Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-09-05
FOURNIER THE FLIER.
French Automobiles Who Will
Contest In America. -
WON GREATEST RACE IN WORLD.

victor OF the Motor Tournament
From Paris 10 Berlin VIII Enter
the BuRaIo-Erie Race-Hns Ridden
Eighty Miles an Hour-Is Idol of
ParisIans.
If Henri Fournier does not win the
race from Buffalo to Erie, American
chauffeurs will have to travel faster
than they ever did before. writes Wal
ter Wellman. Paris correspondent OF
the Chicago Record Herald. Fourier
IS a wonder. When he won the race
from Paris to Bordeaux. he became n
marked man. But when he came in
first best In the great international
drive from the capital OF France 10 the
metropolis OF Germany against a field
of more than 100 competitors he be-
came the idol of Paris.
He 10 today the best known man
along the boulevard. Let us suppose
YOU are sitting in front OF one of the
cafes, slipping your beer-every one
drinks beer I'm Paris nowadays. for
Paris is slowly becoming German
roar is heard out on the boulevard.
something red and white is seen dash
ing by at a speed far beyond the legal
Jump up from their little chairs and
cry out, with the Partisan hero enthu-
siasm: "Voila Fournier! Nive Four
nierr'
II in driving through the Bots de
Boulogne you see 4 red and white
streak going around q turn like n
mountain train taking a sharp curve on
the down grade. your cocher will for
once in his life rouse himself from his
lethargy and inform you:
''C'est Fournier-the great Fourier
lie plus grand chauffeur
When Fournier. with roar and -four
ish. approaches the Pavilion ArmenOu-
vile, the SWEETEST roadhouse In Paris
the place where they unblushingly
charge francs 30 confines for one
blushing peach-the guests rush from
their tables 10 greet him and 10 ask
him to have a drink.
When Fourier makes his appear
ance upon the Avenue de In Grand Ar
NEE. the automobile center of Paris,
the people rush out and surround him
and shake his hand unanimously.
Why shouldn't NJ. Fournier be the
hero OF the hour in Paris? Automo-
bilism is the enthusiasm of the day
Throughout Europe. All the world loves
n race and is ready To apotheOsize the
winner of il. and NJ. Fournier has just
won the greatest race in the world.
He and Charron viii enter the Buff
falo-Erie race and they VIII show their
American friends what fast travelling
is.
Fourier does not care about the long
distance race from New York To Buff
falo and does not intend taking part i'm
it.
why should - he asked me. 1T is
not race at nll, only tourists jaunt.
AS understand it the speed is limited
10 II miles an hour. That is nothing a
all Any old motor car can go that pace.
When race. l want 10 race"
The man who won the Paris-Berlin
can well afford to shrug his shoulders
at Il limit of - miles an hour. In that
tournament ne covered l. 19S Eilometers
i'm Ia hours and ) minutes. Deducting
about 30 kitometers for the ncutraliZed
ground. and we find the total distance
covered was 115 miles. In other words,
Fournier's average speed was AZ miles
an hour. 1t takes a very good express
train to do that for so long a distance.
In fact, the fastest train from Paris to
Berlin. the Nord express, composed Of
nothing but sleeping and dining cars,
uses more than Is hours I'm the journey.
Therefore Fournier. driving over the
country roads. beat the fiier of the iron
rails with more than an hour to spare.
a great achievement surely No other
form of statement could so well set
forth the wonderful development given
the high power road racer in these days
of fast and furious sport.
In order to make an average speed of
40 miles an hour Fournier had to travel
much of the time at rate Of 60 to CO
miles.
My speed was often above 40 miles
an hour. said Fournier. land on few
occasions where the road was good,
perfectly straight and with n little
down grade l reached a speed OF so
miles"