Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1929, Page 61

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. ITH street-widening pro- glms almost hopelessly the ruck in the race with the vast production schedules of the motor factories of the Nation, the results of this con- dition are strikingly presented the gubllc in the statistics just issued )y the Census Bureau of the De- partment of Commerce, showing an increase of 9 per cent in the automobile death rate in the year ending September 7 as against the rate for the year ending Sep- tember 8, 1928, in 78 leading cities of the country. With the cities of the Nation al- most hopelessly lost in their ef- forts to absorb the tremendous output of the motor manufac- turers and no let up or saturation int in sight, the indications are hat the year to come will see an even greater increase in the auto- mobile death rate. The Jargest four-week death toll for the past year, according to the Census Bureau figures, was for the week ending December 29, 1928, and presents a picture of forlorn homes in sorrow at the most festive season of the year. A total of 771 persons lost their lives in that gay month of Decem- ber last year principally because |t the cities they lived in did not have adequate facilities for safe and sane travel of the motor pop- ulation. Regulation piles upon regula- tion as the traffic officials of the population centers of the country strive to cope with the situations, but they admit, unanimously, that their problem would be greatly simplified, and the reguiation books would be vastly deleted if the cities caught the pace of the automobile makers and absorbed their output with wider, safer streets and city approach high- ways. Death Toll for Year. The total deaths for the year Just reported were 8,074, against a total of 7,348 in the year just preceding it. For the past year the death rate was 24.5 persons per 100,000 population, against 22.4 in the year preceding. Practically all these deaths oc- curred within the city limits of the cities reporting, although some of the accidents which re- sulted in fatalities were outside, but near the corporate limits. Here, however, there was a dis- tinct downward trend in the au- tomobile deaths, as against the year preceding. In the city in the past year there were 14.7 deaths per 100,000 population, far below the general average of the coun- try, against 16.2 per 100,000 popu- lation in the year preceding, a figure also well below the average for the country. Washington has a greater proportion of wide streets than scores of cities, and there- fore presents a good example of the need for thoroughfares capable of handling the heavy flows of traffic safely. These figures, however, are for deaths within the city only. Add the deaths occurring outside the city, but credited to the city in the Census Bureau figures, and the 'total death rate per 100,000 for the past year becomes 21.1, and for the year preceding 22.6, not so well below the total average for the country. The addition of the nearby death figures to the city’s total is in a large measure, although not altogether, explained by the bot- tle-neck highway approaches which take a tremendous toll of liizles every year just outside the cities. Majority “Unavoidable.” While the figures are not avail- able, it is assumed, on the basis of past statistical reports, ‘that a great majority of the accidents which took lives in and about the reporting cities, and particularly in and about Washington, were what the traffic officials have come to regard as “unavoidable” accidents. That is, they are ac- cidents where no criminal pro- cedure can be taken, and where the drivers of the cars involved are not at fault. In only about 5 per cent of the fatal accidents of the District are convictions of a_criminal character obtained. This holds true to practically the same extent in the other cities of the country. Of great interest to the motor- ists of the country in this connec- tion is the bill just introduced in the House by Representative Wil- liam P. Holaday, Republican, of Tllinois, calling for construction by the Federal Government of a gigantic network of hard-surface roadways stretching seven ribbons of smooth highways from the At- lantic Coast to the principal cen- ters of the Pacific Coast. at a_cost estimated at $3,000,000,000. Rep- resentative Holaday announces he will press the bill for passage at the next session cf Congress. The Holaday road-building program would supnlant the present svstem of Federal highway aid. admin- istered by the Department of Agri- culture. Under the Illinois Repre- sentative’s plan, it would be financed by Federal taxes on auto- mobiles and gasoline. “Present Program Inadequate.” Representative Holaday says: “The present Federal aid program, under which $75,000,000 is appro- priated by the Federal Govern- ment is no longer adequate to meet the demand for better roads. “No one questions the import- ance of direct roads linking the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. “But the present Federal aid system does not go far enough to- ward establishment of such high- ways. The Federal Government should handle the whole problem of transcontinental highways, running across the country in di- rect routes from populous centers of the East to the West, and