Evening Star Newspaper, August 24, 1930, Page 49

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. N old automobile book, pub- lished in the interests of motordom for the year 1801, was found the other day, and although valuable only as an antique, proves rather fascinating reading for those who would dwell again in the days of yore. ‘This book, published when au- tomobiles were in their infancy, and one of the first books of its kind, contains a fount of infor- mation. It seems hard to believe that there was much information to be learned in those days, but that was not the case. The book | contained 238 pages, with less than 20 devoted to advertising, and how interesting those old ad- vertisements were, t0o. How could those old cars run, whose peculiar lines are so cu- riously pictured in pen and inkl drawings. But they did run, and| only recently a race of various| makes of the old timers was staged abroad, and the shouts of the spectators could not drown out the noise of the motors. A Little Information. In this old book is found the care of automobiles, road condi- tions, setvice stations, ferry sched- ules, hotel lists, population of cities, ra®ing rules, road laws, routes, what to do in case of ac- cidents, signs of weather, and a host of scientific information, in- cluding center of gravity, compo- | sition of petroleum, expansion of metals, experiments in mud and snow and one hundred and one other things. Oh, yes, a calendar also was included. The preface of the book, giving as a reason for its existence, was as follows: “During the past few years the development of the automobile has been very rapid. All types of motor vehicles have been gregtly improved, and the advancement in the manufacture - has been very great toward mechanical perfection and in production. Cor- responding to the growth in pro- duction and perfection. has been a very large increase of users. The manufacture of automobiles suitable for any use, from park rides to the longest tours, has been met by public acceptance of them for such usages. While the use of automobiles has kept pace with '.he}‘ manufacture, the increase in facilities for convenient tour- ing has not been proportionate to the increase in actual use. Ex- oe&t in the large cities but little attention has been paid to offering automobilists the services and supplies necessary to convenient touring.” Under a chapter headed “Road Ordinances,” rules and regula- tions for the District of Colum- bia, although few in number, are listed. They are signed by the three 'Commissioners, dated No- vember 6, 1899, and secretary, who were, respectively, John B. Wight, John W. Ross and Lansing H. Beach, and W. Tindall. Regulations of 1901. Here they are: “Ordered, that the Board of Examiners of Steam Engineers is hereby directed to examine such candidates as may present them- selves for examination for running automobiles, locomobiles, or any other vehicle propelled by steam on the streets or roads of the Dis- trict of Columbia; that the board is hereby directed to make such examination of candidates as re- lates to the operating of the en- gines of those vehicles, and upon a satisfactory examination ‘being passed, shall issue to them a li- cense to the effect that the per- son named in the certificate is competent to operate the boiler and engine of such vehicle; that the fee for this service shall be $3, the same-as in other cases; that all boilers on these vehicles shall be submitted to the annual in- spection of the inspector of boilers.” Dated under December 14, 1899, is the following: “Ordered, that section 28 of ar- ticle 10 of the police regulations of .the District of Columbia is hereby amended by adding after the word bicycle in the first line thereof, the following words, ‘or other horseless vehicle,” so that the section shall read as follows: Sec- tion 28. No bicycle or other horse- less vehicle shall be propelled across the intersecting streets on which there are car tracks, in the City of Washington, at a greater rate of speed than 6 miles an -hour, nor at a greater rate of speed between intersecting streets and avenues or cross streets on which there are no car lines than 12 miles an hour, nor at a greater rate of speed on any public street or roadway outside of said city than 15 miles an hour. Every bicycle in motion on a public highway shall be at all times under the control of the rider. Inasmuch as safety in passing vehicles with rapidly moving vehicles requires that the riders or drivers approaching each other shall