The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-16
Motoring Notes,
Good Road News
and Trade Matter


Cave, Kentucky, in seven running DAYS
IS the exact record Of the Iakes~tc-
the-Gaif route pathfinder for the ma
tlonal tour of the American Automn-
bile association. and as the trip was
made in an electric coupe. the long
Journey. which liz hardly half OF The
entire trip to New Orleans, has at
tracted the attention Of the automo
bile world In fact this long jour
nes in an electric car ecIipsss every
record fer long distance road work
ever made by an electric 1t il d
performance that truly demonstrates
the fact that country touring In q.
luxurious electric car il possible in
these days when practically every
town of any consequence is provided
with charging station, at whirii
juice may be obtained al dime r
hour and night stops.
The correct distance from Detroit
10 Mammoth Cave is 5s33 miles The
pathfnders travelled slightly more
than 500 miles in their trip, as they
were required to retraee their rou 8
at times TO discover better roads. and
at other times natives, either with or
without a purpose. directed them
wrongly Inasmuch as the sevenTi il
days work included only The round
trip from Cave City to Mammoth
cave, nine miles each way. the cleo
trio really averaged slightly above LOG
miles for each travelling day, or ak
consecutive days. During this remark
a BILE Journey there was not moment
when the car gave any trouble steep
hills SANDY stretches and rocky sur
faced roads caused by wasnouts our
ing the heavy rains of this year were
encountered Throughout the entire
stretch Of country covered road WoFh
was being done aud when the great
tour travels through there Will DC
found excellent highways for pracu-
cally the entire distance.
Those roads which in 1910 gave the
Gliden tourists SO much trouble nave
been improved, and many stretches
are now splendid pixies. built along
lines OF road building that insure per
manency
oficial Pathfinder w o West I'd
and Official photogra pher and Core
spondent r. Ed. Spooner. both old and
experienced travellers and pathhnaars
have been delighted with the 1919 ns
tional tour route to this point. Charles
:. Ross. the driver OF the electric
nathfinder. and Frank Smith, who
Is in charge OF the trip, say that
the 1912 tour has been laid along
lines that are delightful In every way.
What the finishing stretches will show
remains a question. for south OF Mem
phis the route traVersed is new as
a great tour route. and must be care
fully selected owing 10 the heavy
floods along the Mississippi River val
ley this year
Automobiles encountered along the
route were NUMBERED in the thou
sands, and every town, big or small
had it's garage and accommodation
for tourists In many Southern towns
private houses have been turned into
places Of accommodation for tourists
and called inns" and the cookins
of the Southern mammies at these
places brought trouble for the path
suders through eating toe much OF
the Southern cooking.
As scenic tour the 1919 national
event for the Giidden. Anderson and
national trophies will be a delight and
as a pleasure tour 1t will rank high
The electric made the journey nicely
and the travellers enjoyed every min
ute of the journey. 1t Is thought that
another week or ten days will see the
pathfnding trip ended In New Or
leans. the route lying via Memphis
from Nashville via Florence, Ala, an
Sheffield, where the 1910 tour stopped,
To Memphis, hence south through
jackson. Tenn, along the Mississippi
river valley to Baton Rouge, with a
aide trip 10 famous old Vicksburg
From Baton Rouge New Orleans II
reached via ferry and fair roads
Rough Trip OF Aico Truck.
Through bottomless clay, alkali mud
and gullies that were succession o.
steep <our-foot descents and sharp
rises. the Transeontinentai Alec truch
reported at Wansutter, Wyo., WIN
a rnitcare record OF 2,Iao miles.
Word comes from the crew tha'
weather and road conditions encoun-
tered by the truck were the wors'
IN fourteen years IN Inc stare. re-,
cloudburrs in eight days washed
away a number Of bridges md the
whole country between Medicine Bow
and Hanna was submerged under two
feet If water At one place section
~ railroad track was washed out for
mile.
Altng the way TO Wamsutter the
crew were forced to drive across gull
lies SO abrupt that the truck In cross
ing at times dipped to almost vertical
position. with the front tires on the
upper banks and the rear tires on
the lower banks.
The truck has covered more than
two third Of the distance from Phil
adeIphia. the starting place. to Fetal
una. Cal. whittier II IL hauling the
f1rst cargo OF motor freight on record.
Much Of tho roughe1t part Of the Jour-
ney has been experiences. but hun
dreds Of miles OF bAd lands are still