Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-25
STRIKE A CLOUDBURST
ON RUN TO RICHMOND
Touring Club Pathfinders Have
Strenuous Experience in
Reaching CuIpeper.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

CCLPEPER, Va, July 20. 1911.
The New York-Richmond official path
finders Of the Touring Club of America
to the first annual road congress at Rich.
mond. Va. October 80, 81 and November
1, under the auspices Of the American
Association for Highway Improvement.
arrived here last evening at O'Clock
after most strenuous days run. AT
Aide. Va, the three cars in the party.
containing government officials and Off
GERS Of the Touring Club Of America,
Highway Association and automobile
editors Of four Washington newspapers.
ran into a terrific rainstorm necessitat-
ing q short stop to prepare for the down.
pour.
The party continued through the rain
and experienced but little trouble in get
ting over the roads. as they were In
fairly good condition. 1t was after leav-
ing Warrenton, however, that the strenu-
Gus part Of the days run was encounter
ed The section between Warrenton and
Culpeper had evidently been visited by a
cloudburst. judging from the CONDITION
Of the roads. Trees were blown down
along the road, and just before reaching
this place the cars came across gang
Of lumbermen cutting up a huge Tree
about eighteen inches in diameter whicn
had fallen directly across the ROAD ana
was blocking TIE trafnc. fortunatey,
the motorists arrived just as the tree was
being removed and were able to pull
through without any delay.
Like Taft's Bull Run Trip.
The scene presented today on the road
was somewhat similar to- last Friday,
when President Taft motored to the Bull
Run battlefield and caused SO much dis
comforture to those In the presidential
party What was formerly small streams
were raging torrents, when the rain had
ceased to come down. Time and again
1t was necessary to ford the streams
with water up over the running boards
and splashing all over the occupants OF
the cars Mud, deep, up to the axles,
was a common condition, mile after mile
over the soft, red roads, made SO oy the
afternoon downpour. AT times II was
five miles an hour. SO wretched were
the road conditions Chains were re-
sorted to early in the game after ieav-
ing Warrenton, SO steep We're the grades
the thickly wooded sections.
1t was q tired and disguised aggresa-
ton of motorists that arrived at Gull
peper after shutdown. In the party were
e. ST. Julien Wilson, commissioner OF
highways of the state OF virginia, VINO
had an opportunity to see the conoition
Oh the ROADS VI tue Oio -,
day as he never saw them before, ana
says he never wants to see them again.
Others who spoke in like terms after the
hardest days tour in mtor car they
had ever experienced were Paul D. Sar-
gent. - ant director Of the office OF
public f,aus Department of Agriculture;
Col. Henry McNair, editor OF the Auto
mobile Blue Book; Frederick HI. Elliott,
secretary of the Touring Club OF Amer
lea, and ]. E. Pennybacker, secretary OF
the American Highway Association.
First Stop at Fairfax.
The tourists made their first stop after
leaving Washington at Fairfax, Va,
where the citizens and of1cials OF the
town had provided dinner. VS.; =,
the old courthouse and the clerks office.