Evening star., 1909-05-15
RELIABILITY RUN ON
Eighteen Automobiles Start
Early This Morning.
WHIZ OVER LONG COURSE
All Cars Due at Finish by 6:42
O'Clock This Evening.
OFFICIALS WILL MAKE TESTS
Scenes at Dawn Near the Intersec-
ton of 18th Street and
Park Road.

The first car to arrive this afternoon
at the Washington Automobile Clubhouse
in the Washington automobile reliability
contest was No. 4, Packard. John Bay.
driver. which crossed the tapeline at 2:41
O'Clock, on time. Owing to an acciuent
to the pilot car near Rockville, Md, the
flag was transferred to this car.
Amid the cheers of many spectators,
mostly automobile enthusiasts, who had
assembled to witness the start of the
third reliability road contest of the Au-
tomobile Club of Washington, eighteen
cars of the twenty-one entered lined up
| at the tape at 18th street and Park road
at dawn today and were started whizzing
over the 165-mile course at three-minute
intervals.
In all directions were automobiles of
varying makes, sizes, colors and horse
power. At break of day the drivers ran
the cars out Of the former car barn at
14th street and Park road where they
had been under observation during the
night, and put on the finishing touches
for the contest. Everybody was busy.
Tires were pumped up, gasoline and
water tanks filled and the entry numbers
fastened securely on each side of the
hood
There were sleepy ones in the party. es-
pecially among the passengers. many
Of whom were making their first early
| morning run. The drivers and some of
the old stagers in the speed line were
| wide awake and ION the job" 1t was a
happy, jolly crowd and everybody was
| in good humor. AS each car line6 up at
the tape final instructions were given the
drivers by the judges. H. Chadwick Hunt
| er and Fulton r. Gordon, to obey the
| rules and observe the speed limit through
the towns over which the course is laid.
Start of Pilot Car.
The pilot car. Stanley steamer, with
Horace c. Chandlee at the wheel, left the
starting point at o'clock, one hour in
advance of the first contesting car. Ac-
companying Mr.. Chandlee is William D.
West, president of the club, who will see
that none of the arrow signs which were
posted by the committee last week have
been disturbed. In the event that any OF
the signs have been removed or become
displaced. new ones will be put in position.
The judges at 4:3O o'clock announced the
observers and assigned them to cars,
where they will remain until relieved by
the officials this evening. AS soon as the
work of assigning the observers had been
completed the drivers were instructed to
take their places. The cars were then
lined up.
At 5 o'clock car No. /, a Maxwell in
class B. was called, but did not respond.
1t was declared out Of the race. The car
was shipped from Philadelphia to Balti-
more Thursday night by boat, but had not
since been heard from. Car No. 2, n
horsepower Chalmers-Detroit. entered by
the Motor Car Company, then forged to
the front, and at exactly 5:O3 O'Clock was
given the open road. Three minutes later
No. 3, a Thomas-Detroit 40-horsepower
touring car in class A, was called out, but
failed TO respond and was scratched. The
first car to start in this class was the
Model 80 Packard touring car of the Lut-
trell Company, which crossed over the line
at 800 o'clock. This car was followed In
succession by a Wayne car and the first
car in class c, Ford roadster, and a
smaller type car.
Car No Z, Columbia 2S-horsepower,
glided smoothly over the line. No. 8, a
Chase runabout, was withdrawn on ac-
count of the non-arrival of certain gears
Others Depart in Order.
There was no further break in the ranks
of the contesting cars, and with great
rapidity they were swung into line and
sent away on schedule time. The last car
to cross over the tape was a 7-horsepow wer
Brush runabout in class c, tile smallest
car i'm the run. It. was given a hearty
cheer.
The cars ranged from the seven horse
power Brush runabout to two f1fty-horse-
power Mathesons. AS the dust died down
and the last car disappeared from view
the officials of the club, highly graft
fed with the success of the start, entered
their cars and returned to their homes.
They will be on hand at the clubhouse
this afternoon to witness the finish.
Among those present at the start were
Robert B. Caverly. referee of the con-
test: II. Chadwick Hunter and Fulton r.
Gordon, judges; w. w. Chiswell and ID.
]. Dunnigan. timers. and William S. Du-
vail. representing the American Automo-
bile Association.
The weather conditions for the run
were perfect. The roads were heavy
with dust, owing to the lack of rain the
past few days. All the drivers, OBJ
servers and passengers were supplied
with busters and goggles.
Committee to Conduct Tests.
The cars will be stored In the car barn
tonight and early tomorrow morning the
members of the contest committee will
thoroughly examine the machinery and
tomorrow afternoon the announcement
of the winners will be made at the club
house on Georgia avenue.
The technical committee made an ex-
animation of all the cars before the start
to determine if all were stock cars and
regularly equipped. Each car was re-
q,lired to carry its catalogued equip
ment of lamps. tools, tire tools, tenders,
body parts. and it was optional with the
drivers whether they used wind shields
and tops. baggage rack and additional
tonneau seats.
At the completion OF the run the cars
will again be taken over by the technical
committee for test and final examination,
and the observers will not be allowed to
leave the car until given permission to
do so by the referee. The rules OF the
contest provided penalty of two points
per minute for motor stopping during the
run, except when the stop of thirty min
utes was made at Waynesboro for lunch.
which time was charged to the con-
testant, whether he stopped or not.
Starting and Finishing Time.
The starting and finishing time figured
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