The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-08-18
Big FREIGHT TRUCK.
Packard People Haul Seven-ThOusand-
Pound Load Across Pennsylvania
Mountains.
s,.H.P. GASOLINE ENGINE DOES WORK

d. Il. Hastings, Truck Engl'
neer, and E. j. Burnett and o. F.
Klinger, of the Experimental De-
partment-all of the Packard Mo-
tor Car Company, of Detroit,
Mich, arrived here last Wednes-
day evening driving one of the
Packard's big motor trucks, and
they have been stationed at the
Fulton House since that time.
That is, they spend the time at
night there, but during the days
they are chasing the monster
gasoline wagon up and down the
mountain, over to Mercersburg
and return, ever to Loudon and
back, and IN every way possible
testing the strength and endur-
ance of the machine.
For several years the Packard
people have used this territory
as the testing ground for their
cars, and annually send here their
latest products In motor cars for
final trying-out.
Our people are especially inter
ested in this truck, for it Is not
built as a pleasure carriage, but
it is nam moth freight Car to
run on ordinary roads.
The truck weighs about $500
pounds, and is built to carry a
load of 5000 pounds. In the test
going on here, 1t is carrying 3
tons of sand, and other freight
amounting in all to between three
and half and four tons in weight.
The engine Is the ordinary four
cylinder gasoline type, and devel-
ops thlrty-two and eight-tenths
horsepower. But it is so gear
ed that 1t "walks" It's ponderous
load right up the mountain with
apparently as much ease as a
mule would pull a baby coach.
The machine is guided by the or
dlnary steering wheel, and Is as
sensitive to the operator as com
mon runabout.
When 1T Is considered that the
distance to the top of the noun
tain by the Mercersburg pike is
38 miles, measuring from the
Fulton House. and to reach the
top a grade of 1900 feet has to be
overcome, it is no easy matter to
haul a load of three or iour tons.
But Mr.. Hc.sttr rs showed his
ability to stopr pro&achlne dead
on the steepest grade-a grade
Of not less than ten per cent. and
start it right out without the
least difficulty.
The machine has three speeds
forward, and one backward. On
level ground with perfect road
conditions, speed Of twelve
miles an hour may easily be
maintained; as the grade increas
es, it is thrown into second" and
the machine rolls along at about
eight miles an hour, and when
the hill becomes exceptionally
steep, slow gear" is used and
four miles-three mlles-twC
miles, or even less IS made-fol
it tkeaas goin' even if it has tc
cl.Iosa telegraph pole.
To give some figures that oui
local people may understand, the
load was carried to the top OF The
mountain IN As minutes-fv'
miles an hour, and brought from
the top to McConneIlsburg in q
minutes-nine miles an hour. D
course, a twenty-fve-minute rul
was a speed test. Any OF oul
farmers who buy a machine
should not run it that fast dowi
hlll--especially over as ugl.
breakers as are found on th'
mountain, If they want the ma
chine to last a lifetime.
The big machine measures 2
feet, 6 inches from ''stem T.
stern"--that is, from the from
side Of the bumper to the rea
end of the body, and the body 1
6feet 6 inches IN width. Th
wheels have solid rubber tires
the rear ones being double an
S6 inches IN height, while tn
front wheels are single and 3
inches In height. The whet
\ base--the distance between tn
/ canfes. ~ tho front whaoI and In