Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-09

ally turned over to the state roaus
commission by the stock companies
which originally owned them. and
both highways are to he repaired in time
for the spring automobile travel.
The turnpikes are locally known as the
Concocheague and Northern pixies and
run north and south in Washington coun-
ty from the Potomac river to the Penn
sylvania line. Each is about twelve miles
long.
One of the first things the commission
proposes to do IS to remove four toll
gates two on each road. With the two
new acquisitions the commission now
owns four pixies in Washington county,
three in Frederick county and one IN
Allegany county, the latter entering
Cumberland.
The old national turnpike is a state road
now. with the exception Of a few
stretches from Baltimore to Cumberland,
and If the plans Of the commission are
carried out. it will be turned into a model
state highway running across the state
from east to west.
The new roads will act as arteries to
the old pike from north to south, and are
convenient routes to towns and cities IN
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Over the roads just purchased In Wash
ington county, it will be possible for
autoists travelling UP the Shenandoah
valley into Pennsylvania to cross Mary
land from Martinsburg and Winchester
almost In a straight line. and connect
directly with the Pennsylvania roads en-
tering Chambersburg and Gettysburg.
:: X 4
Exchanges from Cumberland, Freder-
lex, Hagerstown, Leesburg, winchester
and Chambersburg indicate an activity
to- &h4e4 al, Ia
mobile travel center during the coming
summer Where there are no automobile
clubs in the towns mentioned. the matter
has been taken up by auto enthusiasts.
Winchester, Hagerstown and Chambers
burg have been particularly active in this
respect. The clubs at these three places
are planning to erect markers. giving
distance and other data, at road inter-
sections. In two Of the towns the move
ment has been backed by the business
men and bids fair to prove success
In Maryland and Pennsylvania the clubs
have begun a campaign among county
road supervisors for improvement of the
dirt or clay roads. that have been the
bane of the automobile tires in the past
x X X
The committee having charge of the
-Four Leaf Clover run of the Washing
ton Automobile Club reports progress in
its work. 1t has been busily engaged In
mapping out the itineraries for the third
and fourth days run. and equalizing the
distances, as far as 1t is possible. I'M
p0rtant announcements in connection
with this run are expected in the near
future.
An automobile trip that may find favor
mer Is from Washington to Bedford
Springs. a Washington autoist recently
in Bedford and Fulton counties. Pa, had
the following to say on the subject:
Even at this time of the year. with
the trees bare. the roads full OF mud from
the recent rains and the dismal appear
ance Of the country at the close of WIN
ter, the natural beauty of the Bedford
county mountain sections and the long
stretch Of roads leading into them can
not help but appeal to the man who is
looking for several-day trip in the UNI
frequented sections this summer. The
scenery is the duplicate Of Rocky noun
tain scenery on small scale. 1t alter
mates from high mountain peaks and long
stretches of ridges and rolling wooded
hills in the distance to deep ravines.
tumbling mountain streams, stretches OF
pine forests, oaks and cedars and i'm
mense bOulders that seem as If they were
about to topple over in the roads. 1t is
wilder than the mountains of North Caro-
lima and as beautiful as the mountains of
northern New York.
''The roads, or rather the one road used
by automobiles, is kept In repair in the
summer months, and from my observa-
tions IS far above the average of noun
tain roads in this section of the country.
With the advent Of spring and the level
ing Of the ruts and breakers by work
men, the travel will be far better than
one would suppose. From Washington
1T is necessary to go to Chambersburg.
Pa. and thence to Mercersburg. From
this point the mountain journey begins.
The road is direct to Bedford Springs by
way of Everett and Somerset"
Tyrus Cobb Of the Detroit base ball
team turned a mile on the brick course
at the Indianapolis Speedway a few days
ago, despite the slippery tire paths, IN
the fast time Of fifty-two seconds.
While Cobb was not after Barney Old
fields fast mile Of IS :63. he Travelled sew
eral fast miles. The course was wet and
made It all the more hazardous to at
tempt fast time. but this did not deter
the Georgia peach
Clad in the habiliments Of a profess
sional speed demon the fans would
hardly have recognized Cobb as he
crouched behind the big wheel. Ty made
one circuit of the track to get accustomed
to handling the car and then waved the
timers to catch him on his next trip.
Considering that the car. in automobile
two and one-haf miles in 200. while
making the speedy mile, shows he was
hitting 1t up some.
a man with penchant for freak cal
culations has compiled some interest
ing figures based upon an order for $4,000
pneumatic tires. recently placed with a
big tire manufacturing concern. The
average diameter Of the wheels upon
which the castings are to be fitted was
found to be thirty-four inches. The
length Of a thirty-fOur-inch shoe when
stretched over a distance OF ground Is
about nine feet-eight feet ten and four
fifths inches. TO be exact. Taking the
| 10000 tires and computing their COM
| bined length a basis of miles. 1t will
| be seen that IL they were cut and laid
| end to end they would form q continuous
track of rubber eighty-five miles long
| This would fall only a few miles short
| Of covering the distance between. New
| York and Philadelphia. The weight OF
| this bulky consignment also Is interest
Ing Figuring that each thirty-fOur-inch
| tire weighs approximately twenty pounds
| II will be seen that the manufacture OF
all these tires involves 100000 pounds
| or 500 tons of valuable material.
| Speeding over the foothills Of the
Rocky mountains on the road between
Denver and Colorado Springs. which
traverses 'gullies, ravines and the sage
brush slopes Of this western trail, Fred
Hall, a long -distance driver. lowered this
much-coveted western record by making
| the distance of seventy-three miles in one
hour and forty-three minutes.
The record trial was made under the Of
| fetal auspices of the Denver Motor Club
Hall secured ali early morning start, and
| Notwithstanding his inexperience in this
kind of work, drove splendidly, takinp
| corners and dangerous speeds with 1ude,