The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-22
AMONG THE AUTOMOBLETS.
W.. ". OWEN GOING FOR SPEED
RECORD TO FLORIDA.

His Attempt TO Make Fast Time on Southern
Trip Likely TO Aid the Good Oad
MONement-Nikht Carnival Arranged
for Philadelphia on January ..
Wallace II. Owen. an old time automobilist.
who has resided in many cities and won much
anne as a driver OF racing machines and
touring cars. is to start out in a day or two
to establish a new record for the trip by
automobile from this city to Florida. accord
ing TO gossip along Automobile Row yester-
day. MIR. Owens undertaking liz really that
of a pathfinder. for while there has been an
instance % two OF automobilists driving
their cars from this city TO Florida the trips
have been made in u most leisurely. go as you
please manner and with no idea OF finding
out how quickly the journey could be accom-
plished. Many automobilists who heard
of the undertaking yesterday were OF tho
opinion that Owen had picked out the very
worst time of the year for such an under
taking. but he is reported as being con-
ldent that he will be able to make the trip
quickly in his 40 horsepower car The
project OF some sort OF a continuous good
road between this city and Florida has been
agitated more or less violently ever since
the Inauguration of the beach speed carnival
at Ormond. but nothing OF a concrete nature
has ever been done. Motorists interested in
the subject Of improved highways have
evinced much interest in Mr.. Owens pro-
posed trip. as he will at least call the attention
OF many mall communities to the need Of
better roads by his more or less successful
Efforts TO drive his car through 20 much
territory that is avoided by those addicted
to touring.
The show committee of the Philadelphia
Automobile Trade Association intends to
hold an illuminated night street carnival in
connection with the show which
is to be run in the Quaker City January 5
to ~. The parade IL to be held on the even
ing Of Monday. January z. and is to be divided
into three observation-disclosures. touring
cars and imousines, Prizes are to be offered
for the most handsomely decorated machines
and the competition will be open to all owners
OF automobiles in Philadelphia and vicinity.
Representative Samuel l.. Porter of Ames-
bury enjoys the distinction OF fling the
first automobile measure for 1907 with the
clerk of the Massachusetts House of Rep
Tesentatives. The measure provides that
fines paid as penalties for violations of the
laws relating to aut OmobIles or motor vehicles
OF any KIND shall be paid into the state treas
under the direction of the MASSACHUSETTS
Highway commission or for such other
similar measure was before the Legislature
last year but was sidetTacked in order to
permit the bill increasing the speed limit
| W twenty hAAANH W kO AnlOhkHs inns INV .
when there Ii 80 much talk regarding the
damage done to roads by automobiles, the
ssideration ~ We'll oTSanized and deter
mined campaign for the passage of the
measure will be undertaken by Massachusetts,
motorists.
Why does the gasolene propelled COM
mercial vehicle take hold so slowly? WAS the
question put to the chief exhibitor of this
class of vehicles at the recent show in the Pal
ace. says the AutOmobitc, Why can't you
response. Simply because they are paid
better TO, do something else, and that il the
tain Competent drivers. and the same thing
Is true of the firms to which We have sold
gasolene trucks. The trained and Intelligent
driver who can keep a car on, the road day
after day with a minimum OF expense and
repairs commands "A rate of compensation
that IL utterly beyond the commercial house
to pay. The average chauffeur probably
gets two or three times ~ much IA the truck
driver, though the latter usually has the
not form a very strong inducemcnt. and IL
is next to impossible to either obtain good
men to drive "A g~asolene truck or to keep
them at IL very long If you do get them.
Throughout the entire design of our motor
and transmission we have aimed at making
everything as nearly fool proof as IL Is possible
to make "A piece Of machinery, but the meChan-
ism that does not require some Intelligence
and common sense TO keep II running has yet
10 be- built. We equip our trucks With a
! powerful. SLOW speed motor. safeguard H.
! with a relia ole governor and use the planet
AIRY type of ChHuge speed gear, so that there
Is lutte 10 be daua god by experienced
handling. yet We have found IL difficult to
educate the average truck driver mp to a
point here he II Capahle Of taking proper
care OF even such n simple piece of machinery
as this Those that learn quickly shortly
better wages as drivers Of pleasure cars. so
that the process of educating men for this
post has 10 be continued and the trucks are
at times out of service for no other rea son
than that there il no one in the employ of the
hOusr competent TO drive them. IL is NOT a
tIIpsttnn off tho RnisianpV nf tho On ZnlaI.n
truck or the service TO be- expected of II. for
both Of these are known quantities. But
trucks will not drive themselves, and there
you are"
Coming As it does from one who speaks
from sctnal experience N the matter this Is
more weight than could be accorded any at
tempted theoretical explanation of the causes
und erlying the slow growth OF the commercial
vehicle OF the g~asOlene type in popular favor.
That there are Others goes without saying,
such. for instance. as the fact that the COM
mercial vehicle. in the majority of instances
is but a side line with many makers-they
have found the manufacture of pleasure vehi-
that requires all their time and effort. This,
Of course, has 40 application u the manufac-
turer who has specialized on the commercial
type and makes no other, but the latter is as
yet grea ty in the minority. Whatever the
reasons Tor this slow rate Of, progress may be
as a whole, the fact that the latter has not
been what IL should cannot be overlooked
nor Is there any immediate prospect Of sub
stantial increase OF interest in this direction.
According to reports from Engla nd, Herr
Won Pittler. who is said TO have first brought
out the knitting machine. has invented n
most novel power transmission system for
use on automobiles. II IL called the hydro
mobile and Is said TO do away with the clutch,
gear box. diferential, reverse and brakes.
British Motoring Illustrated describes the
system thus: Attached TO the fywheei OF
the petrol or steam motor Is a rotary pump
OF such design that il is capable of pumping
oil to a pressure Of Pa tons to the square
inch, The oil, under pressure, il led through
a tube to the rear live axle, on which is bolted
q second rotary pump Of the same design,
This pump, however, acts as a turbine. and
Is driven by the oil. As the vanes OF the
turbine revolve they turn the axle. and so
transmit the power to the road wheels. The
live axle turbine Is constructed in two halves
fed by the same column Of oil under pressure.
Each half is bolted 10 the halved driving
members of the rear axle. and in this manner
does away with the necessity for a differen-
tal, Any variation in the relative speed
Of the two rear road wheels is balanced by
the oil. which naturally runs along the line
Of least resistance. The oil having driven
the rear axle turbine returns through the
power pump TO be again forced back to the
turbine. All variations in the pace of the
motor are obtained by opening or shutting
Of a cock in the oil duct and allow ing more
or less oil under pressure TO reachthe turbine.
The car Is started by gradually opening this
cock, when the turbine imparts n gradually