Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-03
COLUMBIA MAKES TRIAL
TRIP OVER TIE DESERT
TAKES FOUR DAYS TO MAKE
TRIP LEISURELY
Sixth Car to Make Path.Finding Jour-
ney over Entire course-Heat on
Desert Is Intense, Sheep
Dying by Hundreds

After a successful run across the
Los Angeles Phoenix race course the
Columbia. driven by Harold Stone and
C. p. Illingsworth. reached Phoenix
yesterday afternoon, says the Phoenix
Republican. The Columbia, which is
entered in the great race for the Re-
publican cup by Bireley and Young
coast agents for the car, was the OBJ
iect of great curiosity as it drove up
Center street and stopped in front of
the Hotel Adams. 1t is considered to
be one of the fastest cars in the race
and now holds the Los Angeles-San
Diego record, which it took September
4, from a field of ten cars.
The Columbia men came over the
course In liesurely fashion. They made
no attempt to make a record or try
out the speed of the car over the rough
roads. Their sole intention was to
become familiar with the course.
Stone said that he learned one thing
on the trip that he didn't know be-
fore. 1--WE were told in Los Angeles
by every one" he said, that the roads
through California were vile, and we
we're not disappointed in them. But
every one told US that the roads in
Arizona were simply boulevards. The
only fair stretch of road in Arizona Is
between the river and Vicksburg.
From Vicksburg in the roads are very
poor.
The men experienced intense heat
on the Colorado desert. The ther-
momter went up to 100 and the heat
was so great that they were forced 10
stop in the middle of the day at 1ndio.
They met a sheep herder with a bunch
of 2S0O sheep He said he lost 500
of the sheep by the heat, and as the
Columbia men drove along they found
the road strewn with bodies of the
animals.
IlHngsworth and stone started from
Los Angeles Monday night at 10
O'Clock. They made San Bernardino
in two hours and ten minutes, and
stayed there over night. About noon
Tuesday they reached Indio and ran
into the heat wave. They camped
there in the desert to escape the heat
until Wednesday morning. AT Mecca
they met some of the men connected
with the White Steamer and the
Franklin. These cars went on to the
river, and 1t was currently reported
at Mecca that the Franklin tore off
driving wheel against the stump of a
tree. Any way, the cars were shipped
back to Los Angeles for repairs and
will make a fresh stort, possibly com
ing through to Phoenix before the
race.
The hardest part OF the route was
reported to be between Mecca and
Dos Palmos, a distance of fifteen
miles, which requires at least two
hours to negotiate. The Columbia
men were stuck in the sand a number
of times and tried to get around Dos
Palmos by different route, but could
find none. At Dos Palmos they ran
out of drinking water. There are
springs at this place, but the water
is favored with arsenic and comes
hot out of the ground. Illingsworth
placed a bottle of beer in the water
to cool ii ana was surprised a few
minutes later to find that it was all
most boiling.
They reached Ehrenberg Tuesday
night and were ferried across the
river without delay, They stopped
long enough to tinker up the gasoline
engine for the man who runs the
launch for towing the ferry, and they
drove into Vicksburg, where they
passed the night.
The Columbia is one of the fast cars
in the race, and at the same time
shows great durability. On the Santa
Monica track it made 81 miles an
hour. A short time ago stone made
the record of 800 miles in ten hours,
twenty minutes, on the course from
Los Angeles to San Diego and return.
In this race such excellent cars as
the Apperson "Jackrabbt" the Chad
wick, the Franklin Greyhound" the
Doris and the Matthewson were de-
feated. There is now in the present
race a fine chance for the old rivalry
between the Pennsylvania and the
Columbia to crop out. The two cars
will, however. be separated by about
an hour on the road.
The Columbia is a strong favorite
on account of its known speed and
durability Harold Stone is a driver
who has exhibited courage and perse-
verance in the face OF obstacles. I'M
less retarded by a serious accident he
will probably be among the first to
arrive in Phoenix.