from the North to the South.” Holaday's bill calls for a mighty checkerboarding of the country with highways, with nine running from the Canadian border to the Guif and the Mexican border, and a corresponding number crossing the country laterally. His plan is to utilize the exist- ing links which would be found for such roadways. Provision also is made for establishment of avia- tion fields along the principal transcontinental and border-to- border highways, with facilities for exchange of air mail. His bill also takes into consideration the military road needs of the coun- ry. Congestion on the principal highways during the 1929 touring season, was greater than ever be- fore, the American Automobile As- sociation reports. The association’s statement is based on preliminary reports of touring conditions sub- mitted by affiliated A. A. A. motor clubs throughout the United States and Canada. “As regards congestion,” said Thomas P. Henry, president of the national motoring body,“ the con- dition encountered during the 1929 touring season was consider- ably worse than that encountered even a year ago, and afforded con- vineing evidence of the need not only for more mileage, but also of the need for the widening of many important highway links.” $1,300,000,000 Not Enough. The A. A. A. executive asserted that the sum of approximately $1,300,000,000 to be expended in 1929 by the State and local gov- ernments on road building would still leave the country confronted with a situation where the car manufacturers and car owners are crowding the road builders and the driving “floor space” is rela- | tively contracting from year to year. “Congestion as a major disease of highway travel,” he said, “has reached its most virulent form at the bottle necks leading into and out of cities. More attention must be immediately paid to the con- struction of bypaths around metropolitan areas and it would he well if all States were to launch a program similar to that of | Illinois for the widening of ap- | proaches to areas of dense popu- |1ation. Mr. Henry cited other unfavor- | able factors in the touring situa- | tion as follows: Failure of cities to mark through highways; failure of cities to mark streets cleargl. and particularly the streets lead- ing to through highways; the com- plete lack of uniformity through- | out cities and towns of the coun- try as regards the placement and operation of traffic lights; the multiplication of such lights in a host of small communities where they are not needed and the un- necessary delays they cause; and the prevalence on the highway of the “buggy rider.” “We are confronted” he con- cluded, “with a new form of reck- less driving. I refer to the so- called buggy rider who enters a heavy traffic stream with a delapi- dated machine, making 20 miles an hour, damming the entire stream and compelling other cars to pass him in a way that invites serious accidents. Our road pa- trols .recently counted several of these on one mile of highways be- tween Portsmouth, N. H., and Port- land, Me., where the traffic stream was 104 cars to the mile, or one car to every 50 feet of roadway. “The motorists are not going to tolerate this situation. The solu- tion lies in two directions. More States will inevitably follow the lead of those States that have al- ready taken steps to keep junk cars off the road and, at the same time, we may expect accelleration of the movement in favor of min- imum speeds instead of a max- imum speed on some main thor- oughfares.” éHORTER ROAD PLANNED. Washington - Shenandoah Valley Route Will Be Improved. Special Dispatch to The Star. ‘WINCHESTER, Va., September 21.— Construction of a road between Round Hill and Purcellville, Loudoun County, on State route No. 54, for which a con- tract has been let by the State Highway Commission, will provide a new and shorter route between Washington and the Shenandoah Valley, it was learned today. The road will lead through Winchester to Berryville, Bluemont, Round Hill, Purcellville, Hamilton, Lees- burg, Dranesville and Tysons Corner. From Leesburg into Washington the distance is shortened about 12 miles. “All of route No. 54 has been taken into the State system for maintenance. FANS UNNEEDED TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED, EXPERT SAYS “It is a fact that a racing automobile probably would burn up if a fan were installed in it, and that a car driven on the n road at 35 to 40 miles per hour doelqggt need a fan,” said Prof. Vincent C. George of the University of Cali- fornia at & meeting of the Northern California section of the Society of Automotive Engineers. “The numerous types of fans used in automobiles are placed in various posi- tions, the blades are of varied shapes, the number of blades is variable and so is the fan speed in proportion to the en- gine . The problem, therefore, is to design a fan which will best suit the needs of the individual automobile. “Automobiles need no fan when they are traveling at fairly high rates of speed, due to head winds. They need air ‘when they are under a heavy pull and at a fairly low rate of speed. I wer is al by the fan, because e head wind is so great it rushes in and probably helps to drive the fan. “For the average automobile, it seems that & fan having four blades set at an 8] bile, unless the car has a very large