The Washington herald., 1907-07-07

%CLLY one hundred automobiles
viii begin on July 10 a wild dash
across the country in an effort to
win the 1897 Glidden trophy. They
will traverse six States. and If they en-
counter dry weather they will lift a
binding cloud OF dust half way TO the
sky. If they encounter wet weather they
will toss up enough mud to make the
trail Of the 1871 Gldden tour a thing to
be remembered by the inhabitants Of the
country through which the machines will
pass.
From all accounts. the route this year
is quite as difficult. regardless of what
weather conditions are met. as it is pic
turesque. When the 1,i00-odd miles were
still a slough Of last winters mud a
Pierce-Arrow path-fnding car covered
the distance for the purpose Of surveying
the route and the party aboard reported
road conditions almost impossible for au-
tomobiles Since then a Peerless car has
gone over the route. and the party aboard
reports delightful scenery. combined with
some rough roads and some good stiff
mountain grades to climb, but nothing
impossible for automobiles as they are
built to-day
This is the fourth time the Glidden
trophy has been contested for under the
direction of the American Automobile
Association, and II is by far the largest
number of cars ever entered In a motor
contest in America. Every effort has
been made to formulate rules which will
bring out the real qualities Of the 1907
car and which will at the same time
prevent the one hundred or more COM
peting cars from racing through the
country at an Illegal rate Of speed. There
viii be a path finder known as the pilot
car and this machine will precede the
caravan each day. According to the
rules. no car must pass the pilot car. but
at the same time there will be a running
schedule 10 which ali the machines must
adhere. The one hundred or more miles
which must be covered every day will be
divided into controls of about twenty
five miles In length. and all the cars
must check in at each control on sChed-
ule time This means that they cannot
run over the schedule time without being
penalized. and also that If they do not
make these controls on time they will
also be penalized.
No parts can be replaced IN the engine
or running gear Of the car unless these
parts have been registered at the start
of the tour and carried in the car through
out the journey. Tire trouble will not
count against a car except when a car is
late at a control through reason OF tire
trouble. In which case it would be pc
nalized for being late.
At the night controls or stops all the
ears will be kept under the eye of the
American Automobile Association officials
and no contestant will he allowed to toucl
his car for any purpose whatever be-
tween the time It enters the night con-
troll and the time it leaves for the next
days run.
All repairs. adjustments. and tire mend
ing must be done within the running time
allowed between controls and at the ex-
pense Of the contestant or rather the club
through which the contestant is entered
Last year the cars competed as indlvid-
ual machines, representing different fac
tories. but this year every contestant
must enter his car through a club and
these clubs will be allowed points In