The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-25
ONLY FEW BAD STRETCHES
CONFRONT PATHFINDER
Interesting Statistics Prepared
as Result Of Automobile Jour
ney Across Continent.
Special to The Tribune.


city bv A. l.. Wcstosrd of the Touring
Club of America in his Premier ear.
In the interest of motorists in general
and of the United States government,
the pnthfiuding party kept an accurate
record of experiences en- route. alti-
tudes, temperatures. mileage, cost and
accommodations.
In table just issued. new epoch
in automobile pleasure touring is pre-
dicted because Of the interest which
has arisen towards the constructing of
San Francisco, founded upon the move
ments started by Mr.. Westgard while
crossing tho continent. 1t is evident
that every conceivable form of road
and climatic conditions were encoun-
tered, and carefully tahulated ip the
minute record. AS representative Of
the bureau of public roads of the de-
partment OF agriculture, the official
scout has made q note of everything
interesting to the government with per
mission TO make it public in order to
stimulate interest aud TO further the
efforts of authorities and motorists on
the way.
Highest Altitude Reached.
The extremes of altitude were en-
eountered IN the 10000 feet above sea
level at Mogollon pass in Now Mexico.
and the 1914 feet below sea level at the
Salton sea in California, the highest
temperature was loo degrees on No
vember 2S, in the desert at Mecca,
Cal, and the lowest was "a degrees on
November Is, in the mountains near
was 4703.5. and the elapsed time was
exactly eight weeks The average
mileage for forty-five running days
was 1854: the highest price of gaso-
line was SOC per gallon at the Colo
RADIO river on tho desert. and the lowest
was I5e per gallon. The longest days
run, 1927 miles, was made on October
and the shortest was on November 9,
24.2 miles, approaching Ration, n. Nj.
Seven nights were spent In camping with
the equipment which was carried upon
the Premier car. On one stretch of
100 miles, the car travelled only eight
on ats high gear, owing to the severe
conditions of the roads. but no repairs
of any nature were made upon the car,
and only two tires were changed before
approaching Los Angeles, both lasting
until the deserts of Arizona were
reached.
From evcrv viewpoint, the journey
is ono TO attract the pleasure seeking
motorists, for good roads are afforded
nearly all the way, splendid hotel ac
commodations are experienced along
nearly the entire length, while the
variety and grandeur of scenery lining
the course is such as can be secured
only by trip across the American con
tinent 1t is probable that trunk
| highway from coast to coast will be a
reality in the near future. because of
| the run of the Premier car with its
party of officials driven by Ray Nc
! Namara,
Eastern Roads Are Good.
Most Of the eastern highways trav-
ersed arc of hard construction, and
little could be urged in the way of i'm
provemeut between New York and Chi
cago, aside from some few short
stretches. From Chicago across Illinois.
the roads are not systematically main
tanned; from Davenport to Omaha is
] the 350-mile river-t to-rivcr highway;
from Omaha to Kansas City is similar
to the Illinois strip. but Goycrnor-elect
| Dablman Of Nebraska has promised I'm
provements. From Kansas City to
Santa Fc is the famous new Santa Re
trail, and the entire distance will soon
be splendid route, Over the Ration
pass in New Mexico is a convict road
which is almost a boulcvard; from
Ration to Las Vegas is bad; but from
Las Vegas to Santa Fe is scenic
highway which is superb To Albu-
querauc is good government road, and
! on La Baiada mountain is strip
where the road winds and turns COM
pletely around twenty times or more
In making the steep descent.
From Albuquerque to the coast prac-
lically all Of the hardships were en-
| countered, especially in crossing the
White mountains and upon the lava
on the Mogollon plateau. The road
! through the desert TO the west Of Phoe.
nix was found less appalling than is
usually pictured, as is true also of tho
route from Phoenix to San BernardiuQ.
Tho roads along the coast arc splendid
and while much of beauty was found IN
the long trip, even in the desert, the
run through the beautiful palm-ladeD
and balnIy orange land of the Cali.
fornia field was fitting climax to the
4 wild grandeur Of the mountains