers are to be avolded at such speeds? Faster Speeds Aim. As long as man longs to be at a |certain that if it becomes a law it will place other than for the time being po- sition, men will be working on the means of getting him there faster and faster. Intolerable physical limitations of hu- man travel have ever irked man and set the best brains of civilization to work to devise means of making quicker and ever quicker the travel between two points. the new telephoto, which some believe soon will have an instantaneous phase, may have their uses, but motor travel is concerned with the accomplishment of personal contact, and by reason of the size of the vehicles used, can be made to carry the necessary human ad- | jng automobiles. juncts for the business deal, the pleas- ure party or the emergency, On his visit to Washington before he went to Florida for his trial trips, Maj, s discussing, naturally, auto- ds with a group at a dinner being given for him by the officlals of the contest board of the American Au- tomobile Association. ing American and British cars. | “There are 10 makes of cars in Eng- | {hat thy e ry Tapatied d. sald Maj, Segrave, naming them, | (hay 1Sy, MAKe & death machine out o b “which can do 100 miles an hour or better, ‘There are, I'm sure, not that many in America. ‘The Englishman, moreover, when he feels necessity de- mands, travels 100 mile: hour.” He objected that Am n cars are not being built to make enough speed. Americans Less Speedy. The average motor car driver in this qountry will tell you that even on the qpen Toad, on a long trip, uniess there 15 some great emergency, he does not like to get over the ground at a rate of | speed greater than 40 or 45 miles an | hour. Sometimes it is the ma sometimes the temerity of the driver and ofttimes it is a vigilant motor po- liceman. In some cases it is the manner of building the American car. For the small cars built in this country a mile a min- ute has been generally accepted as the limit and in the larger car field few have been buflt that will perform for the garden variety of driver at better than 80 miles an hour. Of course, the bigger cars will handle nicely at almost any speed up to 100 miles an hour, but there are very few of the big.expensive cars being uilt in this country, in com~ arison With the-enormous -output of Saa]- Begrave thinks th great Maj. ve s eTe are a many improvements to be made with laces upon which to land and|to The telephone, telegraph and ‘ come & menace to all who have occasion He was compar-ijaw required an eye test. :'of Baltimore. It changes the definition row. The aerodynamic experts of the | Nation are busily engaged in the ex- | tensively equipped laboratorles of the | mous strides of the air and motor travel in the last decade. There, under synthetic conditions simulating the actual experiences men will have later, they try out these super- speed machines, they find out the ac- tion of air on materials and men in velocities ug to a thousand miles an hour. As the need arises they will test | greater .velocities, but they figure the questions answered by wind at a thou- sand miles an hour will be all that will be necessary for a long time. That the facilities for such travel will come is_unquestionable, At present Daytona Beach is one of the few, if not the only place, at which such speed can be attempted, hence the long and costly trip of Maj. Segrave from Eng- land to this country for his try-outs, Give 50-Mile Start. But with the manufacture of motor cars at the rate the factories are turn- ing them out now, there is little doubt but that there will be built super roads, roads of width and smoothness that will be capable of allowing a racing driver a 50-mile starting distance, if necessary, as against the 4 miles, which was the maximum_which Maj. Segrave could take at Daytona. The other four of the nine miles of beach stretch were required for Maj. Segrave to stop his machine, States and the Federal Government have been hard put to keep pace with ordinary highways with guantity pro- | duction of motor cars, and there seems still no let-up in the output of auto- mobiles: nay, an increase is noted all albng the line. Taet there will be a general raising elimination of speed limits with the a of the super-highways is gen- erally accepted. Motor experts regard this as a necessity of the not far dis- tant future. The time is not far distant when the 40 or 50 miles an hour, and in some instances 60 or 70 miles an hour—in the absence of the motor cycle police- man—with which motorists on pleasure or business bent are wont to travel over the roads of today will be 100 or 150— with as much safety as the motoring public has come to be satisfled with. Super-Highways to Come. In ten years—maybe flve—Maj. Se- entifically streamlined machine, pre- senting the least resistance possible to the air, but designed to stay tight enough to the road to permit of perfect