The Washington times., 1911-07-16
MOTORISTS EXPECT
NATIONAL OFFICER
IN CITY TOMORROW
Elliott Coming to Arrange
Inspection Trip to
Richmond.
By HARRY WARD.


morrow TO make final arrangements for
the automobile inspection tour 10 Rich
mOnd, " hich begins July "a.
A party Of Government officials, good
roads advocates. motorists, and news
paper men will make the trip to the
Virginia capital in several automobiles,
and while in Richmond will arrange
for the first American road congress to
be held in that city October 81, 81, and
November |, under the auspices of the
American Association for Highway I'm
proVement and the Touring Club of
America.
The interest of the Government in
everything relating to highway improve
ment Will be shown in unique manner
when the inspection tour begins. 1t will
be the first time in the history of auto
MODELLING in this country in which a
motoring organization will have the
active aid of the Government in effective
work for road Improvement. In addi-
tion to the Touring Clubs official cara,
several other machines will be used. In
addition to Secretary Elliott the party
will consist of Paul D. Sargent assist
ant director Of the office Of public
roads; =. ST. Julian Wilson. State high
Penny hacker, secretary American As
sociation for Highway Improvement;
Col. Henry MCNair. editor of the Auto
mobile Blue Book, and the automobile
The main object Of the inspection trip
is to study highway conditions between
Washington and Richmond. At various
points Commissioner Wilson and As
sistant Director Sargent will meet the
local authorities and offer suggestions
for road maintenance, so that by the
latter part of October the highways
may be in the best possible condition
for motor travel. To attend the ro-d
congress several big automobile tours
are being organized, and nearly all OF
them will pass through Washington en-
route to Richmond.
The announcement of it's 1912 line of
cars by the Speedwell Motor Car Com
pany, represented in Washington by
the Speedwell Sales Company, is eXcep-
tionally interesting by reason of the
fact that the list includes twelve mod
els, and the further fact that the Speed
we'll presents a number of structural
features that are not only unusual. but
highly efficient in the operation OF the
car. The range Of models is from the
tWo-paSsenger roadster and the three
passenger duck boat cars up to the
seven-passenger touring car and hmou-
sine.
One of the noteworthy types is known
as the Cruiser, a four-pasSenger car
built more particularly for touring. The
body is inclOsed with doors and wind
break dash in front, and the sides are
somewhat higher than is usually found
on car of fOre-door design. The wheel
base is 1872 inches, instead of III. the
standard for the other SpeedWel mod
els while the motor is the same.
Another model that is built on unique
lines is the duck boat 1t is so named
because in appearance the BODY pears
resemblance to duck hoat- II seats
three-each Of the two in front having
individual seats, with passageWay be-
tween, through which the third pas
senger reaches his seat in the back
This third seat is in no sense rumble.
The passenger riding there has full sup
mort for the back and ample leg room
and comfort. The first car Of this type
was shown to the public the first time
at the New York show, early IN the
year, and became the subject or much
favorable comment.
low-seated semi-racer roadster Tor Two
and with toy tOnneau for four 1our-
passenger toy tonneau; tour-passeh-
ger torpedo; a fiVe-paSsenger close
coupled: five and seven passenger cars
with open front and foredoor bodies,
and a seven-passenger limousine.
Senator r. L. Owen of Oklahoma has
followed the example of several OF his
colleagues by purchasing an autono-
bile He has secured Model K Pull
man touring car from Theodore Barnes
& Co, Pullman agents here.
Harry Jones. manager of the Phila-
delphia branch of the Apperson Auto
mobile Company, is in Washington VS.
iting Emerson & Orme, the Apperson
agents. He drove down from Philadel.
phia yesterday in an Apperson ~
touring car.
Cant. c. DeForest Chandler, one of
the army's most brilliant aviators' mas
ioined the ranks of the motorists. He
has purchased a Chalmers 80 tor
pedo runabout from the Zell Motor Car
Company and will use the machine In
getting to and from the aviation
grounds at College Park.
Emperor William of Germany has just
purchased four more new types OF au-
tomobiles, thus augmenttng his motor
car feet to thirty, and again emphaslz-
ing his stand as an enthusiastic mo
torist The majority of his machines
are of German and French make. Six
of these cars are utilized as luggage
vans. The Kaiser keeps five of his au-
tomobiles at Corfu No other person is
permitted to possess horn like that
used on his majesty's motor cars, the
type of horn being that of peculiar
fanfare When in commission the car
bears the imperial standard flag, which
flies beside the chauffeur by day. This
ensign is replaced at night by an IL
Illuminated glass shield, revealing the
standard IN regulation COLOES.
A unique expedition will arrive in
washington some time during the
week. It is an experimental trip OF
! 5000 miles by a detachment OF cadets
| from Northwestern military academy.
who are travelling in four Cadillacs. The
battery consists of two Cadillac gun car
riages which went through the Glidden
| tour Of 1910, experimenting for the Gov
| ernment as balloon-destroyers, and two
| 1911 Cadillacs which are uniquely equip
| ped for wireless telegraphy. The cleo
| tricity is developed from the generator
run off the engine, and with the aid Of
| a telescope mast, which runs six
| ty-fve feet high, messages can be
readily sent from thirty five to
! fifty miles. A balloon, which Is
| part of the equipment of each ma
chine. can then be inflated by the max
| ing of hydrogen gas, and with this
| equipment the antennae wires can be
| carried to any height and the sending
and receiving power of the machines
| greatly increased.
| Colt automatic rapid fire gun, firing 4S0
| shots per minute automatically. Along
| side of each one is mounted a powerful
| searchlight, over the front of which Is
| attached a photographic shutter for WIS.,
ual signaling Each machine also car
| ries an ak, shovel and a complete set
| of cooking utensils, tents, blankets and
three days raions for the crew.
The cars are driven from thirty
to forty miles apart, and keep in
touch with each other every noon and
every night in order to ascertain the
value of the wireless equipment under