each be able to judge of the probable movement of the approaching vehicle, no bicycle shall be ridden on the streets within the city limits with the lower end of the handle bars on a plane lower than four inches be- low the top of the saddle at its center, and the rider shall at all times keep his head in such a po- sition as to command a view ahead of not less than 300 feet. ‘This provision shall not be appli- cable to members of the bicycle squad of the police force.” Then, under the date of Janu-| ary 31, 1900, the following was written: Licenses Required. “Ordered, that Section 28, ar- ticle 10. of the police regulations, is hereby amended by adding thereto, the following: ‘Any per- son who shall operate in the Dis- trict of Columbia any vehicle Delivered In Washington During July Was a New Rmpelled by steam, without first aving obtained a license to do so from the Board of Examiners of Steam Engineers of the said District, shall, upon conviction thereof in the Police Court of said District, be fined not less than $1 nor more than $40 for each such offense; provided, that this sec- tion shall not apply to railroad en- gineers in charge of engines upon the tracks of the steam railroads in said District.’” Quite a contrast with the many regulations now propounded. A paragraph in the book states that weather clear or cloudy, a rose sky at sunset presages fine weather; a red sky in the morn- ing, bad weather, or much wind, perhaps rain; a gray sky in the morning, fine weather; a high dawn, a wind; a low dawn, fair weather. The population of Washington is placed at 278,718. The follow- ing hoteleries and their managers were listed as: Arlington, T. E. Roessle; Cham- berlin’s, Chamberlin & Co.; Eb- bitt House, H. C. Burch; St. James | Hotel, Levi Woodbury; Cairo, T. F. Schneider; Gordon, James F. Keenan; Raleigh, T. J. Taltz, and Shoreham, J. T. Devine. A few routes around the Na- tional Capital were listed as: Old Routes Described. “Washington to Cabin John. Ten and three-quarter miles. Condition of road very good. De- scription. Leaving Capitol, going northwest to Georgetown, 3 miles, streets asphalted. Through Georgetown take road west past reservoir on left hand and the Palisades on the Potomac on the right (obviously there was a mis- take there), following road on hill parallel to river through Little Falls and Glen Echo Heights to Cabin John Bridge and thence to Cabin John by the Conduit road, 7% or 103; miles.” “Washington to Rockville. Six- teen and three-quarter miles. Condition of the road very good, good and fair. Description. Go- ing north from Capitol, keering reservoir and Petworth on right, to Brightwood, 5 miles. Thence on the Seventh Street road through Silver Spring to Sligo, taking the Washington and Brookeville turnpike to left at Leesboro, 5% miles. Again taking Rockville road to the left, crossing Rock Creek, half way to Rockville, 6% miles up grade, rather hilly from Leesboro to Rockville.” “Washington to Laurel. Twen- ty-seven miles. Condition of road very good, good and fair. Description. Going northeast from Capitol through Kendall Green and Ivy City, over the Bladens- burg turnpike, past Winthrop Heights, Woodridge and Brook- land on the left to Wilson Heights and Hyattsville, 6 miles. Thence along the Washington and Balti- more turnpike, keeping College Park to the right, to Beltsville, crossing the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad tracks and up to Vans- ville, 7% miles. Following the straight turnpike to Contee, where it again crosses the Baltimore & Ohilo tracks and on to Laurel, 51, miles.” A bit confusing, but then one had more time than now. Receives Legal Status. A detailed story on the legal opinion of the automobile ren- dered around 1901 by Judge Suth- erland of New York State, brings to a close the book’s news and in- formation. In brief, the court ruled that the motor vehicles had a right on the streets, and that the owner or operator is not re- sponsible for damages which S THE SUNDAY cor STAR, DOWN THE ROAD—Anxious Moments, MILADY’S MOTORING BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. ‘The lady who enjoys taking demon- strations in every new model says she's well versed in “free wheeling.” When asked what her greatest diffi- culty was in learning to drive, a woman who recently joined the growing ranks of femininity a-wheel replied: ‘“Over- coming my instructor’s oversight.” She explained that whenever she took the wheel for a lesson the engine was warmed up. After she had “gradu- ated” she found to her