control, beautifully balanced, and—most of all—capable of speeds far above 100 miles,an_hour, will be traveling over super-highways as smooth as glass, taking their occupants in comfort and safety—a safety that cannot be the air- plané’s for some time to come. When the tire, or substitute therefor, can be built to stand the beating inflict- ed by such speed—then will come the real super-car, the super-highway and super-quick travel between two points. So, Maj. Segrave points out, it may not be such a foolish thing after all for him to squeeze himself into a speed juggernaut absolutely of no value for any immediate utilitarian purpose, take his life in his hands and roar down a speedway at a rate never before at- tained on the surface of the earth by a human. Maj. Segrave belleves he will be able hand to the motor world gifts from his experience that will be of immedi- ate benefit, and data which will form the starting point for research which will make it possible in a comparatively short space-of time for a man to make hitherto ahheard-of speed in trips, long or short. BILL TO REQUIR TEST OF DRIVERS “Thousands of Unfit Hold Opera- tors’ Cards,” Says State Senator Meyers. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, March 16.—Examina- tion of all the drivers of motor vehicles in Maryland holding operators’ cards from the commissioner of motor ve- hicles would reveal “thousands who are disabled and physically unfit to be driving automobiles,” according to Sen- ator John L..Meyers. Senator Meyers said the bill he has introduced in the Legislature providing for annulment after December 1 of all operators’ cards in Maryland issued prior to October 1 was designed to get “disabled drivers off the State high- regard the bill solely as & :afety measure, as & sound step toward pre- venting accidents,” he said, “and feel fulfill this purpose and will indirectly be the means of preventing many accidents, some injuries and even some deaths. “The real purpose of the law which requires applicants for operators’ licenses to submit to a physical exami- nation and to a test of their driving ability is to keep away from the wheels of automobiles persons who would be- to use our streets and State highways. “This purpose is being defeated. Hundreds of persons who were exam- ined as long as 20 or 25 years ago for licenses have developed disablilities which should preclude them from driv- But there is no way the commissioner of motor vehicles can find these drivers until they figure in an accident, except by re-examination and | rfiulsnrnuon of all motor vehicle oper- | ators. hen these persons were examined some years ago their eyesight was all right or they were examined before the But since then their sight has become so impaired they drive, That should be stopped, and that is exactly what my bill provides for.” SECOND-HAND TRADE HIT. Maryland Legislature Considering | Law Defining Automobile Dealer. By a Staff Correspondent of The Star. ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 16.—A blow lat dealers exclusively in second-hand motor vehicles is dealt in a bill intro- duced in the House by Dglegate Michel fof the word “dealer’ in the automobile law and provides that a dealer is one who is actively engaged in the business {of buying, selling or exchanging new motor vehicles and who holds & deale contract from & manufacturer or di: tributor and who has an established place of business. {"The present definition in the law is any individual, firm or corporation a tively engaged in the business of bu ing. selling or exchanging motor ve. hicles and who has an established place of business may engege In trade. i . Automobiles use 85 per cent of the THE SUNDAY STAR, ‘WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH 17, 1929—PART 4% FIVE DISTRICT MEN RENAMED T0 POSTS T. ). Keefe Is Re-elected Gen- eral Manager of American Motorists’ Association. Five Washington residents were re- elected officials of the American Motor- ists’ Association at the annual meeting last week in Philadelphia. Those re-elected from Washington were Thomas J. Keefe, general man- ager; Dr. S. M. Johnson, known as the “Father of Good Roads,” chairman of the good roads board; Daniel S. Ring and Harvey L. Cobb, general counsel, and G. Adams Howard, director of the Greater Washington Motor Club, vice president. Uniformity of traffic regulations, licensing of all automobile operators and the building of secondary highways were declared to be the three major re- quirements of today of the motorists of the United States, according to a poll of motor club officials attending the an- nual convention. Program is Adopted. A comprehensive program, embracing altogether 15 problems of primary im- portance to the motorists of the coun- try, was adopted by the national mo- toring body at the conclusion of its two-day session, which, in addition to the three already named, included wider State highways, by-pass