The sun., 1903-04-14
AUTO TRIALS BEGIN TO-DAY.
SIX NILE COURSE BETWEEN WEST
BURY AND MERRICk.

Csmmittee's Pians for Secrecy "Gans
Csmpetitors Arrested while Travelling
70 the Rendezvsus st Garden CITY,
GARDEN CITy. April is --To-moTow.
on q road not far from here, the hrst Of
the elimination contests viii be held TO
select two motor oars to complete the
team Of three that 10 to rspresent America
In the race for the international auto cup.
The race committee Of the Automobile
Club Of America had the hotel here for
q rendezvous with the candidates for the
team and met them here at O'Clock this
afternoon.
Until that tins not one Of the candidates
knsw anything beyond the fact that
they were 10 meet the COMMITTEES here ana
DO subjecs to the directions OF the COM
mittee for the re~t Of the week. Tho oan-
didates were strictly snjoined not TO re-
veal even that much, and every EFFORT was
made to keep the plans Of the committee
q profound secret from the public with
an especial guard against newspapers
Not one Of the committee or the candidates
betr aged the secret or any portion OF II.
The racers and the committeeman arrived
at the appointed time and found q repre-
sentative Of The Sun on hand to greet
them. This was the end Of four months
Of profound secrecy about the plans OF the
Automobile Club and It's committee and the
committeeman are making the best face
possible over the situation. The race can
didstes and the committeeman are stopping
here tonight and will 60 to the scene OF
action at o'clock In the morning.
The place for the first contest, which
will be one Of speeding .is the six-mile stretch
Of smooth and fairly level rosd extending
from Westbury to Merrick. 1t Is narrow
macademized highway running across the
Hempstead plains that has about only six
houses on it between the two towns named.
There are about six roads crossing the
course from the place Of start TO the finish,
but only one Of them is used TO any extent.
Residents along the road have been en-
gagged to guard all these cross roads and
prevent any vehicle from crossing while
the race is being held. The start will lie
about 100 yards south Of the railroad cross
ing at the westbury end and the finish
Just north Of the limits Of Merrick.
AZ the hour appointed for the meeting
OF the competitors and the committee only
on hand. These were Percy Owen OF New
York. with. his newly designed Winton
racer and L. p. Mooers Of Cleveland, with
his Mooers Peerless racer. The specially
built car Of H. s. Harkness Of New York
had not arrived up to II o'clock tonight.
but it II expected tonight or in the MORN
ing in time for the contest.
The last heard about IL to-day was that
at IL o'clock 1t was being put together and
adjusted at the shops Of Philip H. Pill d
Sons At Lorraine street, Brooklyn. The
committeeman who reached here in
the afternoon were George T. Scott. the
chairman Dave Hennen Morris and Secre-
tary Butler Of the club. Henry A. Opdyck,
the Official surveyor Of the club, measured
the course several days ago and caused
to bs erected mile posts along 1t that give
the distances both going and coming be-
tween Westbury and Merriok. When asked
what they would do tomorrow II the third
car did not arrive, Mr. Morris said that tho
race would 20 ON just the same. 1T might
be that they would not want 10 sslect either
one Of the cars offered here, he remarked.
as the club IL not bound to send three cars
on It's team. It must se nd one, but may. II
II chooses. sen only one.
Mr.. Morris was asked what was TO be
done about c. W. Matheson Of Grand Rapids
who entered two cars for the race and last
week notified the committee that his cars
could not be ready by April IL and asked
for an extension Of time. The answer was
that Mr.. Matheson was out Of II. This
leaves the choice 10 be made between Owen.
Mooers and Harkness, In case the latter
appears in time. In making the tests
over the road only ore car will be sent out
at q time and II will carry member Of the
committee to take It's time for the entire
distance ana also the intermediate miles
L. p. Mooers OF Cleveland started for
the rendezvous to-day with two cars one
OF forty horse power and one OF eighty,
but only the smaller car reached here with
out accident.
The other one wus stalled with broken
ga asolene tank couple Of miles from here
| and did not arrive until late tonight. The
breakdown, however, was not the first
miss adventure. When not far from Mincola
| Mr.. Mooers. who WI In the big car and
=. q. wudseway. who was In the smaller
tactics Of the Long Island constabulary.
! According to MIR. Nooers;
Il saw handkerchief hutter In the air
| and q man jumped out in tho road ahead
| with another handkerchief. We were not
|
| men, who said he was constable. declared
| we were going twenty nine niler n hour.
| We were arrested, but SLOWED to 20 after
| giving our names and addresses and agree-
| ing 70 gppear In court OH Wednesday morn
ing. Soon after that oui gisolene tank
| b.ok,'."
The Winton racer, concerning which the
| most absolute secrecy has preva lied be-
| cause o! new features II was said 10 con-
tain. was dismantled here this afternoon
| for adjusting purposes. II was seen to
have four horizontal cylinders disposed
| croeswise in the lower part Of the body
| The exhaust pipes on the lower part OF the
engine have only seven inches Of clearance
! from the ground. One radical departure
is the use Of bevel gear drive direct 70
| the differential on the rear axle. A clutch
| Of the RenAult type 10 used. The beds are
| "a inches In diameter and have i-inch tiers
| With its hood ON the car is q long, low built
| and very rakiah looking road craft with q
| small seat over the rear that strongly re-
sembles the Winton Bullet. il looks busi'
ness-hke and dangerous The Mooer'