The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-19
Frenchman Brands the Long
Auto Event a Farce.
THOSE BACK OF THE SCHEME
VI LelOuvier, Who Has Travelled Ex-
tensiveIy I'm Siberia, shows How IL
Is Out of QeustiOn by Route Al
ready SeIected-Backed by Capital
lists Who Are Interested.

connection with the automobile race being
run from New York to Paris by way of
Alaska and Siberia.
Mr.. Lelouvier not only says that the
route selected Is an impossible one, but
/ asserts that the idea. which originated
with him purely as a sporting event in
the way of an endurance test, is now
being really backed by capitalists anxious
TO boom their interests IN Alaska and 81
IBERIA.
MI. Lelouvier points to the fact that it
was NJ. Loicq de Lobel. head of the
Trars-Alaska Railroad Company. who
first offered 5000 francs $1,000 by way of
starting the subscription list According
to the same authority. It Is said that a
Mile de Gauban du Mont is inter
ested in a gold mine at Port Clarence
Alaska. and is understood TO be giving
financial backing TO the Inflated car in
which Mr. Deighe is now endeavoring TO
catch up 10 the other contestants
This is made the more interesting by
reason of the fact that NJ Lelouvier
came from France as driver Of this car
and left it In this city after a disagree
ment with Drieghe.
Trouble I'm siberia
AS regards the route over which the
contestants are to make the trip through
Siberia. the FTenchman claims il is I'M
possible. and backs his statement b. his
knowledge Of Siberia. he having been the
first white European TO traverse the Gobi
desert at the time he laid out the route
for the Paris Pekin race This feat he
accomplished by aid OF a Chinese disguise
and his familiarity with the Chinese Ian
guage.
The trip from Irkoutsk 10 Durga was
made on horseback and from that point
10 Pekin On foot. with camels carrying
the equipment LeIouvier's knowledge
of this section of the country is not
surprising and his wife is now awaiting
him with supplies in the neighborhood OF
Sredene The governor Of Irkoutsk, the
capital Of Siberia. happens 10 be god
father 10 Nine Lelouvier which ex-
plains the facilities offered this young
woman in her dash across the frozen
deserts in sleighs drawn By dogs and rein
deer The Sleighs are loaded with gaso-
line grease. clothes. and food. without
which reinforcement LeIouvier saws such
a trip would be dangerous II not alto
gethcr impracticable.
Failing 10 get a car in which 20
carry out HIS plans, the Frenchman
Will endeavOr 90 head of his wife at
Yakoutsk
The better TO explain the difference
between the route adopted for the
present race which he claims TO be i'm
possible. and the route which he as
h. II
1000 miles shorter. NJ. Lelouvier
quickly sketched map showing the
various points covered by each The
trip to Frisco would Of course. be
the same. From this point the official
route calls for "A sea trip to Valdez I'm
Alaska. and from there by automobile
20 the Behring Straits. Instead Of this
LelouVier would go on 20 Seattle and
on to Skagway and Dawson City by
way OF the Yukon River the only
route taken by the United States mail
From Dawson City 20 the Behring
Straits LeIouvier would take the Nome
City route. The crossing Of the straits
would be made on the ice If hard
enough, If not RATS would be used.
Ice VIII stop Cars.
In Siberia the official route borders
the ocean by way OF Mini Kolemqk.
Balon, and from there along the Lena
river TO Yakoutsk. This is the 5000
mile section which the French explor-
er asserts is impossible, owing TO the
ice.
He claims that the only practicable
course is that adopted by the American
Commercial Company, which goes TO An
adyh and from there 10 Mini Kolemok.
through the valley Of Anadyr declared
by Linavitch, the generaI-in-chief Of the
Russian army. 10 be the only route be-
tween the Behring Straits. Mini. and Yak
outsk- From Mini To Yakoutsk there is
postal route called a track 1t is not
exactly boulevard" laughingly ex-
planned the Frenchman. but two fifteen
dog sleighs can pass each other on Il.
and. besides. even a bad road is better
than none at all. as is the case the other
way
Besides this. the other route is bleak
and barren. whereas the one suggest is |
studded here and there with small towns
Of 1900 TO 1905 inhabitants. which are YER
liable Ravens on a trip Of this kind
From Yakoutsk 10 Irkoutsk both routes
are the same. along the Lena River which
if frozen makes a splendid roadway. In
summer the read along the river is used. /
Lelouvier claims 10 have made the trip
three times on horseback on the frozen
river.
From ITkoutsk to Paris the route Is
part Of the famous Paris-Pekin course.
This particular section is called the Stare
Sibirski Track" which translated means
odd Siberian Route"
According to the above description. NJ. |
Lelouvier's knowledge Of Siberia and
China must be much Ike Sam Weller's !
knowledge Of peculiar and ex-
tensive" Besides his native tongue the |
Frenchman speaks German. Chinese. !
Russian (the patois Of the Siberians) |
Italian. and Spanish. everything. in fact |
except English.