The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-05
MOTORCYCLE RACE.
Remarkable Showing OF the Dur.
yea EIorseIcss Carriage,
DESCRIPTION OF TIE, WINNER,
American Inventors Stimulated by the
Chicago contrrt-Ths Lack ofsucCes. OF
the Paris Machine - The Winning
American Carriage the Result OF Threp
Years pGMvsntIvc Effort,

The titty-rour-milc motorcycle race
for prizes offered by the Chicago Times
Herald, It is estimated, will be of great
value in encouraging invention In tho
direction of compact motors, which Rrc
in so great demand, The Times Herald
says;
1.-THE response OF American inventors
To tho offer made by the Times Herald
has never heen equaled In the history
OF mechanical progress, In June OF this
| year perhaps four inventors were at
work on motorcycles which possessed
any features OF practlcabtIty, Since
that tlme 800 applications have been
filed In thu patent office at Washington
on inventions pertaining to this branch
of transportation, Not less than 200
distinct tyres OF motorcycles are now in
process OF construction.
THE STARTERS.
ION the evening before the race clev-
en- competitors declared they would
start, but the next morning when the
motorcycles were sent on their flfty-four
mile run, only six wagons had appeared
ut Jackson Park and midway plat
| sunCe. These We're:
"J-Duryea Motor Wagon Company,
Springfield, Mass. gasoline.
DE In VerEne Rcfrigcrutlng Ma
chine Company, New York, gasoline,
'lS-Morrls & Salon, Philadelphia,
electric,
'l9-M, Mueller & Co., Decatur, H.,
gasoline
99-R. II. Macy Company, New York,
gasoline,
"25-sturges Electric Motorcycle, Chi
cage. electric
"The owners OF the electric wagons
did not start out with the idea OF WIN
ming the race They were unable to ar
range for supply stations ut different
| places along the route and consequent
ly could not set enough power to run
over the route TO Evanston and back.
| But they Intended to show that their
electric wagons could travel under all
conditions as well rs the gasoline motor
machines, and they considered their
test proved the practicability OF cleo
| trlcity for horseless carriages.
THE three wagons which distanced
NIL competltors-the Durycn, Mueller
and the Macy-were all OF German
| make, with some American improves
ments. They carried improved Benz
motors, the Mueller wagon being Inn
| ported direct from Mannheim, Germa-
ny. The De Ia NcrGne wagon, which
won the first prize In the Paris. Ror'
deauN race last June, also carried a
Benz motor but this failed to drive tho
vehicle through the deep snow ut u
satisfactory rate, and 1t dropped out OF
the race early"
STORY OF DURYEA WAGON.
As already stated, the Duryca wagon
won. The following lS the story OF the
Duryea's trip from Chicago to Evans
ton and back, MS told by a. W, White.
its umpire.
I'VE left the barn at T:15 n. m. and
went with our own power to the start
ing point. At S:lj the start was made
and we ran without stop to the corner
OF Erie and Rush streets Here we
broke our steering gear by running
over high crossing covered with snow
| A walt Of iifty-ilve minutes ensued'
From this point we ran to Evanston
without n stop. arriving there at 1885
O'Clock. on the return we were delay
cd Four minutes In Chicago avenue,
Evanston, By q sleigh that was tipped
over In the street. Continuing we got
| into the wrong rond on account OF the
absence OF a sign at the corner Of Law
renee avenue and Clark street. We ran
| down Clark to Diyerssy street before
| discovering our mistake. Then we
went UP Diversey to Lincoln avenue
| and on Lincoln avenue TO Roscoe street
whore We resumed the correct route
! estimate the extra distance traverscd
| at two miles, approximate. While on
Dlversgy near Clark we broke our
'spurker,' and spent flfty-hve minutes
repairing IT, At $40 we resumed our
Journey,
I'VE were delayed fifteen minutes at
! Drake avenue and Central Park boule-
| ward 10 adjust the machinery and to
| take iucl. Another delay Of four min
utcs occurred nt the Fort Wayne cross
! ing OF Fifty-hfth boulevard. The de-
| lay ut the second relay was ten min
utcs. Numerous slight delays OF Il
minute or so have not mentioned.
Three aud One-half gallons OF eaao-
| line and nineteen gallons OF water were
consumed. No power outside the ychl-
| Gle was used. | estimate that enough
| power WAS uscd TO run the motor over
1870 miles OF smooth roads. We finished
ut 7:lS aud ran bncl, to Sixteenth
street with our own power. our cor
rccted time was seven hours and Nifty
three minutes"
DESCRIPTION OF THE DURYEA.
The carriage which led in the race IL
the result OF three years inventive
effort on the part OF Charles Il. Dur
yea, OF Peoria. III. II weighs 700 pounds
and can attain n speed OF twenty miles
an hour. on good roads It has already
reached even a higher rate Of speed.
Its motor IL n four-horse power engine
and weighs 100 pounds The diameter
OF the front wheels Is n inches; OF the
rear wheels 81 Inches. Only five min
utea ls required In replcnishing its fuel
supply. The Arrangement OF the gear
lnK is such that the carriage can be
made to run from three to sixteen miles
on hour aud the graduation from the
| maximum to the minimum degree Of
rotation Ia accomplished without the
motor changing ita rate OF speed, the
prqgslng OF button affecting this OBJ
Jet.
The nxlctrces OF the carriage are fixed
| TO the body, dividing at the ends into
vertical forlIn. into which are fitted
| pieces like ordinary carriage hubs In
| shape. which hold the nxlc. Bolts run
| through these pieces, and n connecting
rod OF iron, extending back Of the axle
tree aud Joined ut the centre OF the
wngon with the ntcCring device, makes
the separately BwunE wheels work to-
gothGr.
Thc lateral movement Of tho lover
turns tho Wheels nnd the vertical
movement Ftnrts or stops, changes tho
rntr OF speed and rcvCrgca Its move
mcntg, driving II backward when de-
sired. hall Joints ana bnll bearings
,nI,tpty, All pffOrl mud friction and