The Washington herald., 1909-04-28

Driven at the rate OF sixty miles an
hour. half a dozen high-power motor
cars dashed hack and fcrth on a stretch
OF the Conduit road yesterday morning
before a group OF government officials.
army officers, newspaper men, a few be-
wildered farmers, and battery OF
cameras. Thrilled with the spirit OF CON-
petition and pride OF car, each chauffeur
forced his machine 10 the limit as If q
race for the worlds record was in prog
ress. instead Of a mere test by the ofics
OF public roads OF the Department OF Ag-
riculture, of the effect OF high speed
machines on dry and oil-treated macadam
roadbeds.
After the completion of the tests on the
Conduit road, which took up the entire
morning, the party jumped into their ma
chimes and with bag and baggage. or
rather camera and kodak, made a dash
for the ou-treated roads OF the Speedway.
where as soon as the cameras could be
arranged in battery the tests were re-
peated. Careful preparations were made
for the safety OF the public and for the
tests
SOt Under Speed Laws.
The drivers and owners Of the cars.
who volunteered their services 10 the
government officials. feeling themselves
for once Unrestrained by the speed laws,
We'd with each other in reckless driving.
About two miles Of the Conduit road.
near Cropley's post-ofice, was marked
OF and kept free OF all traffic Dy a
squad OF government policemen stationed
az each end. Vehicles without passes
we're not permitted 10 enter the danger
zone. where special permission had been
obtained from the Var Department 10
exceed the speed limit.
The cars used in the test were a Merce-
des. driven by Edward Mclean: a Fiat
Junior. driven BY Fred Parsons: a 8Iathe-
Orme. and a 40-horsepOwe- P0pe-Hart-
ford. driven by 7. P Spence
The little group OF spectators included
Logan Waller Page. director Of the Of
fee OF public roads. who Is making the
tests; AIIerton s. Cushmaa. his assistant;
J. e Pennybacher. f.. chief OF road man
idge, Samuel Hill. president of the Good
Roads Association OF Washington State.
Representative Charles r. Scott. Of Kan
sas. chairman OF the Committee on Agri-
culture: Brig. Gen James B. AIeshire.
Maj. Richard Sylvester. Roy CrandalL
Hennen Jennings. Emerson HOugh. J. D
WheipIey. and others
Test Effect of High Speed.
The object OF the tests was 10 show
the effect Of the pneumatic tires OF high
speed machines OF macadam roads. and
TO discover whether the suction or
vacuum. or the mechanical energy ex-
erted in a sheeriRg stress was the prln-
cipal cause OF the clouds OF dust raised
by the machines. An effort was made
also 10 record the difference IN effect
upon plain macadam and oiled macadam
thoroughfares.
A battery Of cameras. with rapid lenses.
was arranged fifty yards apart Midway
between the two cameras was a moving
picture machine operated by employees OF
the reclamation service. who are making
the films for use in lectures at the
Alaska YukOn-Pacific Exposition.
Mr.. Wheiplsy. armed with a pistol.
acted rs chief OF artillery" and fred
a shot IS the machine dashing by was
directly in front Of the first camera. At
this signal the driver threw out his
clutch, and the second picture taken fifty
yards further on was snapped while the
machine was going merely from its ac-
qui.ed momentum.
Will Find Cause of Dust.
By comparing the clouds OF dust as
shown II these two pictures the officials
Of the Office OF public roads hope 10 he
able 10 tell whether il IS the sheering
force OF the rear driving wheels OF merely
the suction Of all the wheels that raises
the dust
As far as the naked eye could dis
cern yesterday. there seemed little or
no difference in the clouds Of dust raised
by the machine under the two conditions.
The moving picture machine made films
OF the passing machines at the rate Of
sixteen a second
The cars dashed past the cameras al
the rate Of ffty-five 10 sixty miles an
hour The speed Of all the cars was
nearly equal, except that OF the Fred
Of order and could not be repaired on the
field. This car. which made a worlds
record az Ormonde Beech. Fla. and Of
which great things were expected yes
terday, could not be used at all
Test on the Speedway.
After the tests Of the Conduit road we're
completed about fifteen OF the cars filed
with the spectators formed IN procession
past the moving picture machine. As
soon as these films we're taken a race for
the Speedway started. and the course Of
the machines could be followed by
cloud Of dust about a mile passing down
the Conduit road TO the city limits
At the Speedway the machines were
met by twelve bicycle policemen. who,
after an extension OF time for holding
the tests had been obtained from Mai
Cosby, kept the road clear while the au-
tomobiIes raced back and forth on the
driveway. The cameras were arranged
in the same positions as in the morning
That there was much less dust thrown
I'D On the Speedway than on the Conduit
road was apparent 20 everybody who saw
beth tests. There was nothing new in
this discovery. however. as it Is generally
known that the oil-treated Speedway Is
not as dusty as the Conduit road.
Only q careful examination Of the pic
lures taken will show the other results
Of the tests.
VIII Give First Concert.
At the second rehearsal of the newly
organized Washington Symphony Orches-