The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-16
AUTOMOBILE ROAD
TESTS TO BE MADE
Unjust Criticism OF Cars as
Good Roads AnnihilatOrS to
Re Investigated.
DIRECTOR UNITED STATES
PUBLIC ROADS INVITED
Tests TO Be Made Near New
York or in District of
Columbia.

NEW YORK, May BY far the
most important step ever taken to as.
certain whether the automobile has been
uniusilv mahgned OF not as an ami
hlator of good roads was taken Mt the
executive committee meeting OF the
American Automobile association.
Cooperating with the United States
Office of public roads and all of the
automobile trade and manufacturing
bodies the American Automobile asso-
citation has decided TO hold early this
season. probably in June, a series of
severe tests, TO determine, first, Just
what damage the automobile does TO
the road surface, and second, what will
be the best measures in road building
to adopt so as to prevent the breaking
up of The road surface from constant
automobile traffic,
So much has been said in the past re-
GardinC the destructive effects of motor
cars upon the highway and so diverse
are the efforts that have been taken not
only To prevent ihe damage but through
various legislative acts to impose un,
necessary hardships upon the owners OF
motor vehicles in taxing or otherwise
requiring them 10 pay for highway
maintenance, that many of the leading
automobilists OF the country have been
considering for some time the advlsa-
biljty of conducting some authoritative
.ests.
Government Represented.
BY invitation Of the committee, Mr..
Logan Waller Page. director of the
United States Office of public roads IN
The department of agriculture, was pres
cnt at the meeting. Under has auspices
there were conducted a fcw days ago
some tentative tests Of this character
on "A special road near Washington over
which the war department has practical
control So successful were these tests
that il was determined To carry them
out on more ambitious scales in the near
future.
.'The object Of the coming tests.
said Mr.. Page. is to get at facts. SO
many theories have been advanced re-
parding the causes OF road damage by
motor cars and the best preparations
TO preserve these roads that II is high
time TO ascertain the real truth of the
situation At these tests all Of the
state highway commissions viii be In,
vited in addition to the county and
local highway commissioners where the
tests arc held. An exhaustive report
will then be made which VIII be sent
TO all of the legislative bodies through
out the country and others interested
IN tho good roads question:
Authorize Road Tests.
Ii is believed that the results Of these
will demonstrate several conclusive
facts which may be used 10 advantage
by state legislatures so that future au'
iomobilc legislation may be based on
some uniform system. After discussing
the matter thoroughly the executive
committee adopted a resolution author
izing these good road tests and referring
tho entire matter 10 the good roads
board. of which George c. Diehl of Buff
falo is chairman. He was instructed TO
appoint committee TO take charge or
all details. If satisfactory roads can
he found in the vicinity of New York
the tests will he held there and tour
Of inspection for the purpose was made
bv George c. Dichl. President Lewis Il.
Spcarc of Boston, Public Roads Dlrcc-
tor Page. John NJ. Bruce and Secretary
L, II. Elliott. The committee viii meet
again TO determine the location. If no
satisfactory roads near New York arc
fonnd the test will be held in Wash
inpton on roads under the jurisdiction
of the war department.
In the tentative specifications drawn
IN for these tests it was agreed that
there should be two stretches OF ma,
cadam road in good condition. one about
three miles long practically level, with
as few curves as possible, while the
other should be "A road of a similar
cha ractcr about one mile long with
Grade of about 6 per cent. Twelve au-
iomobiles will be used, four being light
HIGH speed ears. preferably stripped for
racing, four touring cars and four heavy
limousine cars. One of each type should
be equipped respectively with smooth
rubbor tires. corrugated rubber tires,
metal studded tires and skidding chains.
Conditions Governing Trial
In the opinion Of the committee the
trial should be made as follows; On
a straight. level course, two miles from
the start four hundred yards should be
measured off and an apparatus of the
most delicate type arranged for meas
urinC the speed over this 400-yard
stretch. At the beginning of these 400
wards four high speed cameras will be
stationed TO take right angle pictures.
\ second station viii be placed 400 feet
farther on aud a-third station 200 feet,
The cars will go over this 400yard sec
ION al speeds Of ,, 10, ID. 20: % and 30
miles an hour aud III regular lncrcments
of fivc miles increased until the max
imum speeds are obtained On the &
per cent grade the cars Will so up the
grade at maximum speeds and down
nj approximately the same speed coast
ing.
In addition to these tests over the
regular highways il is proposed to hold
n Test over a road especially prepared,
tic surface being bound by asphalt or
Ofhfr dustlcss preparation.
Tie first aluminium automobile body
made IN this country was turned ont by
j. NJ. Quinby Co., of Newark, n. j.,
in 1902. and WAS fitted to n car owned
Ly Thomas A. Griffith. Il prominent Chi
cago manufacturer The Quinby com.
pany now makes aluminium bodies ex.
cluslvely. ard manw Of their methods
gre protected by patents.