aston ent that she was almost completely in ignorance of how to start a cold engine properly. A California automobile dealer annu- ally sells $165,000 worth of Cars to women. All contacts are made by telephone, and salesmen never go ahead with the story unless the woman on the other end of the wire sounds as if she is in the mood for talking. A “rich, well modulated voice” is the salesman's special stock in this new trade, fash- ioned for the era in which woman fig- ures so conspicuously. Some women start.down a hill at 30 and then try to slow down and shift to starting the hill slowly seldom occurs to most people. It's all right to want to know what caused the trouble with your car, as that is not only good business but a means of preventing a repetition of the difficulties. But don't thir’: the service station is withholding information if no detailed explanation (otmm;:n Under such circumstances there L3 strong temptation to suspect that the|Sat organization doesn’t want the cause of the trouble to be known, as it might reflect upon the product. Give the dealer the benefit of the doubt. When women have had a few more years of experien : as owners they, too, will learn that many troubles “fust happen” without rhyme or reason. In a recent picture prize contest the public was asked to suggest a suitable title for the scene of a seasoned at- tendant at a fllling station falling in love with an-old maid in a tin Lizzle of ancient vintage. Some one with evi- dent experience labeled the picture “Spring Shackles.” A change in the behavior of the car t00| on the highway makes it important to gel Others go down steadily at 25 or 30 in second gear. More experienced drivers start the decline at 5 miles an hour, keep in high, and, with the en- gine's compression to check speed, never exceed 30 on the descent. Somehow — might result from fright caused to horses, unless there be contribu- tory negligence. An advertisement of the Eisen- huth Horseless Vehicle Co., with factory in Middletown, Conn., de- clares that it is the largest auto- mobile factory in the world. But overtime slrklng tickets exist in the world of today, and 80 ;hh story of the old days must end. pay more attention to packing the grips for a trip. It used to be that if luggage was carried standing with handles up in the usual manner the clothing would be shaken out of position because of the bouncing of the car over the road. That led to the plan of carrying I flat on a carrier. Now many who follow this plan find clothing musses because it shifts position with the sudden ac- celeration and stopping of the car. Difficulties can be avoided in either Clleerbvidzd the grips are tightly packed. Where tight packing is not possible, however, the grips are more considerate of the contents if carried on end in the older manner. Arguments while motoring are far too common for the safety of those who drive and ride. I once knew a couple who could discuss family affairs heat- CHRYSLER H. Ezecutive Offices and Service 1612-22 U St. N.W. FORD Salesrooms-—1612-22 You St, TOWEST PRICED All prices f. o. b. fa~tory B. DISTRIBUTORS OTHER DEALERS Clarence Dysa Economy G Kavan: WD i " N ISR DY (RN Leary, Jr., & Bro. 4 Al . Cbrysier Eight Roadster, $1495 (wire wheels extre) EIGHTS »» SIXES Greatest Performance in Every Price Field $ 79 5 Chrysler Six, Chrysler 66" and “70” . UP TO $ 1 295 $1495 The New Chrysler Esght -, ., . UP TO$1665 $249 5 The New Chrysler Imperial Eight . w0 32895 Used Car Salesrooms 1321-23 14th St. N.W. N.W. and 10th and H Sts. N.E. ——— Skinker Motor Co., 1216 20th St. N.W. s 363 WASHINGTON, D. C, AUGUST 24, 1930—PART FOUR. —By FRANK BECK I FOR AT, LEAST SIX _ MONTHS.” LS edly and with complete safety. But there was a chauffeur at the wheel. Recently I gave a brief word picture of the way raw fuel is broken up into por in the vital unit known as the It wight be helpful to the woman driver, therefore, to follow this gas, as the actual work of driving the pistons. It is odd acting stuff, this gas. When a portion of it ignites, the unfired part is compressed by the expansion of the flame and the pressure behind it. produces a fuel knock which has been technically labeled ‘“detonation.” The purpose of anti-knock fuel is to retard this self-compression action of the gas. ‘When a lot of carbon collects in the 8| cylinders, there is-less space for the to occupy when compressed. This naturally raises compression. A gas that would not ordinarily knock with a clean engine thus becomes troublesome in proportion to the amount