radiator and no dependence is” placed upon the fan for cooling. “Wind-tunnel tests made on two, three, four, six and eight blade fans 18 inches in diameter gave best results with flat blades. The eight-bladed fan delivers less air per blade than does the two-bladed fan, but about twice as great a volume. An interesting fact is that the slower the fan runs, the greater is the quantity of air delivered per horse- wer required per blade to drive the fan, and the smaller the angle of the blade, the greater is the quantity of air per horsepower per blade. Less air is delivered by the curved type of blade than by the straight flat type. ; “When the fan blade angle is from 35 to 40 degrees, the engine block behind the fan reduces the back flow of air to the rear of the fan and forces all the flfln. t | air that the fan handles to enter from doubttul if, at 60 miles per hour, any | the front. “The fan should be set as close to radiator as possible. The blades d be set at an angle to deliver the quan- tity of air necessary for m“‘u cool- der the varying tions that THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., DOWN THE ROAD—Rides You’ll Never Forget. PICKED UP IN A SPEAKEASY " RAID. TCHFTTER 1999 by Pk H. Besk™Yradi Mok, REFU. 8 PRLORY BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. ‘The modern version of “She Stoops to Congquer” is the picture of the woman motorist getting out to change a tire. Once you have dropped into second on a hill, or if you are starting uphill in low and then shift to second, do not attempt to shift into high. Only expert drivers can do this without losing so{ much speed during the shift as to strain the engine when getting into high. The acceleration in second nec- essary to bring the car's speed to an appropriate one for high is wasteful and often a trouble breeder. Baked slice of ham, braised sweet po- tatoes and buttered peas. How does that sound for a dinner for six on a motor trip? It's quite possible now that steam cookers can be bought for the car. They attach to the exhaust and func- tion as you ride. Roast beef and chicken dinners with a full line of vegetables are possible with these new devices. Do you ever take into consideration the importance of knowing how much load the car is carrying? The ladies on the rear seat probably will not admit their weight, but you can guess it within safe limits. With a heavy load it is necessary to be more careful going | downhill, using second gear for down- grades which otherwise one would be entirely safe going down in high. The car should approach upgrades at a high speed, and if the economical speed of the car on level ground is 25, let us say, this should be increased a little. In traffic with the heavier load the car should never be started in second and it is best to run a little faster in each of the lower gears before shifting to high. A soclety damsel at a fashionable resort conceived the brilliant idea of writing a motor diary in the memo bool of her new sedan. Every time any- thing interesting happened she jotted it down. This may explain why most of the pages were torn out! Men who value their clothing long ago discovered that a worn spot on the elbow of the left sleeve could be avoided by remembering to turn the sleeve a little before resting the arm on the window sill when driving. The idea may be of some interest to women who want to spare a shiny spot or even & hole in the sleeve of an ensemble or top coat. The hand that rocks the cradle need not rock the car. When you go to stop don’t pull on the hand brake suddenly in such a way as to cause the car to rock backwards and forwards when it has come to a standstill. This sort of thing strains the body and often is cause of one of the body squeaks or rattles that are with you for the life of the car. And speaking of clutches, remember that ordinarily the pedal should be let up gently for a start. If on a hill or when carrying a_heavy load let it up a little faster. Always press it down to the floor quickly ang never ride with your foot poised on the pedal. If the car labors on a hill or starts bucking in traffic don't slip the clutch, Press it to the floor and shift to second gear. So much trouble in learning to drive a car seems to be due to difficulty with the clutch pedal. Many women get the notion that the clutch is a compll- cated device in principle. In reality, it is extremely simple, however compli- cated may be the features that make it strong, easy to operate and reliable. A clutch’ is nothing more than a device M; couple the :l;lflne shaft with the rest of the power drive. Clutches today are of the plate or disc type. Some cars carry & single plate type, others a multiple disc. ‘The point to remember is that by letting the driving plates or discs press tightly against the driven plates we get & coupling. Strong springs hold the clutch plates together in the normal position of the The 4 Days v/ Are Now 7/ Getting So g Much Shorter That You Need a Driving Light In addition to our full line of high-grade accessories, we are distributors for this nationally known driving light. Drive in tomorrow and have us install one on your car. ‘One Square South of Penna. Ave. device. When you press on the pedal you simply work against this spring tension and separate the plates. The plates or discs, of course, have