Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22
on A rnrING AUroMoBILg.
How IL Feels 60 Rush Along at sevent,
. AIlIas IN Haur

''Sit tight" Hnid Mr., Edge.
'Hoch Hoch Hoch" coughed the
huge dark green machine as IL 1t were
rehearsing greeting to the Kaiser In
Berlin, and with puf,of petroleum
and n farewell thump or two on tho
stones behind it, tho T0-horsepower
Napier hurtled down the long, straight
road.
''how fast arc we goingY" shouted.
1--WE are not going fast at ALL We
ore tooling along gently"
but the speed?"
'Oh about 30 miles an hour, y said
Mr.. Edge carelessly, and smiled ut my
surprise.
We did not seem to be going very fast,
though the wind whistled sharply past
my ears and brought tears into my
eyes. Then hill came at US. and
leaped over the machine. The illusion
was no perfect that turned to lonk Tor
1t, and was nearly thrown out Of my
cushioned seat by sudden jolt.
The Seine on one side Of us, and the
trees and houses on the other, rushed
past as they seem to rush when looked
ut from an express train, and the wind
grew little colder and blew harder
The leaves on the trees which passed
US were quite motionless. The auto
mobile gruuted grumbingly, and Mr..
Edges right foot pressed sympaiheti-
cally down on the pace lever. "All
right, old lady, off with you,'' the
look on his lace said as clearly as IL
tho words had been spoken aloud
Mr.. Edge treats his automobile like
favorite mare, and 1t appreciates 1t.
The great mass OF machinery sprang
forward like greyhound from the
leash, and the wind before my face
ceased TO be wind at all, and became
thin sheet OF ice, pressed close against
It, | had taken out my handkerchief
moment before to wipe my steamiug
eyes, but they WE'RE dry again. and the
handkerchief was being pressed against
my mouth. 1t was only with an effort
that | could put 1t back into my pocket.
Sixty miles an hour" shouted my
companion. l could see TINT he hau
shouted the words us loudly AZ no
could, but his voice came TO me faint
and weak like the voice OF mun who
had bean very i'll. or like call from
long distance. Now" said MIR. Edge,
and pressed his right foot down against
the lever once again. There had Teen
steep down grade before us when no
spoke; but as | looked at it thu road
rnshed up and was swallowed by the
Napier, which gave n cough OF satia-
faction. like giant who had gulped
hearty meal and wanted more.
On We went, still without the slight
est semblanco of moving really fast.
but with that sheet OF thin, crumbling
ice before our faces aud the scenery
scnrrying rast us. Then wonderful
thing happened. Another automobiie,
small, red-paInted RenauIt car, on.
penred IN front Of us and vanished.
"Where is itp" shrieked, believing for
this traction OF second that We had
crushed tho little chr into the ground.
Ihe mschaDioiau who sat crouching ut
ourfeet looked up and pointed to the
road behind US. The Renault was perched
| on the brow OF the steep hill which
| We had swallowed, and, as | wondered
how IT had got up there. it vanished,
and the gluttonuus Napier had gulped
down another mile OF road.
Ii is wonderful thing, this racing
at full pressure. Up to 80, even GO
miles an hour the PRESSURE OF the air is
noticeable, but IL not unpleasant. At
65 1t makes itself distinctly felt and
after that it becomes oppressive, and I
| experienced the sensations which [
think n trout must feel as 1t lies gasp
| ing by the brookside
"Wough Grrrglel'' said the automo-
bile, trying to pot its second wind, and
suddenly uttered loud, rasping cry
like that OF an angry baby troubled by
u pin. We slowed down gradually, aud
stopped as quickly as we could. Tho
Napier sweated heated petrol, which
made our eyes and nostrils tingle. Mr..
Edge and the mechanician, both with
nnrL stsl I..
over the wheel. | got out, too, stopped
down to see what was the matter, and
inadvertently touched the tire. Ii
burned me. The India rubber was
hot, almost to melting point.
The accident which had happened
was slight one. A bolt had given in
one OF the ohnins, and the chain had
| dragged. AT the pace we are going, ~
remarked Mr.. Edge, lin five minutes
more the chain would have cut the
woodwork of the wheel In two, solid
| and seasoned oak though Ii is.n
Another bolt put In, slow run-in
| comparison down to the nearest town
ship, and we stopped once. more to give
the nervous system of the mare rest
to cool the automobile, l should say
and to give it a drink of petrol.
Eighteen gallons was the dose 1t swal-
lowed, and even then it's tank could
have held more.
"Go on, said Mr.. Edge. ''Noooooo, ),
groaned the great thing peeviahly,
through its electrical coil, and then,
| like peevish child. which has sud
denly made up its mind to be good
after all, it snorted once or twice and
shouted 'Bon - In French. Tho
shout was one loud explosion, which
echod like gunshot, and the automo.
bile dashed forward with a leap into
the air. Again we rushed ahead, fly.
Ing near the ground, 1t seemed, rather
than rolling on 1t, and humping the
road every now and then with a concus.
sion which sent me Mp from my cueh-
toned, barrel-shaped seatllike ball from
a cup. Buzzzzz Puff! Bang! We
slowed down again, and Mr.. Edge in
Vited me to stand on terra firma and
| watch the leviathan run past.
AS the machine disappeared, waving
| wreaths OF petroleum putfs and dust as
farewell behind it, | noticed that
terra was less tirma than ii had been
before my drive. The ground seemed
to culver underneath my ieet, and
could feel the rushing and the bump-
ing OF the Napier In my very bones.
lt hurt almost as | stood there but Ia
| my seat, going 70 miles an hour, had
felt no sense Of nnduly rapid motion,
Good gracious! What was happeningY
Inc huge machine rushed down tho
road toward tho place in which stood
! like AN express train mad, and IA IL
| passed me it seemed TO leap with all
four wheels up from the ground and
disappear in cloud Of dust and stonae