New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-06
AUTO NEWS Of THE DAY
Baker Electric Victoria Makes
Fine Run on Single Charge.
USES NEW EDISON BATTERY
Car Spins Along Over Slippery
Roads, Covering 244.5 Miles
in 10 Hours and 90 Minutes.

All worlds mileage records for electric
motor cars were broken by Emil GryIea-
feldt at Cleveland recently, when a Baker
electric victoria made the remarkable run
Of 2i45 miles on a single charge Of the bat-
teries- The total running time was 70 hours
20 minutes giving average OF u S. miles
an hour The run was made in rainy
weather over wet. slippery roads. with the
wind blowing twenty miles an hour.
The car was equipped with an Edison -
cell battery. and the remarkable mileage
made is evidence Of the high efficiency OF
the Edison battery and the absence OF
friction in the shaft driven Baker electric.
This test run was made under Official OBJ
servation and the odometer on Mr. Grusn-
feldt's car was checked constantly BY an
other instrument on the official
The remarkable record made den1on-
strates that the radius Of the electric Is
rapidly being increased. With new i'm
proved batteries. reduction OF friction. re-
fnements in mechanical construction inn
proved charging facilities and longer mile
age. the electric is rapidly increasing in
popularity.
The run was started from the plant %
the Baker Motor Vehicle Company at 10
a m, November 9. and the route chosen
was over the roads of Cuyahoga County.
Just west Of and including the suburbs OF
Cleveland. Although Mr.. Gruenfeldt was
advised that the United States Weather
Bureau OF Cleveland reported an official
temperature Of only A degrees Fahrenheit
and that the wind was blowing at the rate
of twenty miles an hour, the intrepid en-
gineer. with a grim smile. started the
juice and headed the car into the wind
The run was continued without a single
stop until O'Clock in The evening. when a
ffve-uinute stop was made for fGnch-
Starting the car again, Mr. Gruenfeldt con-
tinued until 2:55 o'clock Thursday morning,
satisfied with the results obtained The
car was driven back to the factory. a stop
made while the night Waterman was rout-
ed out and the car placed upon the floor
under its own power
The first one hundred miles was record
ed at o'clock in the afternoon. when the
car was easily doing fifteen miles an hour
In strong side wind Two hundred miles
was recorded at II 20 O'Clock. when a RAIN
storm which had threatened all day, broke
At this time the car had made 211-5 miles
at an average speed of 49, miles an hour
The last AS miles were finished in the rain,
drenching Mr.. GruenfeIdt and rendering
the roads slippery ard treacherous- To
make matters worse, the front left tire de-
veIoped a slow punCture and gradually
flattened, reducing the mileage OF the car.
This puncture was not repaired until after
the run was completed
When the dash clock recorded 30 o'clock
Thursday morning and the odOmeter re-
corded 2i45 miles. weather conditions be-
came so disagreeable that Mr.. GruenfeldG
decided 70 drive the car 10 the factory
Among the Ford Model owners IN
Bakersfield. CAL Is Milo Mckee Through
an accident Mr. Mckee lost both OF Ms
arms. but Notwithstanding this fact ne
drives and operates his Ford himself he
cranks mis- ear with his foot. and as the
Ford car has no gears TO SHIFT, 0ut IS OPP
Grated with pedals. he has no trouble WITH
that end of IT. As 10 driving Mckee mas
had hooks made, which faSten TO his aFtl-
fetal arms. and these he hooks into leather
loops on the steering wheel Of his car. he
kicks the brake off. and Ben l. BrIn-
dage the Ford agent in bakersfield, has
fitted the car with an attachment for hold
ing the clutch out Mckee drives every
where. covering many miles daily over
mountain roads
J. c. Matlack has been appointed secre-
tary and general manager of the Ajax
C;rieb Rubber Company The company will
iuauguvate an active selling campaign for