linings on them, or friction rings between them, to absorb the shock of engaging the clutch and to lessen the heat gen- erated by friction. It should be clear from this sketch of the clutch that it is bad business to hold the clutch pedal part way down to the floor so as to slip the plates. What caused it? That is what every woman should ask of the repairman when her car has been in the shop to have trouble eradi- cated. Unless she knows the cause the chances are that this same trouble will develop again. Most car troubles can be traced to mistakes in driving. If the mechanic doesn’t know just where to put his finger on the cause, ask him to explain how he would start the engine, shift the gears, park the car and apply the brakes. It is sur- prising how many simple errors are made with cars. The same rules do not apply to all makes. (Copyright, 1929.) ‘TO THOSE discriminating buyers who look first for smartness, comfort, and enduring high quality in their motor cars, the iden- tification—*'Body by Fisher'’—assures full measure of these things in the new Viking. It can be seen at once that Viking's body is trimly tailored—that all elements of line and color are blended toward fleet appear- ance and dignified character. upholstery fabrics and rich appointments reveal exceptional Windows are of crystal clear genuine plate glass. The windshield is glare-proof and non-shatterable for comfort and security. Many other important features, such as combination wood-and-steel framework . .. slat and bow type roof structure . . . scien- tifically designed steel braces . ..and mul- Northeast Oldsmobile Sales & Service SPARK PLUG TIP. After cleaning spark plugs or install- ing new ones car owners should be sure they are screwed in the cylinders se- curely. A plug insecurely installed will cause leakage. This means that the hot gases eunge between the plug and the cylinder threads, causing the plug to run too hot, resulting in lcss of power. Care in Locking in Garage. Usually, it isn't wise to lock the ignition when leaving the car over- night in a public garage. If the at- tendants have to move it during the night, they may use the starting mechanism to_supply power—and this is worse than bad for the battery. [ Underinflation destroys more tires than any other single factor, according to the unanimous voice of all the ex- gg'u. It's day, to be ready for the week end. SEPTEMBER 22, 1929_—PART #. —BY FRANK BECK wise to test them every| CONGESTION REMOVED. New Cut-off on Annapolis Boule- vard Aids Maryland Traffic. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, September 21.—A check of the traffic situation by the State police revealed that the 1,000-foot cut-off at Glenburnie, on the Annapolis boulevard, has completely removed all' congestjon at the intersection with the Crane highway, according to Capt. Harry C. tler, commanding officer of the State police force. Capt. Butler declared that during the two weeks in which the cut-off has been open traffic jams have not occurred, nor has the traffic been slowed ma- terially at Glenburnie, where two prin- cipal highways to Washington and Southern Maryland intersect. A check showed that, although the volume of traffic has been excessive since the roadway was opened, not a single instance was found where a speed limit of 25 miles per hour could not be maintained. RAPID INCREASE IS SHOWN IN MOTOR CAR INNOVATIONS Cadillac Announcement of 16-Cylinder V-Type Auto This Year Newest Idea of Changes to Meet Public Demand. BY E. Y. WATSON. DETROIT, September 21 (N.ANA.). —New ideas in motor car operation are being brought forward faster than for several years. The newest i3 the Cad- lilac announcement that within the present year there will' be produced, in addition to the present Cadillac and La Salle lines, a 16-cylinder, V-type car. ‘That confirms the prediction early this year with which was linked the statement that still another company, not named, would build a straight-line 12-cylinder power plant to supplement a present series of straight eights. It is now certain that the straight-twelve plan has been discarded, for the pres- ent at least. ‘The Cadillac development represents the most ambitious departure from con- ventional practice the industry has seen for years. As yet no specification details have been divulged other than that the car will be ultra In luxury and price. Four-Speed Transmission. Packard’s adoption of the four-speed transmission signifies more progress in a new direction. Packard is the seventh maker to utilize this principle and the fifth to introduce it within the last two years. Among the other departures have come a transmission from the Reo Co., James V. Martin’s baby automobile, which makes a packing case serve as its garage, and the advent of the English Austin car in the American manufac- turing fleld. In the same category, but of less re- cent introduction, is the use of front drive in the Cord & Ruxton cars. ‘The transmission is a three- speed mechanism with second gear tak- ing on the smooth and silent character- istics of high gear by the use of V- shaped or herringbone teeth in the wheels. It is said that it is possible to keep the engine running in second and get the continued effect of being high, with freedom from sound and back lash, at speeds from 30 to 40 miles an hour. As