routes diverting through traffic around congested cities, employment of traffic circles, rather than intersections, wherever possible; regional highway planning, abolition of railroad grade crossings where possible, and, where not practical, the installa- tion of mechanical safeguards; placing of traffic bureaus in large cities under competent engineers, universal adoption of the Hoover model traffic code, elim- ination of solid tire vehicles from public highways, highway safety education in all public schools, ultimate acquisition by the public of all major toll bridges, Federal regulation of interstate bus traf- fic and opposition to the fee system of fining motorists for traffic regulations. ‘The legislative program of the asso- ciation for this year, it was' voted, is to be primarily centered upon securing Federal and State financial support of secondary highways which are tribu- taries to main routes of automobile traf- fic. The need for State Legislatures authorizing the establishment of ulti- mate rights of way for highways of a width adequate to meet future traffic necessities was also pointed out. Uniform Code Held Urgent. “Purely from a motorist’s viewpoint one of the most pressing needs, at the present time, is a uniform traffic sys- tem in all cities,” it was declared by J. Borton Weeks, who was unanimously re- elected president of the association. “The most experienced motorist, thor- oughly familiar with traffic signals in his own city, is almost invariably in a quandary when he motors through an- other city, and especlally so in making right and left hand turns. A uniform rule would save much loss of lives and property.” CITIES INCREASE PAVING TO MEET AUTO TRAFFIC Surfacing of 807 Miles by Centers of Over 100,000 During 1928 Is Reported. American cities are making a de- termined effort to get the upper hand of motor traffic. This was evidenced in a statement by Willlam M. Kenney, general manager, in the cement indus- try. During 1928 the 87 cities with popula- tions over 100,000 together constructed 807 miles of hard-surfaced pavements, he said. “Smaller cities built an addi- tional 900 miles of concerte. These mileages were reckoned on a street width of 30 feet. “Los Angeles again led in concrete pavement construction by laying ap- proximately 160 miles. Second honors were also carried off by the Pacific Coast with Seattle building 75 miles. Chicago made things easier for the motorist by placing 65 miles, St. Louls | reports a new mileage of 40. “Many other citles made noteworth progress. Milwaukee, for Instance, wit! a population of a little more than half | million, built 40 miles of concrete, while Atlantd, Ga, with a quarter million residents, completed 20 miles. Kansas City, Mo., constructed 17 miles during the year and Indianapolis 16 miles.” “Conveniently Located o 14th Street” rubber - production, 350,000 tons an- " nually. 1529 14th St. NW. Dec. 3320 DOWN THE ROAD—Life’s Little Tragedies. THE DEALER COMES UPON THE KIND %, ~ OF ROAD HE HAD PRETENDED TO BE l,/;/{/é/éz//\// . YEARNING FOR TO PROPERLY DEMONSTRATE HIS CAR . —BY BECK 44// s ////;,/ //2_ o~ P TN N 5 'Motoring Abroad | NoLonger Hindered By Laugnages; Inability to speak European lan- guages and unfamiliarity with foreign | currency are no longer bars to motor | travel abroad, according to the foreign | travel division of the American Auto- | mobile Association. | | The national motoring body says that | | “English spoken here” seems to be a by-word in the affiliated units of the | Alliance Internationale de Tourisme abroad and the motorist will have little trouble in making himself undersiood elsewhere. $4,000,000 FOR ROADS URGED IN MARYLAND' | Belt- Line Highway Circling Balti- more Is Included in Sug- | gested Program. Special Dispatch to The St BALTIMORE, March 16.—Completion of the belt line highway circling Balti- | more, at a cost of $800,000, and con- | struction of other roads to make the city more accessible to the rest of the | State are high spots of a $4,000,000 | road-building program just announced by_Gov. Ritchie. Included in the program, the most ambitious since the good roads system | was launched during the Vrothers ad- | ministration, are projects sucn as the widening of the Washington Boulevard, | and_construction of an Eastern Shore boulevard, which have been under dis- | cussion for years. | Of the proceeds from the $4,000,000, | it 1s proposed to allot to Baltimore City | 20 per cent, this being the $800,000 which it Is pianned to spend in comple- | tion of the belt line highway. | On the widening of the Washington Boulevard and kindred projects, it is | proposed to spend $1,160,000. The road would be widened from 20 to 49 feet and two branch roads would be con- | structed, sunning south from Leurel to | relieve cengestion at Hyattsville. One | of these spurs would enter Washington | at_ Sixteenth street northwest, and the | other at Rhode Island avenue