of carbon. Anti-knock gases also take care of this, since they are designed to function in an environment of higher compression. Ordinary gas will knock if carbon particles get hot and ignite the fuel prematurely. Even a hot engine will do this. Still another cause of pre- ignition of the gas vapor is having the spark timed to oecur too soon. Re- tarding the (g-rk always checks the knock, but when this reduces power the engine either should be cleaned out or fed the kind of gas that will weather these obstacles. g of hot engines ‘providing ignition, reminds me of the case of a woman who was quite alarmed when the motor kept on run- ning after switching off the ignition at the top of a long, steep hill. The over- heated spark plugs, carbon deposits and valves simply ignited the gas and kept the engine running for a few seconds, independent of the regular ignition. (Copyright, 1930, by the Russel Service.) MAP OFFEREb MOTORISTS Guide to New York State Parks May Be Obtained. ALBANY, N. Y.—Automobilists plan- ning to visit New York State may write the State Council of Parks, Albany, N. Y, or at 302 Broadway, New York City, for a new booklet, issued by the council, and which is primarily a guide to the State parks, although containing road maps and pictures of New York State's scenery. ‘The booklet is of a size that fits the pocket, and serves to answer the ques- tion as to where the various parks are located, how they may be reached, and what may be expected in the way of camping and recreational facilities. The book has attractively printed in dark green and is profusely illustrated. Capitalization of all national banks after 65 years, $3,439,600.000. Wholesale value of annual production of cars and trucks, $3,483,900,000. The bantam Austin!. , . winner of more than five hundred cups and medals. . . brings to America a.new conception of smart economical transportation. A new beauty of compact design ... the easy comfort ;rou are used to in cars of larger stature. ..a car that will do fifty miles an hour on the straightaway . . . forty miles on a gallon of gasoline. Less than three quarters of a cent a mile Dellinger Bros. Bailey Wihchester, V L and Price uray, Va, Associate TRAFFIC POLICE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY MOTORISTS Technical Writer Suggcsts That Cops Be _Givena Chance During August, Regard- ed as Their “Toughest Month.” BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW, Automobile Technical Adviser. ‘The month of August probably rep- Tesents to the traffic cop the toughest part of the year as far as his e 1- ence is concerned. Certainly all re- ports seem to indicate that more peo- |and ple are on our American highways dur- ing this month than at any other period of the year. More people are on vaca- tion during August than at any other time, and this in itself means endless motor tours and consequently endless ll&lv"y on the part of the traffic po- men, Principal Business. The principal business of most traffic officers is to help keep the flow of traffic going smoothly. He is emflloyed in behalf of the motoring public “so that their touring experiences may be facilitated as much as possible. The motorist who takes the attitude toward the traffic officer that he is on the job to make things more difficult has an erroneous point of view, for quite the opposite is in accordance with It would be difficult to conceive the tangle into which automobiles ev- erywhere would be involved were it not for the important work of the traffic officers. Every motorist can feel grate- ful that these officers are on the job, and every motorist should find satisfac- tion in the efficiency with which most 'fr.fl;: is handled by those responsible or it. “Smart Alecks” Reproved. The only person who needs to have any antagonism respecting traffic offi- cials are those who are unwilling to co-operate themselves in maintaining the best possible flow of automotive transportation, These are the smart Alecks who have to go beyond all com- mon sense in the speed with which they travel; who have to get out of line to pass other cars when such getting out of line is dangerous. These are the boys who cause most of the accidents, and 1t is well for the safety of people in general that trafic officers are avail- able to check their indiscretions. The primary function of the traffic officer is to protect the life of citizens, whether pedestrians or motorists. He is also interested in protecting prop- erty, but this is comparatively a sec- ondary consideration. The