The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-05
AMONG THE AUTOMOBILISTS.
ADAPTABILITY OF MOTOR CARS
r r FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Practical Illustration while Patrol Wagon
was Answe rinS m Alarm discussion
Over Rules OF Two Gallon Fest Econ
omy Run Of New York Motor Club.

was Answering IN Aihrm biScussion
Over Rules OF Two Gallon Test-EcOn
omy Run OF New York Motor Club.
Late yesterday afternoon an insurance
patrol wagon went spinning through Madi-
son Square with great %clangor, the horses
galloping, to answer a fire alarm. Spin
ming almost noiselessly ahead Of 1t. and at a
more rapid pace, was a red automobile. The
motor car swerved In close To the curb and
came to a stop while Its occupants watched
the nremen 20 past. II was a very signtn-
cant. concrete demonstration i'r n trio COM
posed Of a prominent manufacturer. his New
York agent and the writer. who happened to
be passing. How long will it be before
those wagons and all of the Are apparatus
have motors?" Quericd one of the three TO the
,thcrs. Not very long," answered the
manufacture with those horses on such n
run the driver could not stop them in less
than q block If called upon suddenly to dn
so. Even then he would be apt To strain the
legs Of the horses. The automobile is swiftor
and castor to handle in every way" The
illustration Of this given by that red car IL i'm
mcnscly impressive, som" o' the city oili-
cials should have witnessed 1t. How primitive
It appeared to watch those horses running
and the motor chr gliding ahead OF It, like Il
porpoise playing with n fishing smack!
manufacturer who was in the city ycstor-
day attending a meeting spoke as lolloWS,
when the subject was preached OF the Two
gallon efficiency test Of the Club
Of America. which begins to-day: why does
A club such az that. a social and sporting
orranization, al B., nge technical contests. with
rules OF ito own and then look TO the manu-
faoturers to support thcn' Tho rules do not
provide for any scientific tests. such as arc
made at the factories. and there Ia no reason.
! except that Of advertising. for a manuIac-
turer 10 enter. l have figured 1t out that I'M
dor the system Of handicapping announced
A car with a one-cylindcr engine will have to
travel 40 per cent. further on two gallons
than n four-cylinder car. That is lmpUs-
sible. II seems to me that the club should
look to its members and 10 tho general run
of automob!lists to support its contests as n
matter OF sport.
Instead Of continuing for ak days. rs was
the case last year. the 1900 economy test
min Of the New York Motor Club will be
Of three days, Tuesday. Wednesday and
Thursday, June 10, 20 and II. The first days
rim is to Albany. $50 miles; the objective
point the SECOND day will be Springfield,
SIass,, 1871 miles, and the concluding days
run Of $40 miles Will BRING the competing
cars back to this city,
uarrv Irwin, chairman Of the clubs con-
,sat committee, Ia now touring over the
route TO be used preparing maps OF the roads
for the benefit Of the contestants. This year
tho awards will be based on the cost per ton
milo. making a classification OF the cars UNI
nooeasarv. The weight will include car.
passen baggage. tools and parts
seyonty-one self propelled vehicles. each
carrying from, two TO hve passengers, VII
Start M Fifth avenue from Ftfty-eighth
street this afternoon TO show how far they
can ira vel on two gallons OF Gasolene. The
automobile Club of America offers three
.xT,na Tor tho COnfnEt n SOM goa nllCl
bowl, a sloo cup and a medal, The ears will
assemble at the weighing ~ place at ~
starting has been set at 1880 O'Clock. Up
to a late hour last night the contest COM
mittee had not made PUBLIC rs decision re-,
the time limit be raised from hye to eight
hours. The committee viii make an an
start to-day. II was reported yesterday
that many OF those who had entered cars
had been looking around for hraNyMclIhi
fbs Meie II Of t RsSiS oaded cars ar ' IS to BEN be multi.
| piled by the distance travelled 70, decide the
passengers is apparent.
In a discussion of various types Of tires
a writer in Tue ard Mopr said After mo
present speed madness shan have sub-thcd,
or become ho alized, We expect 20 see de
yeloped an enormous d"n,9d for '6S 1"n.r
unlimited market Tor n pup,torc proof ure,
as lively as rcssiSle under III CliG,l"atanIes
and which will allow a slesu oi fifteen mules
an hour over Ordinary road, or w twenty-five
an hour on smooth stTel'ho1, such, uIgs
would permit Of cross-couRtry tripping to
any extent In perfcot security and would
also tend 10 pop, risc the motor car and
make OF II a much more demo, rol' illsllt"-
ton than IL Is now.
An Ingenious New York automobile ma
| ohinist with artistic tendencies has been
putting In his spare moments for some time
| making a plaster model OF a touring car.