the engineers explain it, Reo's silent second is made possible because the constant mesh gears and the second gear train are of the herringbone type. Because of the constant mesh there is no _clashing when a shift is made. The only part that moves is a dog clutch which slides to the rear, engag- ing with a main shaft second gear and locking it to the shaft. When the dog clutch moves forward from neutral it locks in high gear in the usual manner. Low gear and reverse are the same as on the conventional transmission. Baby Car Production. Production of the Martin baby car has been the objective of a $45,000,000 deal in progress at Washington, accord- ing to reports. The plan is said to con- template marketing the car through a mail order store chain. In connection with the report, William B. Leeds and the du Pont interests have been men- tioned. The car would sell for $200 at retail. The small car in models of vest- pocket size may be revived within the | next year. This is indicated in the re- ling of small automobiles to fit the spe- cial price and economy reqmremnup:t the European markets. Last January James D. Mooney, head of General Motors export, outlined the necessity for such a car and Tea- sons why it should be smaller and lower priced than any of the American mod- els Tr.xltlw‘w mlrke‘ufil abroad. was followed last week a statement from Alfred P. Blosn,w ”», president of the corporation, giving more reasons and analyzing the condi- tions in European countries which de- mand a different kind of individual transportation unit. ‘While General Motors has this move mapped out, production plans are un- der way at Butler, Pa., to put the Aus- tin Seven, largest seller among English cars, on the market in this country. This car, according to its builders, who have acquired American backing, weighs only 950 pounds, is mounted in a wheel- base of 110 inches and employs a four- cylinder engine of 2.2-inch bore and 3-inch stroke. It is to sell for less than $500. It is described as “the cheapest car in the world to run.” (Copyright, 1929.) o LONG-DISTANCE BUS LINES PROVE WORTH Texas Leads States, With 80 Routes, Covering 12,000 Miles. California Is Second. That long-distance bus service now plays a part of first-class importance in the passenger transportation scheme of America is proved by the fact that 1n | 8bout 700 of these routes of 100 miles or more in length are being operated now over 100,000 miles of highway, as com- pared with 260,000 miles of intercity routes. According to a paper recently presented at a meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers by R. E. Plimp- ton, the leading State in_long-distance routes is Texas, which has about 80 routes on 12,000 miles of highway. California is second, with 30 routes on 6,000 miles of highway. Most of the passengers on such lines complete their trips only after an all- day and all-night ride. On these long routes, service is afforded continuously 24 hours per day and seven days per week, and passengers avail themselves of it to a great extent. Trips of 1,000 miles or more are made by many pas- sengers without any overnight stops. Average operating speeds of such busses vary from 33 miles per hour in North Carolina to 19 1-3 miles per hour for the run between New York and New Haven. There is an even greater va- riety in the matter of fares. These average about 21; cents per mile, being 1.79 cents between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Mo., and 7.15 cents between Ely and Tonopah, Nev. The lowest fare per hour, 44.4 cents, is charged between New York and Philadelphia, and the | ported plans of General Motors to pro. | duce from its Opel plant in Germany "Body by Fisher” Adds Stle and Comffort to the Luxury of Viking 90° V-Eight Performance Lustrous luxury and comfort. 64 H Street N.E. Telephone National 2335 Murphy Motor Co. 226 Carroll St. Takoma Park, D. C. Telephone Georgia 3782 COMPANTION Wisconsin Motor Co. 726 17th Street N.W. Telephone Metropolitan 4314 Oldsmobile-Washington Co. tiple spring seat-cushion and seat-back con- struction .are hidden beneath the surface. These hidden features are responsible, to a very large degree, for the strength, silence, and long life of Viking’s body. The marvelous performance of Viking's 90- degree V-type engine adds the master touch of fine car luxury. For the 90-degree V-type eight-cylinder principle, famous every- where for smoothness, quietness, and per- fection of performance, reaches a high stage of development in Viking. VIKING OL DS MOBILHE 1515 14th Street N.W. Telephone Decatur 5516 C AR hlghhest. $1.661%, between Ely and Tono- pah. This new Viking will fit your conception of what a fine automobile should be. Come in today . . . examine this car and drive it. Test its easy handling and thoroughbred performance . . . enjoy the luxury of riding in its beautiful Fisher Body. Viking will " 4 v Rl e T'® Chevy Chase Motors 6701 Wis. Ave. Chevy Chase, Md. Telephone Wisconsin 2493 Olds Motor Works Factory Zone Office, 1515 14th St. N.W. k3 o R A L M tell you its own story of matchless value. 1595 £.0.b. factory, Lansing, Michigan. Bpare Tire ad “Bumpers Extra. Consider the delivered price as well as the list price when v v « + Viking delivered prices for delivery and Pohanka Service 1126 20th Street N.W. Telephone Decatur 0206 o ¢ 4