Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-30
DURABILITY OF
AUTO PROVED
SPEED OF HORSELESS MA
CHIMES SAVES LIVES
Scurried About the Flaming Streets
of San Francisco and Carried
People From Paths of
Danger

| If ever the reliability and endurance
of the automobile was put to test,
| that under ordinary circumstances
would never have been attempted, the
| San francisco disaster gave rise to such
| an occasion.
| No care was taken in the manner OF
driving the hundreds of machines which
scurried about on their errands of
mercy during the stricken period of
the metropolis.
| Hundreds of wounded We're carried
from the course of the onrushing flames
and whirled to places of safety. The
| federal authorities, who are accredited
with maintaining superb discipline
throughout the narrowing days which
| followed the earthquake, found their
duties simplified by the aid of the
auto. Orders were dispatched in min
| utes which would have taken hours to
| carry out had the horseless machines
| not been at hand and ready for in
slant use.
Tonneaus stocked high with bread
| and the provisions sent from Los An
geles gladdened hungry refugees as they
fled from the path of. the flames. The
mass of debris but emphasized the
strength and durability Of the cars,
which were seemingly not to be stopped
by any obstacle, however formidable.
| The work was not accomplished by
any single style of machine and the
small runabout piled high with tables
and chairs was as much in evidence as
the large touring cars filled with SOL
diers and dynamite.
The activity of the automobile in
San Francisco during the time Of
trouble will doubtless remove the last
| vestige of the automobile joke, as the
human-like movement and responses of
| the horseless cars as they fitted
thrO1IoI1 tho ct Of tho a.th
metropolis. succoring the disaster
stricken papulace will ever be remem-
| bered when the fallen city shall have
risen to the heights of her former
glory.
] Fred Bennett of the Los Angeles
agency for the Ford machine has just
returned from the north, where he ran
five cars day and night, carrying dead
and wounded people. officials, dynamite
sticks and the unlimited variety Of
| loads which the occasion demanded. MIR.
Bennet is of the opinion that at least
five hundred people escaped death by
means of the rapid auto transit.
An interesting experience by motor
cyclist is told in English Motoring. The
| motorcyclist ran out of gasoline, and
as there was none of that precious
product to be obtained where he was
at the time, he thought he would try
| kerosene, quart of which he procured
at wayside cottage.
| There were a few drops of gasoline
left in the tank, which he coaxed into
| the carbureter and then poured the
kerosene into the tank. The motor
| fired at once and he did the next ten
| miles without stop. The smell was
appalling and the exhaust pipe was
red hot all the way, but no damage
was done. The power developed ap-
peared to be about normal.
Automobilists who employ drivers
should make insistent inquiries every
week as to the condition of the brakes
and should demand that they be kept
| in perfect condition, and owners who
| do not employ drivers should rigidly
| look after the matter themselves. BY
| lacking up the back wheels of a car
| the brakes can be easily tested.
| The side brake lever can be put half
way on the notched quadrant to find
| If the brake is holding the back
wheels and holding them evenly. BY
advancing the lever notch by notch
one can discover at what point the
| wheels are locked, and at this point
the lever should still be able to move
| forward on the quadrant.
| The foot brake can be tested out in
| the same manner. Have the driver
sit in his seat and press the foot
pedal while you test the wheels. When
the wheels are locked the pedal must
not have been pressed down to the
floor board, but must still have space
underneath to allow of more forceful
| aDplication.