The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-12
AWAY TO PARIS.
Automobiles Start on Their
Run of $4,000 Miles.
First of the Contestants Will
Go Straight West.
OTHERS BY CHICAGO.
Three Frenchmen Occupants Of
the Leading Car.
Germans and Italians Partici-
pating in the Trip.
OTHERS BY CHICAGO.

pating in the Trip.
New York. Feb. 12-Three automobil-
lists In big foreign car started late
yesterday afternoon on a $4,000 mile
overland journey from New York to
Paris. The start was made from the
Pulitzer building and the first stage Of
the journey will be completed at Phil
adelphia. From the Pennsylvania city
the automobilists will strike out
straight across the continent. The oc-
cupants of the car are Eugene De
Louvier. Maurice Droeghe and Max
Hohmann. The regularly organized
New York to Paris run with three
French, one Italian, one German and
one American entrants started at II
o'clock today.
Six Machines Start.
The order of start and the personnel
or the various teams follow:
No l, French-G. Bourcier st. Chat
fray, Captain Hans Hendrix Hanson,
and NJ. Autran.
No. 2, French-M. GODDARD. M. Hoe,
and M. Livier.
No. 8, French-M. Pons, M. Des-
champs. and NJ. Berthe.
No. 4, Italian-Antonio Scarfoglio,
Emilio Sfrtori. and Henri Haega-
No. ., German-Lieutenant Koeppen,
Engineer Hans Knape, and Engineer
Ernest Mas
No. 6, American-Montague Roberts
and Howard Brinker.
Three of the drivers contested in the
famous Pekfn-to-Paris race, the sue
cess OF which caused the present unus-
ual contest to be projected. A part of
the journey is to be made over the same
route traversed by the winning car in
the Pekin-t -to-Paris race-from Irkutsk
on the line of the trans Siberian rail-
road to Paris.
nf1
All of the men are confident of their
ability to take their machines safely
through the difficult task before them.
The winter journey across the western
plains and plateauS of the United
States, including the crossing of the
titude of more than 5000 feet, is re-
garded by the racing enthusiasts as the
easiest part Of their work and they ex-
pect to be in San Francisco inside of
80 days.
AS to the remainder of the journey,
including as it does the first exper-
fence with an automobile in the Polar
regions, the estimates Of the time re-
quired to get through to Paris vary
from six to thirty days.
Each car will be equipped with
every contriyance the drivers believe
the exigencies of the journey will re-
quire. Spiked tires for travel over the
frozen rivers OF Alaska and Siberia
are a part OIL lIo equipment duQ
various devices for retaining heat in
the engines and radiators have been
ma de. Camp utensils, repair outfits,
and stores will make cumbersome
baggage.
Through UntraveIed Wastes.
The route leads through many miles
Of heretofore untraveled wastes, but
mittee in charge of the contest have
made arrangements for supply sta
tions. The drivers, it is believed. will
elect to keep together through the
more difficult stages of the trip. leav-
ing the speed feature to the last.
Reaehing San Francisco by way
Of southern California, detour from
Reno carrying them south to Mojave,
Santa Barbara, the automobilists will
take q steamer to Seattle and there
transfer to another steamer to Valdez,
Alaska. A journey of 1,1o0 miles by
snow packed roads and frozen rivers
will bring the racers to Nome.
The arrangements for crossing
Behring straits are not yet perfected
Unless there Is solid ice steamer will
be taken to East Cape. Siberia, a mat
ter of some sixty miles. Then the
autoists will skirt the frozen shore of
the Arctic sea to the mouth of the
Lena river. Up this frozen stream
they will make their way to 1rkutsk,
from which point the roads to Mos
COW, st. petersburg, Berun ana FdrlS
are we'll defined.
Reception at Chicago.
Chicago, Feb. 12.-Extended prepara-
tions are being made by the Chicago
Automobile club for the reception OF
endurance drivers who start from New
York City on the New York to Paris
trip-the most remarkable automobile
tour ever known.
The drivers are to be received by the
Chicago Automobile organization and
rendered the courtesy of quarters. From
Chicago to San Francisco the club Will
outline the route to be covered. All
doubts as to the sincerity of the pro-
moters of this remarkable trip were
set aside by the arrival of the German,
| French and Italian entries in New York
City.
The American Automobile association
| has written it's members throughout
| the country, to extend courtesles to the
endurance riders.
| More than 20,300 miles are to be COW
! cred in the trip. From New YORK the
drive will be up the Hudson to Albany,
| westward to Buffalo. around the lakes
and then to Chicago From mere tne
| run will be directed to Canton, Ia, tnen
to Council Bluffs and across country TO
Nevada, passing down to Los Angeles,
| northward to San Francisco, TO Seatlie
and by boat to Valdez. Alaska.
| The course will then follow the Yu-
kon to Nome. s+a,+
The passage across Behring STRAIT
will land the tourists at East Cape
| Siberia. From there the route 10 Faris