The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-05
AUTO DRIVING NOT EASY
EXPERIENCE GAME ON THE TRIP
TO RICHMOND.
Through n Creek and Stalled
i'm the Middle.

bers in the Westcott Hotel at Richmond
Fisher had rolled and tossed during the
night and Travelled many hundred miles in
his automobile, in his dreams, at the rate
Of a hundred miles an hour. When given
a severe punch by his companions he
awoke, saying: us our last vibrating
spring broken?" But there was a message
for the commander-in-chief OF the army of
automobilists, from General Chas. Som
mers. leader of the second division. who
was at that time of morning stalled at
Centerville. six miles west of Richmond.
General Sommers telephoned that before
he could advance on the Quaker town he
would have to have achievements, as the
exhaust spring in his big \ machine had
broken and there was nothing doing for
him until he received aid. Fisher called
his staff to a council and he took his big
machine TO Centerville and rendered as
sistance.
The arriva of Sommers at Richmond was
hailed with joy. He was greeted with the
effusion extended TO a long-lost child. He
was one of the last to leave Indianapolis
On Thursday afternoon TO make the trip to
Richmond by automobile. Like some of
the others, he had troubles en- route. and
dtODB after the sun went QONn lie tADtll-
enced more difficulty. By slow work he
managed to get his machine to Centerville,
where the exhaust spring gave out and as
sista1ce had TO be called.
In spite Of the many little mishaps, some
trivial but all annoying, the persons that
went to Richmond in automobiles thor
oughly enjoyed the trip. There were ex-
periences that could never be had in any
other way and some that those who made
the trip never care to have again. The
party left from Fishers automobile store
in the Cyclorama building about 1870 in the
afternoon, and nearly all those who started
showed gameness enough to finish. Fred
Ayres led the procession. and before get
ting outside the city limits the machines
were several hundred yards apart. A Vi
brating spring on Fishers big car got out
of order a short distance east of Irvington
and a stop was made. Then the dust was
scattered for several miles as the machine
dashed along the road. Just west of Green
field Fisher caught sight of a big cluster
of trees, and. by intuition, II seemed, the
machine decided to take a rest. The car
was run under the trees and the help
carried water for the tanks. Then Jim"
handling a buckeIful of well water. He
tried TO pour 1t into the tanks and most
of it missed the hole.
ASTONISHED THE NATIVES.
Another start was made, when it was
discovered that the front engine was loaf
ing, allowing the rear engine to do all the
work. On investigation it was ascertained
that Allison had poured most of the water
into the engine instead of the tanks. This
ailment remedied, the car took new life
and spurted along the road. Other cars
were hailed and passed, and the natives
imagined the big machine was running
away. After several miles of the rapid
pace a halt was made TO dampen the dust
in the threats of the four passengers. =
woman and her child stood by in astonish-
ment. They had seen automobiles before,
but they had never had the treat of look
ing upon such a big machine. a farmer
passed with his reaper and inspected the
car and tried to lift it. He said it was a
little too ''hefty" for him. Ut weighs a
for the preliminary to the start, and there
was a slight wheeling like the walls of a
baby, and the little chap standing by could
not refrain from telling his mother that
there was a little boy in the bottom of the
wagon. TIL mother was kind enough not
TO believe ii.
To Knightstown the trip was uneventful
except that the party met Frank Moore,
who left the city in an electric machine
two hours before the big machine left. He
was doing the conversation act with a bevy
of girls near a farmhouse while his ma
chine looked lonely two hundred yards
down the road. A spur gear had broken,
dlu he was COfnpelleu 10 wait untl a new
gear could be sent out by an interurban
car.
After leaving Knightstown the tourists
were compelled TO leave the main road be-
cause two bridges were down., and go one
mile south. Here is where the first real
trouble and saddest experience occurred.
After running along the road for a mile
or two the watch officer" who at that
time happened TO be a Journal represent
ative, saw in the distance an obstruction
in the form of a creek. On the far side
were two machines which u-aro Snnn die
covered to be Fred Ayres's big Winton
and George w. Pangborn's Olds's Mobile.
The occupants of Ayres's machine were
standing by the side of the road in neg
ligee attire. Their shirts protected them
from getting their backs sunburned, while
the rest of their clothing hung in profu-
sion from the sides of the car. Ayres had
towed Mr.. Pangborn's machine through
the creek. and they were waiting to give
Fisher advice. Fisher stopped his car and
waded through the stream, the water
reaching several inches above his knees.
Il believe l will put on the low gear
ana run through that stream, as have
Will take TO water" said Fisher.
A GEYSER IN THE CREEK.
That was where he erred and was the
mistake which turned automobiling into
shooting the chutes. 1t was the only thing
that was not forgiven by the occupants of
his car. A farmer was near by and offered
to tow the machine through the water by
hitching a rope TO his buggy, but Fisher
wanted the experience. He got il and a
good ducking, and so did the watch Off
GER" The other two occupants, Allison and
Sherman, ducked behind the front seat and
only felt a small spray of the water. Fish
er backed his machine and then took a run
for the creek. He hit the water going about
twenty miles an hour. When Skipper
Fisher and the Journal representative
came to" they We're soaking wet. The
nose" of the big car dived under the water
and there was a kissing noise. the water
shooting at least twenty feet high and
pouring on the occupants of the front seat.
Fisher shut off power and the wagon came
TO a standstin in the middle Of the stream.
The man with the horse and buggy then
towed the car TO the other side Of the creek.
After finding the main road again Fisher
turned on the speed and soon passed Pang-
born. The road was smooth and level for
several miles. and an exciting race was held
With a freight train a short distance away,
the big Winton gradually going to the
front while travelling about thirty miles an
hour. Things went well until near Center
vile, when another vibrating spring broke,
and this caused another delay. The recep-
tion committee of the Richmond Automo-
bile Club met the indianapolis party. or at
least those machines that had reached that
far, and led the way to ichm The
machines of j. A. McKim, Ayres, Fisher
and Wideley were close up in the process
sion. When near Richmond the reception
machines started a squirt for the hotel.
On reaching Main street Wideley and Ayres
led. but Fisher opened the exhaust and a
merry race was given down the thorough
fare 10 the hotel amid the applause of hun
dreds of persons on the sidewalks. Fisher