strain of this responsibility is tremendous, con- sequently if a traffic officer after stren- uous hours at directing traffic seems to be rather emphatic in his statements to those appearing to be violating the rules, such conciseness can be ly overlooked. Assumption of Directors. ‘These directors of traffic ordinarily operate on the assumption that most motorists expect to obey the law, and that when minor violations are made they are made hiv. people who are igno- rant of the regulations in effect. is difficult for every motorist to know all the regulations of the different ), cities and country through which he is likely to go when on tour. The rul and regulations in one village may be quite different from those in the next, and the laws of one State may make one thing a violation of the rules, whereas in another no violation would be made. To require the necessary technique is no small undertak: for the traffic officer. For instance, he is supposed to know by looking at a passing. truck whether or not it is probably over- Joaded and if so to estimate the proba- Blackwell Motor Co. Alexandria, V: bility of acciden? and under what eir- the | automobile over a long run. cumstances such accident® would be likely to occur. He much be able to ob- serve the automobile lights so .as to know if they are functioning according to law. He has to exercise good judg- ment as to handling violators and ‘whom to let off with a good stiff lecture whom to arrest. He must be familiar with the meth- ods used by people who make a spe- cialty of stealing automobiles. He must be on the alert to detect any strange actions in automobiles which are pass- ing. He must be especially alert to ob- serve what is going on in automobiles which are driven up in front of banks or other places where r might be l?mu!ly expected to concentrate their efforts. Work Facilitated. The Introduction of traffic lights not only in cities but in heavily crowded country highways has greatly facilitated the work of the motor cop It has been found that these lights, while to some they up})ur to halt trafic unduly, in reality facilitate the operating of an ‘These lights greatly reduce the chances of ac- cident and give everybody a fair chance to rroceed in safety. Drivers should be willing to abide by the regulations vlglelgl these traffic lights bring into effect. The special qualifications of & trafic officer are said to be foresight, courtesy and knowledge. Of course, he must have many other qualities as well, in- clu alertness and good judgment— lity to respect the rights of others as well as to respect the rights of the law. It should be kept in mind that the traffic officer is in constant danger of his own life, and that it is only through the co-operation of motorists that he is likely to survive. It is & tribute to this co-operation that the in- juries to motor cops have been so few. However, as the traffic continues to in- crease it becomes necessary for autoe mobile drivers to co-operate even more ful than heretofore, and give the }.rb c officer a real chance to do his job. PRI REPORT PUBLISHED “Waysand Means to Traffic Safety” Completed. The National Conference on Street and Highway Safety announces the publication of Ways and Means to Traffic Safety, the report of its third national conference held in Washing- ton May 27-28-29, 1930. The report, which contains many recommendations for trafic improve- ment, embodies the consolidated’ re- sults of the work of three national conferences (1924-1926-1930) and their committees. It deals wil uniform traffic regulations, enforcement of traf- fic laws and regulations, education of highway users, traffic accident records, les | construction and maintenance of motor vehicles and street and highway traffic facilities. may be obtained at 1615 H streel Two Ways of Viewing It. From the Wheel. hl;.ly—!o you are to be operated on, el Jay—Yes, Doc said he wants to take out my Ap&endlx, but I think what he xlym to get out of me is & new pays for gas, oil and tires. As a second car itsavesits cost by saving expensive operating charges and depreciation on your larger car. Yet it is far easier to drive in traffic, to park in crowded spaces. It spares your time and temper. . . and your pocketbook. Come and see this epigram of motor cap smartness; put it through its paces; learn its story. It is waiting for you at our showroom. Z He AMERICAN Distributors GARRETT MOTOR CO. Inc. 1835 14th St. N.W. North 1761 Dealers Warrenton, Va. ¥ Garrett Motor Co. Carpenter Motor Co. Madison, Va.