Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-03
Winner of the Motorcycle Race.

-s%==s------==- a y.
Winner of the Motorcycle Race.
ticability. Since that time 500 applications
have been filed in the patent office at Wash
ington on inventions pertaining to this
branch of transportation. Not less than go
distinct types of motorcycles are now in pro-
cess of construction. .
The Starters.
"On the evening before the race eleven
competitors declared they would start. but
the next morning when the motorcycles were
Gent on their fifty-four-mile run only six
wagons had appeared at Jackson Park and
midway plaisance. These were:
% Duryea Motor Wagon Company,
Springfield, Mass, gasoline.
I-De la Fergne Refrigerating Machine
Company, New York, gasoline.
'1S-Morris & Salon, Philadelphia, cleo
trio.
i'm. Mueller & Co., Decatur ILL.,, gas
oline.
"222-R. H. Macy Company New York,
gasoline.
'.25-StUrgeS Electric Motorcycle Chicago
electric.
The owners of the electric wagons did
not stert out with the idea of winning the
race. They were unable to arrange for sup
ply stations at different places along the
route and consequently could not get enough
power to run over the route to Evanston and
back. But they intended to show that their
electric wagons could travel under all cor
ditions AS well as the gasoline motor ma
chimes. and they considered their test proved
the practicability of electricity for horseless
carriages.
THE three wagons which distanced all
comprehensive Duryea, Mueller and the
Macy-were all If German make, with some
American improvements They carried i'm
proved Benz motors, the Mueller wagon be-
Ing imported direct from Mannheim, Ger
mn ~ NJ l.,
the first prize in the Paris Bordeaux race
lest June, also carried AZ Benz motor but
this failed to drive the vehicle through the
Geep snow at a satisfactory rate, and it
dropped out of the race early"
Story of the Duryea Wagon. .
AS already stated The Star, the Duryea
wagon won. The following is the story of
the Duryea's trip from Chicago to Evans
ton and back, as told by A. w. White, it's
umpire
I'VE left the barn at 7:15 am. and went
with our own power to the starting point
At S:15 the start was made and we ran
without a stop to the corner of Erie and
Rush streets. Here we broke our steering
gear ty running over a high crossing COW
cred with snow. A wait of fifty-five minutes
ensued. From this point we ran to Evans
ton without a stop, arriving there at 12:35
o'clock. On the return We were delayed four
minutes in Chicago avenue. Evanston, by
Cor tinuing. we got into the wrong road on
account of the absence of a sign at the
corner Of Lawrence avenue and Clark street
We ran down Clark to Diversey street be-
fore discovering our mistake. Then we
went up Diversey to Lincoln avenue and on
Lincoln avenue to Roscoe street, where we
resumed the correct route. l estimate the
extra distance traverSed at two miles, ap-
proximate. While on Diversey near Clark
we broke our sparker,' and spent fifty-fye
minutes repairing it. At $40 we resumed
the journey.
I'VE were delayed fifteen minutes at
Drake avenue and Central Park boulevard
to adjust the machinery and to take fuel
Another delay of four minutes occurred at
the Fort Wayne crossing of 55th street
boulevard. The delay at the second relay
of a minute or so have not mentioned
Three and one-half gallons of gasoline
and nineteen gallons of water We're con-
sumed. No power outside the vehicle was
Used. l estimate that enough power was
used to run the motor 100 miles over smooth
roads. We finished at tbs and ran back to
10th street with our own power. Our cor
lected time was seven hours and fifty-three
minutes"
Description OF the Duryen.
The carriage which led in the race Is the
result of three years inventive effort on the
part of Charles E. Duryea of Peoria, ILL., 1t
weigs 700 pounds and can attain speed of
twenty miles an hour. On good roads it has
already reached even a higher rate of speed.
Its motor is four-horse power engine and
weighs 100 pounds. The diameter of the
front wheels is "a inches; of the rear wheels
IS inches. Only five minutes is required in
replenishing its fuel supply. The arrange
ment of the gearing is such that the car
rage can be made to run from three to six
teen miles an hour, and the graduation from
the minimum to the maximum degree of
t. lfrl,a
changing its rate Of speed. the pressing of a
button effecting this object.
The axletrees of the carriage are fixed to
the body, dividing at the ends into vertical
forks, into which are fitted pieces like ordi-
nary carriage hubs in shape, which hold the
axle. Bolts run through these pieces, and a
correcting rod of iron, extending back of the
axletree and joined at the center of the
wagon with the steering Device makes the
separately swung wheels work together.
The lateral movement of the lever turns
the wheels, and the vertical movement
starts or stops, changes the rate of speed
and reyerSes its movements, driving 1t back
ward when desired. Ball joints and ball
bearings minimize all effort and friction and
minimiZes the power used. The brake drum
is urder the seat and is controlled by wire
with button at the front corner of the seat
by which, under a speed Of twelve miles an
hour, the vehicle can be stopped in few
feet. II g.
By the proper arrangement of gears, cones
and levers. change of speed is instantly eff
fected by the vertical movement of the lever.
In this machine the steering heads are
placed as close as possible to the wheels,
and at the same time are so angled that
their line strikes the plane of the wheel at
just the point a stone or other obstruction
would naturally be encountered. This does
away with the leverage, which tends to turn
the wheel by breaking the force along the
line of the head.
Among the advantages claimed for the
Duryea machine, are. little noise or odor.
excellent springs, four speeds-five, ten and
twenty miles an hour forward, and three
miles an hour backward; can be quickly
geared to different speeds: can be run at
any speed desired below its limit: it's fuel
costs less than one-half cent per mile. it car
ries eight gallons of fuel: runs from 100 to
200 miles without refilling; has self-oiling
motors and bearings: will not jerk the levers
out of the drivers hand, and is not danger