Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-10-02
RUNNING
AHEAD
OF STORM
Fast Big Automoblle rheS
BEFORE Thunder Storm
and Beats 1t.

Pacing or rather lodging, thuh
a.orms Is a new game and BIDS
fair TO supersede the automoDile ''
na,,oor racing fad. Henry Ford, the
Dotroit automobile magnate, is the
originator of the game so lar do
t,own. Ford is practical farmer'
90 we'll as motor car designer, ana
Michigan farmers become acute
weather observers. Possibly tnis
combination was necessary to the In
vention of the modern game.
Last Sunday Ford had promised
sorr friends a drive. When about
to start one observed that storm
was brewing and perhaps 1t wouio
be better to postpone the trip I'LL
more propitious day. Not at all
said Ford, chat storm can't eaten
us-it's four miles from here now
and coming this way-wells peat 1t
and On around it," Seeing he was In
earnest, someone wanted to wager
tho storm would win. but there was
M time for betting. Ford opened up
| the big "6-4O," and taking PACK
streets. was able to make fairly good
sneed. until the city limits were
reached. The storm was gaining and
already it was sprinking on the mo-
torists. so it was suggested the top
be put up. This suggestion was
lost in the vacuum behind as the
"6-4O" was let out to forty, forty
five, fifty miles per hour. The drops
ceased falling and sunshine bright
and clear lighted the way or the
laying machine. The car now gained
on the storm and for 10 miles ran or
dry roads, although the occupants
could plainly see the black sheet Of
water falling just behind while the
vivid lightning and terrific thunder
claps followed like Nemesis. All a
once, though the car was running
/, faster than the storm. a few drops
cut the face of the driver. Looking
up quickly he noticed that the clouds
were going in the opposite direction
, they had run into a counter cur
rent of air and another storm. !
quick turn to the left on the firs
cross-road was in order, and tina
storm was soon left at the post On
air current absorbed or counteracte'
the other so that both storms wer
eluded in the mad rush of the car.
The ride was continued through
the entire afternoon, during whic
time nearly one hundred miles wer
covered over roads. every inch c
: which were later deluged with rail-
| and yet the occupants of the ca
!. were never wetted. Strangel
enough, the route. when completed
showed that the party had travele
i toward all points OF the compass
; had criss-crossed three counties, an
{ in some cases had recrossed the
D own tracks in getting around an
d then behind storm whose effect
however. they had entirely escapes
e Ford says a car that can run
least 40 miles per hour on any kir
n of country roads and keen wealth,
eye are the only requirements
!. make an expert of this game, whiC
is more exciting and more exhllira
' ing than chasing balloons-or raj
bows. One condition that aids Il
Il driver and reduces the chances
= accident is the fact that. when
thunder storm is impending. hors
, drawn vehicles take to cover so h
, roads are left clear for the motori,
r Electrical storm clouds seldom ha
an area greater than 15 or 20 mil
square. and except In cases OF re
tornadoes never travel more than
miles per hour. so the ear need n