The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-29
The AutOm Obile's Speed.

The AutOm Obile's Speed.
The sensational automobile records
which have been made this summer on
both sides of the Atlantic call attention
to the remarkable development Of the
motor vehicle, particularly as regards
its power of speed, during the past nine
years.
On July 4, at Dublin, Baron DE FOREST
lowered the worlds record for flying
kilometre to 20 3-5 seconds. Last Satur-
day, at the Empire City racetrack, In
Yonkers, BARNEY OLDFTELD, an Ameri-
can champion, clipped three-fifths OF
second from the one-mile worlds record
for circular track, the new time being
O:55 As, and on the same day LAU-
RENT CROSSE. driving 80 horsepower
machine, established worlds records for
from II to IS miles, inclusive. His time
for the is miles was 10 minutes and 10 As
seconds, which reduced by three seconds
the record for that distance made by
FoURNIER. JENATzY, winner Of the In
ternational Automobile Cup race, in Ire
land, covered the 1888 miles OF the course
in German machine of 90 horsepower
at rate of speed only little short Of a
mile minute.
What was the automobiles speed nine
years ago? In the race from Paris TO
Rouen in 1894 the winner averaged
10 miles an hour, and his performance
was the best up to that time. In 1895
4S hours and 4S minutes we're required to
cover the distance of 855 miles from
Paris to Bordeaux and return, the aver
age speed being about fourteen miles an
hour. The winning machines in both OF
these races were of four horsepower.
In 1895 q six horsepower auto aver
aged 1915 miles an hour in the Paris
Marseilles contest-a rate Of speed in
feror to that maintained by the bicycle.
On the following year the winner of the
race from Nice to Monte Carlo reached
II. 80 miles an hour In 1893 the dis
lance Of 3271@ miles from Paris to Bor-
deaux was covered by horsepower
machine at the rate of about twenty-one
miles an hour, while practically the same
average was equalled on the run from
Marseilles to Nice. Later in that year
an average of 272s miles an hour was
maintained in the race from Paris to Am
sterdam and back, and many believed
that this record would stand unbeaten
for q long period. But, with the con-
slant improvements in machinery and
the increased skill Of operators, the
reoord-breaking went on, and in 1899
the distance from Paris to Bordeaux
was traversed in II hours and 43 minutes,
or at a speed approximating 80 miles
an hour On this occasion the machine
used was one of IL horsepower.
The year 1900 marked the general in
PRODUCTION of automobiles Of great size
and tremendous power, an idea Of the
extent of the latter being afforded by
the competitors in the race from Bor-
deaux to Paris in 1901 Then it was found
that the winner, FoURNIER, after making
the necessary deductions for time lost in
travelling through towns, had covered
the 32713 miles in hours minutes and
A seconds-about one-quarter Of the
time occupied in the race between those
cities six years before. FoURNIERs aver
age was 5315 miles an hour, and 1t is said
that he frequently attained speed Of
10 miles an hour during the run.
The year 1902 witnessed the construo-
ton of automobiles of 70 horse power,
able to go mile minute without any
trouble; and now we have mammoth
vehicles of 100 horsepower for which
an average of 85 miles an hour on ordi-
nary roads, and from 80 to 90 miles an
hour on a smooth track is entirely
possible.
As if to show that the limit has by no
means been reached in constructing
high-power machines, one foreign con-
Germ has it is said, turned out one Of 800
horse power. How this vehicle can be
run, with safety, at it's full speed tbs diff
cult to imagine.
1t should not be supposed that autOmo-
biles able to 60 at the rate of mile min
ute and over are either necessary or
desirable for everyday use on the high
ways. For such purposes those OF lesser
power are In every way preferable.
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