Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-02
CHEERS Of CROWDS
GREET AMERICAN CAR
Great Enthusiasm Prevails
When Leading Car in Race
Reaches City
CAR is IN FINE SHAPE
Time Slow Because Of Terrible Roads
Car Goes Thru Bridge Coming In
to Belle PLANE - Montague Roberts
Only American Driver in Race-Ar
rves 11:15; Leaves 11:50.

today upon the arrival of the first car
in the much talked-of New York to
Paris motor car race. The big Thorn
as car, driven by Montague Roberts. OF
New York City, reached the Eldridge-
Beebe Company's garage at LIE, and
at 1850 departed for the west. NO
mishaps aside from tire trouble We're
experienced from Belle Plaine to this
city. The running time over the ter
rible roads was about twelve miles an
hour, and the distance between Belle
PLANE and Marshalltown, as recorded
by Mr.. Roberts speedometer, Is 4O.1
miles. The car left Belle Plaine at
1880 this morning.
The big sixty-horse power Thomas,
with the American flag and the pen
nants Of different automobile clubs
swung to the breezes, bore three other
persons beside the driver. Seated with
Mr.. Roberts was George Schuster, of
Buffalo, N. Y, sales department in
spector of the Thomas Motor Com
pany, who is acting as mechanician and
Mr.. Roberts assistant; George j. Mil
Ter, Of Buffalo, also with the Thomas
people; and Mason B. Match, of Buff
falo. sales manager of the company.
With all it's luggage the car weighs
1900 pounds. 1t is propelled by four
cylinder engine.
Goes Thru Bridge.
A mishap Sunday afternoon, which
prevented the car getting into this city
Sunday evening, happened as the car
was nearing Belle PLANE. In crossing
a wooden bridge, spanning a small
creek, the bridge gave way, and let
one rear wheel down into the Iowa
mud of the creek bed, to a. depth of
about five feet. The car was not dam
aged, but it was not without consider
able hard work that the machine was
extricateu from the mud and sand and
started on it's westward journey
again. The crew was completely
tagged out upon getting into Belle
Plaine, and tied up there for the might.
Car Makes Good Time.
Considering the roads and the tire
trouble that they cause, the American
car has made very good time. The car
left Belle PLANE, where the crew spent
the night, at 1880 this morning. Six
miles out a tire punctured and blew
up. This emergency consumed a half
hours time in putting on a new tire.
Upon reaching this city the car took
on gasoline and the crew ate hasty
lunch.
Schuster on Entire Trip.
In the entire journey from New
York west two Of the men on the AM
erican car have been with it every
minute of the time. They are Roberts
and Schuster. The distance, by rail,
however, from New York to Marshall
town. is 1,331A miles. The actual dis
lance the car has Travelled, however, is
nearer 1900 miles. Mr.. Miller Joined
the car at Buffalo. and Mr.. Hatch at
Syracuse. T. w. Williams, a staff cor
of the New York Times,
who has been on the trip, left the car
at Clarence, Iowa, Sunday. and re-
turned to New York. Capt. Hans Hen
drick Hansen, the Norwegian motorist
who started out with the French car
De Dion, but who had some difficulty
over the snow bucking proposition with
G. Bourcier st. Chaffray over in In.
diana, is expected to join the Ameri-
can crew at Cheyenne, Wyo.
Hatch Praises Western Enthusiasm.
Mr. Hatch said that it was interest
ing to note the western enthusiasm
over the race. cit is far more notice.
able as we so west" said Mr.. Hatch.
"The people out here all appear to be
loyal to the stars and stripes, and ev-
erywhere we go the flag is all that is
needed to bring out the cheers from
housetops and windows, and from
country homes and in the towns"
Car Bears No Pilot.
The American car is making the run
thru the United States without a pilot.
The pilot system was used to start
with, but difficulty was found in that
the pilots themselves did not know the
roads after getting out a few miles
from town. The crew is depending en-
tirely upon maps of the route, with the
exception that the offers of pilots in
and out Of the towns are accepted and
Edward Eeebe. of the
Beebe company, piloted the
hill, seeing the crew safely
out of town and on the right road to
Ames and Boone, the next stops.
Roberts Well Known.
Montague Roberts, the driver of the
Thomas car, and the only American in
the race, is widely known racing
chauffeur. He is only % years old,
and is in the employ of the Thomas
peoples New York house He drove
the Thomas car in the last Vanderbilt
cup race. last summer. and was the
winner of the big twenty-four hour
race at Brighton Beach. The Thomas
car is said to be the only stock car
in the race, all of the others having
been built especially for the endurance
contest. The only thing done to the
American car was the Strengthening
Of some of the under parts in order to
overcome the terrible strain due to
rough roads.
The New k-to-Pars endurance
race Is being promoted by LeMatin, of
Paris, assisted on this side of the
water by the New York Times and the
Tribune. NJ. G.. B. ST. Chaffray.
Of the DeDion. (French), is director
general Of the trip.