Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-16

the membership has been increasing so
greatly that there are now suf'cien
men In each Of several cities to justify
local organization of the parent So
ciety. In Chicago there are 70 mem
bers. in Detroit. 112; in Buffalo, 20; in
New York city, so; in Cleveland. 40; IN
Philadelphia, 80. These figures apply
to those actually resident in the cities
named. OF course. there are a number
Of members resident in the territory
Immediately surrounding each OF the
cities.
Meetings Of the whole society men,
bership are held semi annually: The
sections being established will prob
ably hold monthly meetings.
At the first meeting of the Metro
politan Section OF the S. A. E.. Chair
Division Of the standards committee
made a brief report as to the status of
the work Of that division.
The progress made by the division
on wood wheel dimensions and fasten-
ings for tires was explained. This sub
ject was discussed at some length. The
commercial car division Of the stand
ards committee. which is constituted
sey. Charles L. .Schwarz. Clarence B.
Hayes, Joseph A. Anglada, John NJ.
Mack and E. r. Whitney. indi ated GER
tain lines on which wheel dimensions.
so far as tire equipment is concerned.
can be standardized
The midsummer meeting Of the So
ciety will be held at Dayton. Ohio,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June
Is. Is and II. Among the invitations
received have been one each from the
Dayton Chamber Of Commerce and the
Wright Bros. Company,
Each meeting of the society has
been, as to attendance and interest, an
Improvement over the one preceding 1t.
The one at Dayton will be no excep
tertainment for wives of attending
members will be features of the meet
ing.
Tire manufacturers have long real
lied the necessity of standardized rims,
yet individually none has had control
Of a sufficient number of patents to
produce rim that would interchange
ably take all makes of both straight
and clincher tires and provide for
quick detachfng and demounting.
Hundreds Of demountable rims have
been invented yet none have had any
apparent limit as to their individual
characteristics Few have been made
SO as to permit the use of any but the
particular type of tire for which they
were intended, and all have restricted
car builders and tire makers to the
use Of certain determined type.
er impossible.
Heretofore quick. detachable. de-
mountable rims have in most cases
been considered an experiment because
of the lack Of uniformity in the vari-
Gus makes
The tire manufacturers who have
been responsible for more than 90 per
cent of the rims heretofore made, have
turned over to Well known rim COM
pany all automobile rim patents. to-
wi q
other available information, for the
purpose of establishing a universal
standard.
The standardization has resulted in
the adoption Of three rims, any one of
which will ft in all straight-s'de and
clfncher tires and also embodies the
most efficient means for detaching the
tire from the rim and for demounting
the rim from the wheel.
"a number Of our Dealers" recently
said George L. Daniels, general manager
of a large western motor car company,
have asked me why 1t is that We have
paid more attention to hill climbs, en-
durance runs and other tests than we
have to straight track racing. Although
think we have not derived as much
publicity as We would in straight track
racing. we have undoubtedly proven SUI
periority in different and harder way.
"Hill climbing may be called supreme
| IL
thing a motor car is called upon to do.
The ability of a car to climb hills proves
quickly the cars stamina and at the
same time it quickly shows up any fault
or weakness in any particular unit. for
the motor is called upon to do its maxi
mum work and the clutch must act prop
erly, and SO with the rest Of the mechan-
ism.
'In the last two seasons our cars have
taken part in nearly every sanctioned
event I W. m
more victories than any other medium
priced car We recently made a very in
teresting compilation, and it surprised us
to find that we had defeated 142 Compel
! ing machines in twenty-five climbs.
This coming season we expect to take
part in nearly all the important hill
climbs sanctioned by the contest COM
mittee of the American Automobile AS
ISOLATION.
1T is true, of course. that the auto
mobilist absOrbs more or less technical
knowledge in the ownership of car, and
| by constant attention to it becomes IA
again, there is the new owner who isn't
motorwise, but is going to be-"
F. w. Ellis. one of the older men in
the automobile racing game relates
the following apropos of some of his
sixty-five and seventy-fve miles an
hour trips:
1--WE been close enough to the old
| man with the scythe several times. I
drove In a race at kalamazoo, Mich,
last summer that furnished me with
considerable excitement for a minute.
The Kalamazoo track is a mile oval
not heavily banked. and on this par
| ticular day was very dusty. was
following Oldfeld in his Big Six and
| we were on the fifth mile. just going
into the turn, when my right front tire
blew up. OF course, I headed for the
outside Of the track and the fence. The
fence was a three-bar affair with posts
toU tue 1yn nj ID
of two by fours; on the further side
| tried to hold the track, for I was
afraid Of the drop down. The car ran
along the fence for twelve rods and 1
never saw SO .1,sny feet of lumber pass
by me in such / short space Of time in
my life. One piece Of two by four
| went through beneath my right arm,
| taking with it the side Of my coat,
along with a card case and bill book
The card case was mailed me q month
| later, but the SILL book and the $40 it
held are gone. l guess, forever.
| Another piece of lumber tore off a
part of one ear. one finger was broken
and fourth took the rim Of the steer
| ing wheel OF course. then I lost con-
| troll and the car slid down the bank
| and tore a tunnel through a pile Of
| boxes and barrels that we're piled be-
eide the track. don't remember
thinking much, except to wonder if
would ever stop going. When we had
finally got Strengthened up l found a
| NTH 2y4 driven through the radiator
an clea back to the dash along the
whoao top Of the motor. I have al