The Washington times., 1911-02-18
Biggest and Best in History
of the Capital, Is Verdict
of Public.
SALES AND CROWDS
CONTINUE LARGE
Commissioner Rudolph Says II
Means Much for the Trade and
Is Revelation.
Bv HARRY WARD.

o'clock.
From every point Of view the show
has been successful and the committee
having IL in charge continues to be
showered with congratulations on its
splendid efforts. Commissioner Cuno H.
Rudolph, who attended the show last
night with a party Of ladies, took oC-
Casion to tell Chairman W. c. Long and
his associates that the show was one
of the greatest trade exhibitions ever
held here 1T is a revelation" he said.
AN exhibition OF this kind means much
to the automobile trade. 1t brings the
dealers in close contact with the public.
The show is a credit to the entire city,
and l am glad to learn it has been ex-
Ceptionally well patronized."
Large Crowd Yesterday.
There was another large crowd tha
show yesterday afternoon and evening,
and, judging from the sold" cards on
many machines, numerous sales were
made. Justice Harry Clabaugh. of the
District Supreme Court, was an interest
cd spectator yesterday afternoon. Judge
Job Barnard and Mrs. Barnard were in
the big thronS in the evening Others
present were E. Quincy Smith, DR.. Nc
PhersOn Creighton, Judge Edwin Dean,
of Scranton. Pa. United States Mar
shall AuliCk Palmer, Lee Folger, of
Hchmond: Joseph Falconer, J. n
CARRIER. of Harrsonburg, Va: f. W.
Mackenzie, f. V. KllIian, w. F. Brice,
and Frank II. Walker.
To Be Dismantled.
Chairman Long announced today that
the work of dismantlng the show will
begin tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock,
and Dy night &the show will be but
memory. Some of the cars that were
loaned by the factories Will be taken
TO Baltimore for the show which opens
there Tuesday night.
The exhibit of gasOlene and electric
cars Of Emerson Il Orme continues to
attract much attention. The little Regal
''e0' undersiung roadster is one of the
hits of the show, and several sales have
been made. The Detroit electric coupe |
IS also center of attraction.
demonstrating ride to Baltimore |
and return made yesterday by Bob |
Nerger in an OldsmObile Six" resulted |
in the sale Of the car. Yerger SAYS the |
Baltimore road is in bad condition the
cut at Contee being almost impossible. |
lie said it was one Of the hardest |
demonstrations he had ever given.
Battle of Bodies.
Prospective automobile purchasers
who visited the automobile show this |
week found there was a more or less |
active and wel-detined battle OF the |
bodies" among the cars Of 1911 model. |
which involves a radical difference in |
design and type.
Some of the builders are in favor of |
one pattern, and others equally promi-
nent, but not quite so strong numeri-
cally, are strongly in favor Of the other
The split comes over the question of !
whether the fore-door, encIosed-front
type Of machine, which is the outgrowth
and refinement of the torpedo Of last
year, shall become a prevailing model.
or whether the open-front and more
familiar two-door model shall be re-
taned.
Those in favor Of the fore-door type
ere legion, and they claim for this de-
Fign numerous advantages In the first
place, they say, it is more symmetrical
and greatly improves the appearance of
The car. 1t affords some protection to
the driver and to the occupant of the
other front seat, not only acting as a
barrier to wind and cold but also
keeping out much dirt and dust Fur
thermore, it makes the seat beside the
driver more desirable than in the older
models
To these arguments other builders re-
tort that the additional doors and front
box add much weight to the car; that #
confines the heat and fumes from the
engine, and makes both of the front
Eeats, that of the driver and that NEXT
st, decidedly unpleasant, and in sum-
mer oppressiveIy hot, and that it is
only a passing freak which will soon ,
become a thing of the past like the
exaggerated torpedo.
These people admit that on a very
cold winter day the engine heat, col
leCting about the feet Of the driver.
might be welcome enough, but they con- ,
tend that the freedom of action and {
the total lack of enCumbrance Of the
conventional type more than make up
for this, and that in most Weathers the
heat is not blessing.
Inside Drive" Protection.
A modification Of the controversy,
which in itself applies both to touring
car and limousine bodies, is concerned
with the so-called inside driven" type
of limousine or landaulet In these bod
les the whole section of the car between
the tonneau and the bonnet is inclosed,
making d sort OF separate cab Tor the
occupants of the front seat, and allow
ing the driver to be protected from the
weather, just as are the passengers be-
hind him.
For this type of body there Is not
little to be said. OF course, the engine
heat is a problem to be considered, just
as in the case of the fore-door touring
car, but the entire closed front and the
inside control make the car a service
able type for inClement weather, or for .
evening use in the city. One well-known
concern has had such a body of the I
landaulet type built for its 15-30-horse-
power chassis, in the expectation that t
it will prove a very attractive machine I
for theater and opera goers. In such a q
car the seat beside the driver. ordI- r
narily unused in a limousine or Ian /
daulet, becomes perfectly comfortable t
for a fifth guest, especially If he be I
man.