northenst. | The only true fest of Performance =~ is Personal Experience . . . Come in foday and - DRIVE THIS CAR Until 1y;otx actually get behind the wheel and drive the 1929 Oldsmobile yourself, you can- notreally knowitsversatility —its steadiness and stamina— its brilliant abilities in every phase of performance. i e bl desipis the 1929 Oldamobile Come in today. Let us place an N Oldsmobile at your disposal. Try its performance. Put it to the severest tests you know. Find out not only what it does, but how it does it. cars. You'll have thrilling speed at your command— easy, effortless speed that is as restful as it is ex- hilarating. You'll discover brisk, smooth getaway to take you into the lead as the signal changes. You'll experience swift, sure acceleration to pass other cars on the road. You'll find a tremendous power reserve to conquer steep hills, deep mud or sand. And Oldsmobile is easy to drive—in traffic or on the Ofen highway. Quick-acting, positive, four- wheel brakes bring you to a smooth, safe stop. You can steer with your finger tips and park without effort, even in small spaces. The easy action of Oldsmobile’s spring-cushioned clutch— the noiseless, effortless gear-shift—the comfortable driving position afi'ordged by its new Fisher ad- gine now develops 62 NEW LOWER PRICE TWO DOOR SEDAN 873 £.0.b. factory, Las 'S Michigan Spave Tire and Bumpers Extra tubes and infender wells with ing device, bum platform, and cr LDSMOBILE PRODUCT or Mt. Pleasant Motor Co. 2424 18th Street N.W. Telephone Columbia 3633 Wisconsin Motor Co. 726 17th Street N.W. Telephone Franklin 1695 G E N E Oldsmobile-Washington Co. 1515 14th Street N.W. Telephone Decatur 5516 North-East Oldsmobile Sales & Service R AL MO TORS 64 H Street N.E. Telephone National 2335 Olds Motor Works, Factory Wholesale Branch, 1515 14th St. N.W. Four 129 PRODUCTION MAY FOLLOW 1927 Bulk of American Cars and Trucks Manufactured in Second Quarter. Apparently 1929 production will fol- low somewhat the same course as was the case with 1927, according to B. H. Cram, president of Cram's Automotive Reports, Inc. In the latter years. 27.5 per cent of the entire year's production of motor vehicles was produced in the first quarter, 33.4 per cent in the second quarter, 24.7 per cent in the third quar- ter and 14.4 per cent in the fourth quar- ter. Assuming that 28 per cent of the total United States motor vehicle pro- duction for 1929 takes place during the first quarter, 34 per cent during the second quarte, 24 per cent during the third quarter and 14 per cent during the final quarter, it is estimated that motor vehicle production for the respective quarters would be 1,247.960 units, 1,515,- 38(‘)| units, 1,069,680 units and 623,980 units. If 4.457,000 passenger cars and trucks are built in the United States during 1929, there is the question as to what market will absorb this number of gars. During the year 1928 507,110 motor ve- hicles produced in the United States were exported to other countries. These exports represented 11.6 per cent of the 4,358,150 motor vehicles produced in this country during that year. The remark- able growth that has taken place in this particular market during recent years is clearly fllustrated by comparing this percentage with the corresponding 3.8 per cent shown for exnorts during the year 1923. Unless there is some eco- nomical or political change in conditions which is not apparent at this time, Cram sees no reason why the United States export of automobiles during 1929 will not be somewhat in excess of the past year. He believes there will be an increase of approximately 5 per cent, which will bring the motor vehicle ex- ]iug;;s up to 532,360 units during the year justable front seat and adjustable steering wheel —all add to driving enjoyment. hydraulic shock absorbers and specially designed springs assure restful riding comfort, even on rough roads. vejoy Oldsmobile’s smooth, t}‘uiet high-compression en- orsepower. All working parts are held within exacting limits of accuracy. Even the piston pins are pressure-lubricated—a feature heretofore characteristic of high-priced And Oldsmobile’s silenced chassis and si- lenced interior prevent noise and vibration. The only true test of performance is personal experience. Take the wheel and make your own performance tests. Match Oldsmobile against “other cars in speed, power, flexibility, and riding comfort. Then you will why owners everywhere praise Oldsmobile performance. now for yourself Special and De Luxe models are also available at slightly higher prices. Special equipment includes two spare tires, rims mounted in fender wells with special holding and locking device, bumpers front and rear, and trunk platform « . . . - DeLuxe equipment includes six wire wheels, tiresand tubes, two wheels mounted cial holding and Jock- front and rear, trunk romium-plated headlamps. Pohanka Service 1122 20th Street N.W. Telephone Decatur 206