New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-10
THE AUTOMOBILE TEST.
START MADE ON LONG RUN To BOSTON
AND RETURN
ONE ELECTRIC. EIGHTEEN STEAM AND FIF-
TY-SIN GASOLINE MACHINEs-BET-
TER ONES THAN LAST YEAR


TER ONES THAN LAST YEAR
The neighborhood of fty-eghth-st and
FIth-aVe. perhaps never presented a livelier
spectacle than yesterday morning when the
automobile relia bility test was started by the
ofnclals Of the Automobile Club Of America. OF
the elShty-one machines originally entered, sew
enty-hVe started The trip will be to Boston
ana return. IL is in no sense a race. for the
maximum speed is TO be fourteen miles an hour
II any Of the machines exceed this speed they
VIII be disqualified The distance will be a lit
tlr less than five hundred miles over the route
selected. Tie machines viii arrive at Boston
on saturday evening. and tine return trip will
begin on Monday morning. the test ending at
tn clubhouse AT Fifty -eiShth-st. on Wednesday
evening.
As carly as o'clock yesterday morning hun
dreds OF automobiles were congregated in the
vicinity OF the starting point. while the side
walks were thronged with spectators. The pre-
liminary arrangements for the run were much
more busnesslike than for the endurance test
10 Buffalo last year There was no hitch or de-
lay. the weather was ideal for an outing Of the
sort intended. and every machine was cheered
as its driver started it. promptly at the word
Co from the starter. Al frst the automobiles
We're sent away at intervals OF thirty seconds.
''AI ''l'iF iliiA Oh tIt LldtNlItS were on tQelr
way this interval was found 10 be too long. and
the later automobiles were sent away fifteen
seconds apart. While there was considerable
snortlng aud putting before the official start
was made IL was noticeable that as soon as the
machines had lined up and were ready for the
starter. there was practically no disorder and
little noise.
The scene was an interesting one. particularly
so 10 an army Of photographers. estimated as
az least 80 who We're pershed IN trees. on teIe-
graph poles. fences, boxes and stepladders
Experts and machinsts were there in hundreds
watching the actions Of the latest products OF
American manufacture in the horseless vehicle
line The machines illustrated the remarkable
advancement made in automobile construction
during the last year The automobiles were
handsomer and the line throughout much neater
While the horsepower Of the different machines
did not vary much il was generally higher than
that Of the machines started in the endurance
test last year
INTEREST IN TWO MACHINES
The highest horsepower machine was twenty
four. and that No. / on the list, propelled
by gasolene and run by Harlan W. whippIe
In the test last year machines Of foreign make
were in the majority. while yesterday there were
only half a dozen such. The list shows that
there are eighteen automobiles propelled by
steam. ffty-six by gasolene and only one by
electricity. The electric machine an oddity
in measure. being the heaviest in the lot and
weighing $500 pounds II has a combination ar
ranSement. gasolene engine we'll as cleo
tric power. The gasOlene engine runs a dyna-
mo that charges the batteries, and the batteries
run the electric motor This makes ii unnecessary
for the machine TO be stopped to be recharged,
as the electricity generates as the machine
travels over the roads
Another car which attracted much attention
from the experts was owned by s T. Davis. jr
II is the car that made the mile record for it's
class at the speed trials on Staten Island lest
summer. At that time the machine had been
stripped until little more than skeleton was 10
be seen Yesterday il a practical automo-
bile ready for any sort Of test. The majority
OF the machines were Of design, and the
models came in for much complimentary COM
ment. Spectators lined the streets for the en-
tire route from Fifty -eighth-st 10 Central
Bridge, and not accident Of any sort hap
pened AT the starting point. The first machine
was sent away promptly at a m. and the
seventy-hfth vehicle had left on it's long trip at
9:26:45- There was one motor bicycle in line,
ridden by Will r. Pitman, who expects to make
the round trip. There were also from twenty 10
thirty machines which started later but were
the whole trip, while other drivers intended 10
go as far New Haven. returning TODAY
LARGELY a TRADE EXHIBIT
While some people we'll known in the business
and social worlds take part in the run. the test
is really a makers exhibit. There was little ef
fort at costumes. and the supposed automobile
attire. consiting Of leather coats Ieeetrs ard
caps, We're rarely seen. Bicycle cans v,ara
more numerous, while probably one-half Of those
who rode in the motor cars wore conventtoraI
street costumes, some OF them even wAarin,
derby lats. Most of the machines carrta9
extra tires The drivers, as a general tbt1
did not have goggles on at the start but rrac
tcally all Of them carried goggles which -
be quickly adjusted to save the ewes v-baI -
dusty roads of Connecticut and Massacb1satts
are reached The machines were Iinad - a.
Fifty -eighth-st., facing Fifth-ave on escb isi5a
OF the curb, and, as each driver had hean g.
signed his position on the previous s,Saatr,
there no crowding or disorder 9'
The route yesterday was from Fifty-Ai9bths+
up Fifth-ave. 10 e-hundred- and -tv,eIfth -
10 Seventh-ave-. to hundred and fft,- tt,l
St. over Central Bridge to Jerome-ave - o.
Continued on fifth pagea