Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-21
OHIO GAR SPEEDS ON
SOUTHERN TOUR
TO THE COAST
Another TranscontinentaI Path
finder Is Tearing Through
Texas En- Route to Los
Angeles,
Especial dispatch 10 the Morning ,ouruaIl

Especial Dispatch 10 the Morning Journal
Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 19.-Hurrying
toward Phoenix on a great transeon-
tinental automobile tour with New
York as the starting point and San
Francisco as the finish. a party of
-four in an Ohio car is somewhere in
Texas Just now and expected to ar
rive here within a few days. I'M
like Westgard, who took the north
ern route and proceeded leisurely,
this car is being pushed forward at
best speed.
There is a growing desire to make
extended road tours throughout the
country, but a~utomobilists are dis
outraged because of the lack of
available information concerning
road conditions. 1t is n notorious
fact that a great majority Of the
roads are of the kind that not only
rob automobiling of its pleasure, but
make travel awheel positively dan
gerous. Then, too, the supposedly
high cost of up-keep on a transconti-
mental tour is II drawback to the
average man who is not posted with
the necessary information. The re-
suit of this tour win be not only to
give data regarding the best roads
over the southern route from New
York 10 San Francisco, but it will
also give reliable data as 70 the ac-
tual cost OF up-keep.
The Ohio car with its party com
posed of T.. L. Ferguson representing
the American Automobile association,
Guy w. Finney representing the ohio
Motor Car company. Chas. Thatcher
and Fred ID. Clark, drivers, left city
Hall square. New York, Tuesday
November 22nd and is travelling over
n new route through the southern
and southwestern states.
1t is a noteworthy fact that adds
more than local interest to these
trips that Phoenix has twice been
selected as one of the cities to be in
cluded in the itinerary Of these long
path-finding tours, and it viii no
doubt result in the near future In
bringing to this city scores of auto
mobile parties en- route from coast
to coast and cannot help but result
in much favorable advertising to the
city and Salt River valley.
The party is engaged in compiling
data which will be distributed free TO
good roads associations, automobile
clubs and others Interested in that
movement and in addition is collect
ing statistics as TO the cost n up
keep of O. touring car on this trip.
Mr.. FERGUSON. as the represen-
tative of the American Automobile
q association, will not only secure data
regarding good roads, but he will also
keep ~ log OF the entire tour from
day TO day. making an accurate ac-
count of all expenses for gasoline,
oil, grease and necessary repairs, so
that when the tour is completed
there will be no question as the ex-
pense of a our Of this kind in a
five passenger touring car from New
York to San Francisco.
The troubles of the pathfinding
automobilists began thirty-eight miles
from Culman. Ala. They started os-
tensibly for Decatur after a compare
lively fast run from birmingham, but
they never reached that place. Y
miles from Culman they became CON
fused in the darkness and after driV-
ing for hours over the mountain
roads without coming to even a house
realized they were lost. At daybreak
Sunday morning, December 4th, they
drove into Hartsell, fifteen miles
from Culman. Then more than sixty
miles had been traversed, mostly in
circles.
Stopping in Hartseil only long
enough for breakfast, they started
for ~Tuscumbria, the plan OF going 70
Decatur having been abandoned.
Hardly five miles had been covered
when the auotmobilists ran into a
marsh and stuck hub deep in the
mud. With the aid of their block
and tackle they finally released the
car. But a few miles later on. II
while the rain was failing in torrents,
Just as the car was descending the
three miles from Court
land, it skidded from the road into
a deep gully and became embedded
the mud.
After laboring vainly for hours in
the rain, the Automobiles abandoned
the car and sought shelter at the
home of w. f. Hotchkiss. q wealthy
planter, near Courtland about
twenty-six miles from Tuseumbia'
the plan of going to Decatur was
abandoned. The car was released
Monday afternoon and the party
started for Tuscumbia.
During the entire journey rain fell
heavily and the roadways resembled
running rivers. The car was driven
through water which at times came
above the footboards and until the
reached the pike con-
Meeting with Tuscumbia, their jour
ney was extremely hazardous.
1t is expected that the parry Will
reach san Francisco on Christmas
day. The car which has been chris
the Mud Hen" is equipped
with a complete wrecker's OUTFIT,
consisting OF block and tackle, steel
cable. hawser. hoist. etc. in the an
ticipation Of road troubles through
the marshes Of Mississippi n
Arkansas and later through the des-
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