Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-14

umbus, o., 247 miles.
Smallest mileage for one day, Joseph |
City over DlabIo canyon, fifty-three |
miles. |
Gasoline used on trim. 3O3 gallons !
Average gasoline consumed per mile,
10 22-30 gallons.
Five and half days continuous rain. |
Made trip one set Goodyear tires |
without change.
Arrived Los Angeles June 13, 5:3O p. m. |
Another record has been smashed.
This time it is the transcontinental
mark for automobiles, and was lowered
when c. H. Bigelow, we'll known in Los
Angeles, drove his Mercer "3O'' into his
home city after crossing the United
States in the time of 327 hours, clip
ping the heretofore untouched record
held for so long by the Franklin,
whose time was 1862 hours, thus lower
ing the record by thlrty-flve hours.
And this was done after enduring
the most severe hardships probably
any driver has had on so extensive a
journey. Rains for five and half
days, with swollen streams, utterly un-
fordable; the roads in some states so
deep that the car pushed herself into
and climbing over unbroken trails of
cobble stones in the canyons of Ari-
Zona, the little machine came into Los
Angeles weather beaten and showing
the effects Of what 1t had passed
through, but with motor singing as
soft and smooth and sweet as the day
1t left the factory.
Bgelow, with his young mechanician,
John NJ. Wilson of Redlands, left New
nj at ocfY mi o.
the morning of May 1S. He had timed
his trip across the continent so as to
avoid the waters of the western states
and territories, which are common a
little later in the season, but found his
plans defeated by the awful roads of
some of the eastern states. 1t was his
determination to pilot his car over the
Santa Fe trail and, carefully plan
ming, he proceeded over the charming
roads of New Jersey to Philadelphia
and thence over the historic route
which leads through Gettysburg,
Hagerstown and Maryland and Vir-
ginia towns of civil war interest, until
his arrival at Hagerstown, where he
took up the National pike and follow
ed 1t to Wheeling, w. Va, thence to
Columbus, Ohio, thence to Indianapolis
and st. Louis.
Before reaching st. Louis the inces-
SAINT and never ceasing rain which
began at Wheeling had played havoc
with the roads and highways, so that
they were impossible. Time was lost
here awaiting opportunity to cross
them and making detours wherever he
could fine an opening for his car to
proceed.
Dodging the rivers wherever possible
he was compelled to make 375 miles
which should have been covered under
normal conditions in 240 miles. These
difficulties overcome, Bigelow proceeded
from St. Louis to Kansas City and
thence through Topeka, Kan, and on
to Hutchinson, where he picked up the
old Santa Fe trail, over which he had
laid his route. This he followed to La
Junta, Col, and was again on the old
original Santa Fe trail to within
twenty miles of La Junta, where the
new road is struck and which is in
good condition.
CROSS DEEP WASH
Leaving Albuquerque the route left
the railroad at some distance, heading
over the old trail once more to La
guna, the Oldest town In the United
States, and then over the old trail to
Gallup, N. M.
Here a display of good judgment was
necessary, where there is a deep wash
some 200 miles in length, with but
three crossings to get over it, and
while in this there arose one of the
fiercest sand storms Bigelow, in all his
desert experiences, had ever encoun-
tered. Evidences of anv trails were
completely obliterated. Not sign of
a wagon track existed anywhere, but
that natural instinct, combined with
experience, led the intrepid motorists
Alright and finally, after they had
bucked the sand with tires debated, to
ten pounds, the men took to the hill
breaking trail through mesquite and
shrubbery and underground trees and
in this way beat their way out of the
obstacles which had faced them.
This section of the country is in
habited principally by the Navajo In
dians, and with them as guests Bige-
low and his companion stopped for two
DAYS. The Indians are principally
sheep herders, four of them having as
many as $1,000 sheep in their care.
They made the Needles in eight days,
which, considering the roads and trails
they were compelled to blaze, IS re-
markable time.
Between Williams and Ash Fork,
Ariz., they had twenty-six miles of
nothing but boulders to climb over
the rains Of the past and the fact that
no car had Travelled over it obliterated
every mark of a road, but the car
egged on, headed for its destination.
+ rom Ash York to Seligman they had
to break trail again, and In Diablo
CANYON the turns are so short that the
car had to be "snaked" around them.
Coming down the hill Bigelow was
compelled to run the head of the car
into the side of the bank to keep 1t
from turning over.
A rather novel plan was used to
cross the Colorado river. The Mer-
Ger came to the end of the Santa Fe
bridge and with the aid of railroad
ties a falsework was constructed and
the machine was gradually lifted to the
level with the railroad itself. Some sec
tion hands brought up the hand car,
the Mercer was dismantled, loaded on
It and carried over and then put to-
gether once more.
MAKES 14s MILES AT END
Bigelow arrived at Daggett Sunday
night and left there Monday morning
and made the 142 miles remaining OF
his long trip during the day.
A near row between Bigelow and the
factory occurred when Bigelow insisted
that Los Angeles product, the Stew
art Carbureter, should be used on his
car. and with that exception the ma