The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-14
RECORD STANDS,
SAY OFFICIALS
Henry Ford's Automobile
Feat Officially Timed.
ICE TRACK is LEGITIMATE
Hard Beach or Frozen Lake, However,
Are Harder Than Macadam
Road.

NEW YORK. Jan. A.-Automobilists
found plenty to talk about yesterday in
discussing the most sensational record
eves' made by an automobile. the run OF
a mile over the ice of Lake st. Clair,
Michigan, on Tuesday, in 80 2-5 seconds,
by Henry Ford. of Detroit This is con-
siderably faster than man ever rode
before on an untracked vehicle. 1t is
3-5 seconds below the record for a mile
on the Dourdan road, France, which
had held the worlds record since the
fall of 1902 Ford rode at the rate of
a little more than ninety miles an hour
The talk of automobilists in the city
turned upon the merits of the perform
ance. OF its authenticity there was no
doubt. Ford had been preparing for
the feat for some time. f. sanction for
a trial against time had been obtained
from Chairman A. r. Pardington Of the
racing committee of the American Au-
tomobile Association. Mr.. Pardington
said yesterday:
THE trial was official and / have no
doubt that the statements of the official
timers will corroborate the press re-
ports. l have wired for particulars. II
was a wonderful performance.
Course Prepared.
The ice of the lake in Anchor Bay.
near New Baltimore. where iceboat
races are held. had been scraped clean
of snow for the trial so that there was
a stretch of bare ice four miles long
and fifteen feet wide. On this course
hot cinders, ashes and sand were
sprinlxled to a depth of half an inch the
night before the trial and in the morn
ing as much as would come away was
scraped off. This was to afford traction
for the rubber tires During the night
lowering water made the course wavy
and the big racing car as IL ran would
bound into the air for leaps Of thirty
feet when it struck a hump Of ice.
Ford drove and his mechanic rode In
front of the engine manipulating the
carburetter. which would not operate
automatically because of the bouncing
Half way over the measured mile the
car Slowed from the track into the bank
Of snow at the side thrown up by the
| scrapers. Ford regained control and
brought it back to the track again. but
lost perhaps a second. Past the finish
ing line the car had mile TO slow up in
and Ford threw out the engine and put
I on brakes, out straight dnedu lne md
chine flew toward the bulk of a wreck
sticking above the ice half mile
farther on. A collision was avoided by
making a sharp turn into the snow.
Ice Track Legitimate.
/ While some Automobiles question
whether a record made on ice should be
accepted. the more general verdict was
that a straightaway record is valid over
any sort of surface, so long as ii is not
down hill. and that il is legitimate also
TO take advantage of a favoring wind.
/ The records over an artificially built
macadam road are no more valid than
those over a beach left smooth and hard
/ by the ocean. or over a sea of ice form
ed by nature. IL is contended by defend
ers of the record. Another argument
is that II 1t was legitimate TO build the
hest possible sort of a track for straight
away running horse records. as was
done years ago, it is legitimate to build
the best possible sort Of a course for
straightaway motor car records, or to
use the best course provided by nature
One thing the new record did do was tC
suggest that hitherto the great value
of a perfectly smooth surface has not
been fully appreciated. A hard beach OF
a frozen lake must be faster than the
most ideal macadam road. IT is now con-
lceded. and the belief is gaining ground
that the record will drop even lower
than Ford has put ii when the big rae
ing machines of France, Germany. ant
America get going on the OrmOnd Beach
week after next