The San Francisco call., 1908-04-08
French Racing Auto Makes Rapid
Run to San Francisco

The tricolored standard of France has
been brought into San Francisco by one
CT the racing cars in the New York to
Paris race. Boureier ct. Chaffray who
is the one responsible for the contest
as Well as for the races from Paris to
Peklng, E. Lascaris and A. Autran en-
tered the city of the Golden gate in the
De Dion car late yesterday afternoon
and finished the route which lays be-
tween the Atlantic and the Pacific. The
last days run was a good one, dis
rance OF about 160 miles being made in
ABOUT six hours. With the coming of
ST. Chanray the many questions of the
rules of the contests will be answered.
When asked the rules and regula-
tions governing this race he stated that
there We're none giving special routes,
saying further that the object was to
make circle of the world in the best
way possible between New York and
Paris, saying that it was really trip
around the world, as much of it to be
done on land as possible. In speaking
OF the route to be taken he said he con-
Sldered 1t wiser to go to Vladivostok
and through the northern part of Sibe-
ria to Okhotsk and to then ship the car
for Alaska and cover that territory in
the winter when the snow was more
solid and the rivers frozen hard for
roadbed. However he has not def
nitely decided which way he Will go
upon leaving here. 1t is likely that he
will take to Siberia and do the Alaskan
part of the trip when the winter sets in.
STILL IN THE RACE
AS to whether the Motorbloc and the
German car were out of the race st.
Chaffray said
No, they are still in the race, but if
the other cars all reach Paris they will
be fourth and fifth. The main point of
the contest is to reach Paris first with
the greatest number of miles The car
with the greatest number of miles to
its credit will win.
When the word was received last
Sunday afternoon that the De Dion, the
French racer, was in Tulare, having a
few minor repairs made and expecting
to leave that night late or early Mon
day morning, prepa nations were made
by the Automobile club of California,
through its representative, r. r.
PHommedieu, for an official pilot car
to meet it at Los Banos and escort ST.
Chaffray into the city. The Stearns
Speedster. the tourabout which made
such q splendid record in the hill climb
on Buena Vista heights, was selected
as pilot car and the start was made,
with d. A. Bonney, the well known
driver, at the wheel, R. r. fHomme-
dieu, representative of the club and
A. 1t. Snead, who was picked up in
Oakland. Los Banos was reached a little
after noon. The telephone was used
extensively. but nothing real satisfac-
tory could be obtained. The reports
from the farmers and from one or two
automobiles that came into Los Banos
was that the land below Firebaugh was
under water, as on account of lack of
rain the farmers have found it neces-
sary to irrigate very largely, and the
n ahAr <f x0Io h.
flooded. Several cars had been stalled
there, and as the time passed and the
big racer did not arrive this was at
tributed to be the cause. Inadvertent-
ly 1t was the cause. as ST. Chaffray had
been told of these conditions, but
started out In roundabout way for
Los Banos. Some pretty hard travelling
was done, and when night came the
crew were so tired they spent the night
in Mendoza
Early next morning search was again
instituted through the assistance of
the telephone. but the pilots heard
nothing of the car. Just as 1t was
about decided to proceed southwark
farther on the road to Fresno, amid u
great swirl of dust, but wonderfully
quiet, the big De Dion sped into town
and UP to the hotel.
TAKE TRAIL AGAIN
After q short stop, piloted by the
Stearns, and amid thu cheers of the
crowd of townspeople, the racer rushed
on to Gilroy. A steady pace was taken
through the town, out on the county
road for a short distance, then over
what is called the field road, almost
q perfect road. over this rolling coun-
try. Excellent time was made, the big
racer keeping an even pace with the
Stearns. up the grades down the other
side, and through the fords. st. Chat
fray, while coming through the pass In
quired the name of 1t, remarking that
it was beautiful.
Several times the driver of the Bon
ney saw chance to make a short
cut, some of them pretty sharp and
steep, but the big De Dion was always
there When the photographer of The
Call prepared to take the first picture