The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-07
NOT SUCCESSFUL.
Denatured Alcohol Used on a
Long Automobile Trip.
Experiment With This Fuel a
Failure, Says Tracy.
HARDLY A FAIR TEST.
The Equipment of the Car Was
Not Suited for the Trial.
Had Several Accidents Along
the Road, Besides.

Chicago. Feb. Tt is characteristic
of Joseph Tracy, the fearless driver,
that when he settled into the COM
paratively calm life OF a technical ex-
pert and designer he should heed the
call of duty when the opportunity al
forded to be the first driver of 1907 TO
give denatured alcohol a hard test.
Uncle Sans new law scarcely mad
been in operation more than ten min
utes when Mr.. Tracy began to drive
his Golden Dragon car from New York
10 Philadelphia. In addition to being
the first road experiment of 1907 with
the new fuel 1t really was the longest
alcohol test of its kind ever held IN
this country.
Like all other hastily arranged tests
that have to be made with equipment
not altogether suited for the trial, II
was unsatisfactory. Accidents, OF
course played their part and the mis-
take of giving a gasoline carburetor the
work of preparing the mixture Tor the
cylinders was little short of grave
mistake.
said Tracy as he arrived here to attend
the Coliseum show. The fact that
was TO have the honor of driving a car
alcohol helped to offset the bad roads
and poor running conditions"
The run from the start was disheart-
ening. A fog hung low over the New
the river and the roads were inches
deep In soft mud, the result of three
days rain after frost. Just as the
bells were tolling the advent of the
York Motor clubs headquarters, rush
ing to the Desbrosses street ferry.
The plank roadway of the Newark
route nearly brought the expedition to
an untimely end. One of the planks
was washed out by a flood, and into the
hole the Dragon rushed, warping the
axle SO that when the car was dragged
out 1t steered badly, and the progress
TO Newark was slow. AT Newark all
the garage men were asleep and repairs
were impossible. After losing his bear
to Railway, Tracy finally stumbled on
a road that led him into Railway, fully
10 miles of unnecessary travel being
recorded.
Another mix-up in the fog and an
other jolt that bent the axle still fur
Their forced the driver to the humiliat-
ing speed of three miles an hour. Co.
ing around in circle he finally landed
in Railway again, in time for break
fast and repairs. 1t was / o'clock that
afternoon before he resumed the run.
The trip from Railway to New Bruins
wick, where luncheon was had, and to
Trenton. where Tracy had his supper,
was uneventful. At both places the
driver bought alcohol and denatured it
himself before using it. The Automo-
bile club of America had signs up on
the route, but Tracy says notices or
this kind will have to be electric
lighted before a motorist will be able
to see them on a foggy night.
aside from the price of the fue1,'
said Mr.. Tracy, IT found that larger
quantity was required than gasoline.
But the tests that are to be held from
time to time this year will be more
beneficial. Three times as much alco-
hol was used on that trip as gasolinei
That is not right. The compression |
was not high enough for alcohol in a |
gasoline carburetor. An engine equip |
ped for alcohol consumption would |
have given better account of itself.
"A1 Poole, the mechanician who ac- |
me in the Vanderbilt cup |
races, was my companion on that al |
cohol test, and he also feels certain |
that before the summer is over there |
will have been enough scientific. tests /
of alcohol for fuel on road spins to |
make the users of gasoline sit up and |