The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-09-01
THE AUTOMOBILE FUTURE.


Jefferson Bee: One Of two things
is in prospect for the near future in
automobile business either less or
couragement must be given to fast
driving. or states will pass laws desig-
mating the maximum gearing which
can be placed upon machines manu-.
featured or used within the borders Of
the commonwealth.
The horrors of that series of ACCT
dents at Indianapolis last week are
better appreciated by families and re-
latiyss Of the victims. than by the dis
tant reader of the daily papers. The
men who planned the big series Of
speed contests. also made arrange
ments for the visit Of the Grim Rea-
per, for speed and death have always
gone hand in hand.
When we speak Of q train running
sixty miles an hour. we mean speed
which is. unquestionsblv, the maxi
mum of safety An auto making such
q pace is far beyond the safety mark.
The train runs upon iron banda, Sc
curely nailed to ties imbedded in the
earth. The track 10 level and smooth,
we'll ballasted. patrolled many times
a day by men who are always alert
for any fault or deficiency that might
cause wreck and the loss Of lives.
The train is SO constructed that, in
the ordinary course of things, it cam
not leave the rail, under each wheel.
is less than three inches in width.
How about the auto in comparison?l
Some Of the fast racers have gone at
pace far beyond the mile minute
speed. It is we'll known that several
Jefferson machines have been driven
at fifty to sixty miles per hour. Note
the conditions which differ from the
express train. The auto is upon an
ordinary road. with small or great de-
pressions from the absolute level
maintained by the iron track for the
locomotive. The course Of the ma,
chine is controlled by one puny man.
who. in the event of a punctured tire,
a broken wheel, small depression in
the road-any little mishap-is power
less to prevent desperate wreck in
case Of high speed.
In the brief history of Green county
automobile ownership, death and ac-
cident have visited ne. Has the les
son been lost upon US? It sometimes
looks that way. As one driver ex-
pressed 1t recently: whats the use
of having a machine if you can't go
like the devil?" That's the feeling,
and the exercise Of it brings it grue-
some lessons. if not today. then to-
morrow. This disposition for fast
driving will. sooner or later. call for
legislative action, and then there will
be regulation as to the speed machines
/ can develop. and the gearing must be
made accordingly. This will seem
like hardship to some. but there
never was law passed that has not
been made possible by the very in
dividuals it 10 intended to control aud
govern.
When Robert Fulton sent the Cler-
mont upon Hudson river ct . speed Of
eight miles an hour its speed was con-
sidered terrific. . But few short
years ago the man who had spanking
! team 0f trnttera Nth NJ, eiuht ,n;le
an hour power. he was envied on every
hand. We thought We were ''going
some" behind such q team. Nov the
Joy wagons are getting faster and
faster. and, unlike the team. there
seems to be no limit to the speed.
Let the autoist option to exercise the
little moderation now. an not wait fol
the iron hand Of the law.