Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-07
MOTORISTS IN
HAIL AND RAIN
NOVEL EXPERIENCE WITHIN so
MILES OF LOS ANGELES
SUFFERERS FROM DESERT HEAT
THOROUGHLY DRENcHED
Leon T. Shelter and Party in Kissel
kar Completed Trip to North
5aldy and Return
Yesterday
BY FREDERIC PABsT.


transition from blistering desert
heat to a terrific rain and hai1storm
was the experience of a party of Los
Angeles motorists yesterday afternoon
in the Soledad canyon near Ravenna.
Leon L. Shelter with Bert Latham
and three passengers was on the re-
turn trip from North Baldy in a Kissel
Kar. For thirty miles over the desert
the scorching sun had baked the face
and arms of the party. Even the rush
of wind caused by the rapidly moving
auto was like the breath of a furnace
The car had left Shoemaker's ranch,
at the foot of the mountain, at 2
o'clock. AS the day wore on and the
car whirled over the sand the rubber
tires fairly sizzled from the heat
Every part of the car became so hot
it was almost blistering to place the
hand on the metal or upholstery. The
day was a typical desert scorcher. As
the car neared Palndale the heat was
so severe a thermometer would have
registered well over 100 degrees And
the heat was having its effect on the
occupants. Fourteen miles farther on
a stop was made in the shade of the
hotel at Acton to sock relief After
cooling drinks for the passengers and
gasoline for the engine the five weary
and half-baked people crawled into the
car to renew their ride in the sun.
Chance Quickly Comes
AS they prepared to start clouds
were seen in the hills to the south.
Looks like we might have a cloud
bust" said small boy sitting on the
steps of Ed Maier's Acton branch.
Every man in the car looked grieved
SON." said Shelter, eff anything
like that would happen on us we would
die with joy"
At that second he didn't know his
opportunity to die from said Joy would
come in the course of the next few
miles. A mile out of Acton a few rain
drops fell. There was a shedding of
hats and an uplifting of heads. as
camels must do after many weary
days without water.
A mile farther and there were moro
raindrops. But suddenly the rain
stopped
"That's our luck" remarked II. Gou-
lash, one of the passengers.
"Just when things begin to get en-
joyable tho rain stops"
But he filed his complaint q minute
too soon. AS suddenly as the rain had
stopped it began to fall again. And
| this time there was no mistake about
| 1T being real rain. There was a wild
scramble for coats, and in less than
| half mile the occupants of the ma
| CHINE were SOdKeu TO the SKILL. Ram
| fell in torrents, and just as J.. M. Onko
had barred his head to receive the ben
efts of the downpour he received a
crack on the top of his exposed crani-
um Another stinger caught him i'm
the ear and instead of rain hailstones,
| from a half to three quarters of an
inch thick, began falling. They caused
loud rattle on the hood of the car,
and an effort was made to preserve
the Ice balls in a Thermos bottle.
Roads In Bad Shape
The rain and hailstorm continued
while the car was travelling about ten
miles. When it stopped the sun came
out with its former vigor.
| Between the hours of $50 in the
morning and 6:45 in the evening the
Kissel Kar completed the trip from
Los Angeles to F. c. Fenner's mine,
on the top of the North Baldy noun
tain. and return, a distance of two
hundred miles. The car was driven by
Bert Latham, who will handle the ma
chine in the race September 20 against
T. C. Fenner's White steamer.
The object of the run was not to
make fast trip, but, regardless of
the fact that the machine carried five
passengers and never made a greater
speed than thirty-five miles an hour,
| the performance is one which has sell
dom, If ever, been duplicated. The
car never missed a shot, Latham CIV
ing the machine no further attention
than replenishing it with gasoline and
OIL
Latham had never been over the
course before and was interested in
| studying the different conditions OF
roads as he found them. His one YER
dict was that it. was a pretty bad
course for a race, but he believes the
Kissel will make a grand showing.
The people along the route at New
hall. Acton, Palmdale and the ranch
showed the old-time interest in the
annual race. Much work will have
to be done to put the road in proper
shape.