The Washington herald., 1911-09-03
NOVICE IN AUTO
MUST HAVE CARE
Machines Delicate Parts De-
mand Watchfulness.
DRIVING IS FAIRLY SIMPLE
Parks and wide DriVeways Soon to
Be Scene OF Automobile Lessons.
New Owners to Learn to Handle
Cars-Detnils of Operation of
Spark Lever First Taught.

Potomac and Rock Creek parks, as wei
as other places where the road is wide
will be well occupied during the, daylight
hours of next month with salesmen anC
demonstrators from the different auto
mobile agencies in the city teaching new
owners how to handle their cars. If the
trees and curbstones could speak, they
would no doubt narrate some hairbreadtt
escapes from collisions.
Driving an automobile is not the hard
est thing in the world to do, nor is Il
the easiest. but any one who will exer
else a little common seLse and keep his
head should have no trouble in learning
to run a machine. The hardest, thing
that the pupil has to master is the fact
that 1t does not take much Of an effort
to guide a car. A slight turn Of the
steering wheel will cause a machine tc
| veer considerably to one side or the other
according to the way in which the whee
| is turned.
Operations Are Explained.
The first thing that a demonstrator does
when he takes a pupil out is to explain
to him in detail the operation of the
spark and throttle levers. He shows him
how the motor picks up when the throt-
tie is opened, and describes the working
of the spark lever. In explaining this
he impresses forcibly upon the mind OF
the be ginner the necessity OF always see
ing that his spark is retarded before
attempting to crank the car, unless he
wishes to take a chance on Kick and
probably a broken arm.
The reason for this kick-back is that
motors are so timed that on a retarded
spark the electrical circuit which fires
the gas will be completed just after the
piston mas passed over center on the
compression stroke. Advancing the spark
causes II to fire an instant earlier, and
owing to the fact that the motor is on Its
first explosive stroke, with one cylinder
working against the remainder. firing OF
the charges almost onto dead center will
cause the explosion to drive the piston
backward instead OF forward.
Chance Taken ut wheel.
Understanding the workings OF the
spark and throttle, the pupil is put be-
hind the wheel OF the car, and the opera
ton of the clutch pedal and gear shifting
is permitted to drive the machine.
Many in teaching the novice. especially
II the car be a big one, get out on the
right-hand running board, where they
can reach the emergency brake and
steering wheel il there be danger of any
thing going wrong. Some learn TO handle
the gears quickly, while others do not
seem to be able to master this detail
without considerable trouble.
There is a certain knack in shifting
gears that can be acquired only by prac-
tice ThrottlIng down the motor and
getting from one speed to another with
out losing momentum as well as noise
lessly becomes, after a time, a matter
OF habit Starting out on the first speed.
as soon as the car gains a slight mo-
mentum the shift is made into interme-
diate. and when the car is well under
way the clutch is again slipped and the
high speed or direct gear dropped In.
Eye for Distance Necessary.
One of the essential qualifications Of
good automobile drivers is that they
have what is known as an eye for dis
tances. A man must be able to judge
whether there is room enough for him
to pass through an opening or whether
he must slow down and wait for the
obstruction to move out of the way.
If possible a car should be permitted
to drift INTO the place one wishes to
stop. the brake being applied gradually.
Nearly all cars are equipped with two
se Is of brakes, a foot and a hand brake,
and many think that they are to be
applied violently every, time the car is
brought to a stop. Using them in this
manner not only plays havoc with the
brakes but Is one of the best-known
methods of burning up tires. Locking
the wheels causes them to slide along
on the rubber tires, and soon burns
them.
A knowledge of operating a car does
not mean by any means that man is
a finished driver. There are many who
can handle a machine fairly well under
conditions of all sorts, but that does not
by any means put them in the class Of
finished drivers.
PecuIiaritIes Often Vary.
An automobile is like a horse 1t has
its little peculiarities, which oftentimes
vary from day to day. or hour to hour.
Study your car" is the advice given
by every dealer when asked how to be-
come a finished driver.
To the majority, all cars of one par
ticular make handle alike, but not so
to the man who thoroughly understands
a machine. He notices little peculiarities
in the handling of the spark lever or the
gas throttle which one machipe will pos
sess and is found lacking in another.
When a beginner has reached the point
where he can operate the car fairly well
without having to think forcibly of each
move. he is ready to undertake more
scientific driving. He can best begin with
a careful study of the spark and throttle
control
With the modern high-tension magnetic
that forms part of the stock equipment