The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
GOSSIP OF The AUTOS
Record Entry List Expected
for A. A. A. Tour.
WASHINGTON ON THE ROUTE
Start WIZ Probably Be Made at Buff
faIO and Take I'm Piftsburg, wash
ingtOn, Baltimore, and Atlantic
COast-Gotham Auto Carnival At
tracing Much Attention.

COast-Gotham Auto Carnival At-
tracing Much Attention.
General commendation of the makers
and clubs has been the result Of the de-
cision of the A. A. A. touring board to
allow the clubs to organize any number
of teams of three or more cars for the
annual tour of the association. The max
ers who have been interviewed Of late
have invariably promised 10 have repre-
sentatives on the great tour, and it now
seems probable that on account Of the
new rules the tour will have an entry list
double as large as last year. and then
some. One city will put forth at least
i've teams. and Buffalo win undoubtedly
have two and perhaps three.
The team from Buffalo last year was
composed OF five ears, representing three
makers. when it won the trophy for the
third time for the Automobile Club of Buf
falo. Two of the members OF the success
full team were Pierce Great Arrows, both
of which ran perfectly throughout. ard
the George n. Pierce Company now pro
poses TO place a team of three in the field
as representatives of the Buffalo club.
There will be no difficulty on this score,
as the Pierce Great Arrow was represent
ed on the New York. the Pittsburg, the
Buffalo. and Philadelphia teams last
year
Under the present rules the teams win
be massed under one club The outlook
for the tour of 1905 is such as TO lead to
the prediction that at least 200 cars will
take part, and for that reason the route
proposed from Buffalo through Pittsburg
TO Washington and Baltimore and thence
up the Atlantic coast, touching at all the
large cities and the great summer resorts.
is commended for the reason that accom-
modations viii be more easily secured
along such a route
Much interest is being shown in and
around New York in the automobile car
nivaI of this week. which is to be a sort
of spring opening in addition TO a celebra-
tion of the completion of ten years Of the
industry. There will be an illuminated
parade on the night of April and hill
I .
there viii be general decoration OF all
the agencies and salesrooms in the city
and a tremendous bid for publicity and
the awakening Of the buying public.
Weather conditions seem 10 favor this
system of bringing OUT the seasons
output at this time The fact that Chi
cago will follow suit seems to indicate
that the plan is worth a general trial. II
Is likely that other cities Will also have
automobile weeks.
As the time approaches for the running
Of the Briarcliff trophy race, set for April
p, IL becomes apparent that there is con-
siderable work still TO be done on the
roads and in the construction Of a grand
stand and official structures. Reports
made last week indIcate that portion of
the course Is impossible. This being
called 10 the attention of Robert Lee
Morrell, the chairman of the manufac-
turers' committee, in charge Of the race,
a determined effort has been made to in
stitute work in getting the course into
shape It is likely thar these difficulties
will be overcome and that the race viii
take place as planned 1t should be a
successful race on the number and quality
of the cars entered.
The members of the New York Athletic
Club who own automobiles have formed
an automobile section, which was formal
~ launched at a dinner held on Thursday
evening, April ,, at the clubhouse. in Cen
trail Park south. This section. which
practically takes rank as an automobile
club of the first magnitude. was starred
with nearly 400 members, all OF whom own
machines The new organization viii con
Germ itself largely with touring and pos
Sibiy TO some extent with racing in or
near New York.
It is said the announcement made by
the American Motor Car Manufacturers
Association that that body is considering
the installation of travelling railroad
show Of automobiles for next season
does not indicate that this will do away
with the New York show An impression
had got abroad that the new show plans
would be the only ones worked out by
the organization. This is said TO be un-
true
The Motor Car Racing Association of
Baltimore has made application fer a
sanction for track races 10 be held at
Pimlico Park, near that city. on Decora-
ton Day. This is the first announcement
of large track meet to be made this sea
son. Pimlico IS a mile track and should
provide a meeting place for a highly sue
cessful series of contests. The presence
of several high State and city officials is
promised. and the meeting will be largely
a society event. The entry blanks have
not yet been issued, but the programme
is said to be long and varied one.
According to a Chicago physician. an
inventor of that city has brought out
device which will do away with the skid
ding of motor cars almost entirely. He
says It is a clutch which acts as an auto
matte distributor Of the power to the
slow wheel, thereby practically elimina-
ting the differential gear which he as
serts is the principal cause of skidding.
The physician declares that chains and
other anti-skidding devices TO be used on
tires act only as a malicious. unscientific.
and irrational aid. He is not opposed to
the use of chains when pavements are
covered with snow. but says ii is unrea-
solabe to use them when the streets are
simply muddy and wet or when they are
dry. He says he has often ridden in a
machine. equipped with the Chicago in
ventor's device, smooth tires, and a solid
axle, and knows that Il will not skid when
the brakes are applied. in starting or
turning corners. no matter what the con-
dftion of the roads NAV be
He gives the following reasons why the
device should be adopted:
1T can be readily put on cars now in
use as well as those in the process Of CON
struction.
1T is cheaper than a differential. will
last longer. lessons the weight Of the ma
chine, and does not coast