The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-17

were hair raising. Some French auto
mobilist is now expected to climb the
Alps in the attempt to surpass Mr..
Walkers record.
Automobile sport has naturally taken
the form of racing. The speeding Of
the horseless carriage is not unattcnd-
ed with danger for gasoline en-
CINE or an electric motor pushed to
its highest capacity is neither safe
nor pleasant thing to trine with. Au-
tomobile racing will never probably
become a popular sport in the sense
that the mass of the people Will partioi-
pate therein, for it requires much time.
skill, money and attention. Our young
millionaires have taken II up, and the
craze. particularly in the east. Ia
spreading. William X Vanderbilt, Jr..
one of the wealthiest scions of his
house, is one of the leading promoters
of the sport and attends to the labor OF
cleaning. oiling and driving his ma
chine himself. The French are enthu-
siastic over the races. and to be lead
ing chauffeur" as they call the con-
ductor of a horseless carriage, is the
ambition Of every French sportsman.
The machines principally used are
those supplied with gasoline motors.
which have been found to produce the
highest rate of speed. The piston Is
driven by the successive explosions OF
minute quantities Of gasoline, and these
heat the cylinder to a very high de-
gree. Unless the cylinder be cooled Off
it soon becomes too hot for use, and 10
cool it the automobile must carry a
tank of water. The water is kept cir
culating around the cylinder and piston
to keep the temperature sufficiently
low.
Another interesting feature OF tho
racing machine is the carrying Of an
extra man for ballast. or course. the
automobile intended for racing is made
as light as is consistent with safety
but this hghtness adds an additional
elementaof danger. on the turns. when
going at high speed. the machine has
tendency to upset. and this is offset by
the balancing of the additional man.
The speed attained is often very high.
but viii doubtless be considerably sur
passed in the near future.
There are several varieties Of auto
mobile motors. electricity. steam, gaso-
line and oil all being used to generate
power. Each of them has it's advan-
tages and its drawbacks. The problem
is to secure a motor that Will be at
once simple. easily understood. light In
weight and inexpensive TO operate. Ev-
cry variety combines some of these de-
siderata. while some Of the newest
models closely approximate the ideal.
Research and experimentation are
working wonders with the horseless
carriage, as they cid with the bicycle.
and. although the end has not been
reached. one who sees the elegant au-
tomobile pleasure turnouts now manu-
featured by American makers can cas-
lily be persuaded that il is in sight. For
some years the automobile has been the
butt OF jokes wherein 1t is Represented
as breaking down miles from a repair
shop and being hauled home by the
faithful horse.
At the national automobile show 10
be held in New York in November ev-
cry variety of horseless carriage viii
be shown. Full representation by al
makers is expected, and the plan is TO
make the shows fully reflect the pres
ent conditions of automobilism IN this
country. CHARLES n. LURE.