Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-21

Continued from Thirteenth Page.)


know what material should be employed
to secure the most satisfactory results
This is undoubtedly true. and II is equally
many difficult problems connected with
the subject are solved. All that can be
said at present is that road builders arel
giving their best efforts to the matter.
and that they are able to report some
progress. They have two objects toI
achieve. viz: TIE production of a road
that will withstand modern traffic condi-
tions-i. e.. the passage OF motor We
hicles of high speeds and the elimination
Of dust"
1t is expected that the work of build
ing the projected Leesburg- Washington
road. In Virginia. will cost $4,000, of
which nearly $4,000 has been raised by
the association formed to push the project
Water is the natural enemy of any
road ar1 best results can not be obtained
from the materials used until il Is elm
mated. This is a matter which, Sener-
ally. has been very much neglected. NO
one item adds more to the good quality
of any road and no one cause operates
more quickly to destroy it. If earth
roads could be made so that their sur
face should be practically impervious
to water, and the water beneath the sur
face be removed, such condition would
produce really ideal roads. The soil alb
serbs water easily. so that 1t Is scarce
ly possible to make a surface that VIII
shed it all. especially in climates where
the surface is subject to periodic freez-
ing, thawing and rainfall. Roads which
are excellent during the summer season.
when the roads can be kept intact. lose
the semblance of their summer and fall
conditions during the winter and spring
months. mainly because the surface Is
not waterproof, and when a road builder
so utilizes local materials as TO produce
a roadway the subgrade of which shall
be dry-either naturally or artiticially-
with a surface which Is impervious to
water, then he has the perfect road.
X
The promoters of the Long Island Mo
tor Parkway are now making an effort
to attract motorists to the specially con-
structed automobile course, over part
of which the last two Vanderbilt Cup
races were held. w. K. Vanderbilt, Jr..
president of the company controlling the
parkway, has issued circulars calling at
tention to the fact that the cement road
way can be used by automobillsts for
81. and that they can go as fast as they
please over twentyfour miles OF the
road which is not only free from police
men, but grade crossings as well. 1t Is
announced that the Lake Ronkonkoma
section and inn will be open by October
l. when automobilistS will be able to
travel from Lake Success to Lake Ron
konkoma, forty-five miles.
The forty-sixth driver for the 500 mile
international sweepstakes race at the In
dianapolis motor speedway May 30 mas
been named. Out Of the entire field OF
nearly half q hundred cars. one pilot, that
of the Benz car, entered by E. A. Moross,
along with the car TO be driven by King
Bob Burman. was left unnamed. Billy
Kntpper, the doughty little fellow who
won a reputation at the wheel of a
~,
the Tiedmann trophy race at Savannah
in November. 1910 will guide the other
German motor creation through the long
race.
by Moross after he had cast about for
fitting teammate for the Speed King.
Knipper has been long at the speed game.
and though he has been the victim of sew
eral thrilling spills he still retains the
nerve that made such wonderful show
ing for him at Crown Point In the CODE
race and at Savannah in the light car
event.
Burman and Knipper are on their way
to the speedway and will have several
days for workout before the long race Is
held. The car which Burman will drive
has $50 cubic inches piston displacement.
while that to be piloted by Billy knipper
has but "a cubic inches. Both of the
played as one Of the favorites before the
evsnt. Neither expects to have relief
driver but believes he will be able to pull
through the seven-hour drive without
rest
Burman comes fresh from his recent
worlds record making adventures in Flor
ida, while knipper has been on the farm
getting in shape. The two veterans have
often driven against each other. but this
is the first time they have ever been
teammates. though they are great friends.
Most Of the forty-six cars named for
the long race are at the two-and-a-half-
mile brick oval now putting up their best
performances for their masters. Faster
and faster they are growing. and when
the eligibility trials are started May %
all of them will be at their best. 1t is
well they should, for every car must show
a speed of at least seventy-five miles per
hour.
All of the details for the long event
have been planned and carried to COM
pletion. The race will start at 10
O'clock. and the gates will be thrown
open to the public at $50 o'clock. The
start Of the race is to be the most
spectacular in the history OF racing.
The half-hundred cars will be brought
| up to the tape in about four lines. Carl
G. Fisher, president Of the speedway,
will lead the big field the first time
around the track in his roadster. A
pace Of forty miles an hour will be
| set, while the contestants shift into
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