The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-13
The AUTOKOBMTSTS
AMPHEBEOUS CAR HAS FIRST
TRIAL IN AMERICA. "a.


The land and water automobile recently
brought here from France had Its frat public
trial yesterday afternoon when Gen. John T.
Cutting OF the Old Guard and Automobile
Row had a ride Id 10 In the Hudson River.
lie drove MP Broadway In the car from the
corner OK Fifty-flrst street t~o.Lafayette Boule-
ward and up the boulevard to I7Sd street.
where the machine entered the water. It
looks like a motor boat on wheels snd is named
the WateriandI ]. It appears that the machine
IL styled "A canoe ~Voieure" and not canoe
~voltatr. as a well meaning young Philadel-
phian Informed a group OF interested ones on
Monday afternoon.
The car. or boat. has a steel hull or body
and In mounted on substantial metal wheels
lifted with solid rubber tires. The radiator
tubes are placed ON top Of the deck Of the
body. II IL propelled by a screw and when In
the water il steered by the front wheels and n
rudder. Yesterday an American flag and the
French tricoior we're flown from poles behind
the seat and the French marine flag was dis
played at the bow. The machine Is driven
Ivy a two cylinder ~ horsepower De Dion
engine. After Gen. Cutting and a number Of
others had ridden around In the Hudson for n
while the machine was brought back onto the
land again. There was "A decided slope at
the river. edge and the versatility Of the ma
chine was further shown when IL hauled itself
out OF the water by means of a rope wound
aIOuAlu IN ChBhLdh L4oulLcu Nb Tic DoNs 10
cspstan being worked by the engine. Gen.
Cutting took d number of friends TO the scene
OF the exhibition In his Oldsmobile and e num-
her Of other autOmObilists were also ri resent.
Angus Sinclair. president OF tho New
Jersey Automobile and Motor Club. takes
issue with those who blame automobiles
for destroying macadam road surfaces.
IN the FIRST number OF tho Motor RecJr' Z,
the oficial organ Of his organization. Mr..
Sinclair gives his views rs follows: When
u fast running automobile is seen rushius
along in q cloud OF dust the beholdcr natural.
receives the impression that the car Is carry
ing with H. n considerable portion Of the road
way material and that n succession of cars
would quickly sweep bare the surface OF
Tre ! and it has Rivs mr. riss 70 persistsnt
lamentations CONCERNING the destructive
action OF automobiles In disturbing the
roads together. Things nre not always
what they seem. as every engineer and in
vestigatOr finds out many times. 50. moved
through superficial impressions. ! determined'
70 make some tests 10 ascertain with some
way IL moved by passin: vehicles.
some portions of the msn road leading
from Springfield 20 ward Scotch Plains have
the surface badly a~ttcnpated by the action
" horses feet and the individual stones stand
out like blu2t spurs Of short harrow teeth;
last September during a dry spell collected
about one hundred pounds Of road dust and
spread IL over part of one OF these bare spots
and watched T"-4lts. ] examined the place
every third To- 'rurJh day, and at tine end of
eleven day lid disiin GIish no particular
difference. On the twelfth day after tho
experiment began there was n heavy shower
Of rain. IIavin: been aug In the shower
near the scene of my experiment. I proceeded
70 the spot to examine the effects OF the rain
and found that numerous miniature river beds
lad been cut through the dust covering.
When the surface dried the covering scattered
fat again, hut IL had become decidedly thin
ner. About n week later there was a eeve re
rain storm. and when I ventured the trip to
examine my road covering all traces Of my
labor had been obiiJeratsd. From constant
observations of the Mum avenue. East
Orange, road surface, WniCh was covered with
a dust preventive material some months
ago, I am persuaded that the real need for
the preservation OF our roads 10 q surface
covering that will prevent the rain from wash
iug aw9y lie binding material"