The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-22

there ia some depreciation In cars
and many new machines are nouRht
for the sepecific purpose OF trans
continental trips. II Is certainty
that the number Of cars making this
trim viii increase by leaps and bounds
each wear as road conditions I'M
prove Work is being done all along
he route this year to better roau
Conditions
Perhaps the figures quoted are not
surprising after all. in view of the
fact. that Or. F. l.. Bartlett, good
roads direetor of the Denver Cham~
her of Commerce, states that e,ooV
automobiles visited his State In 1871.
and that they left no Tess than 81
zoo GOO in that Commonwealth Verify.
the slogan. See America First ~
growing TO a healthy volume: and 1t
viii come to pass that Europe will
feel the diminishing of the golden
stream Of dollars. as In course OF
tff1s a citizen wf1o goes abroad to
travel, without first knowing his own
country. viii be counted a mighty
poor American indeed
There are automobile records and
automobile records. Most cf
have little or no significance, ~Aile
occasionally there may be one "nich
reflects much credit on the car that
4. accomplishes it. SAYS shannon o.
Lees, of The Jones Motor Car Co,
the other day
There is scarcely any make Of car
which at some time or other have
not won some kind OF race often
because IL had no formidable com
petitors There is scarcely car or
any make which has not made Some
kind of a record often because no
other car has made a similar attempt.
Conspicuous, standing out ana
apart from the usual run Of races.
records and contests, are two Cadillac
accomplishments. In the record
from Los Angeles to San Franc'sc'
and return, over mountains. through
valleys fordjng streams and ravers-
ing as difficult roads as could ne
found; accomplishing this task of e7t
miles In the remarkable time OF w
hours, 30 minutes accom- plishing a
feat which had been attempted time
and again but as frequently met with
failure, covering the route one way
in faster time than the fastest ran"
road train between the two cities,
running the last mile ~ the trip as
smoothly and ms perfectly as the first,
R4attHg t5Ae pest prey ]thN is'4'iN ''tsAN''
hv a high powered six-oyllnder car
nv hours. % minutes, the Cadillac
performed "A feat and established
record which authorities believe VIII
stand for Some time.
Tho next and equally significant
record is that made on the Los An
geIes rnotordonne by the CadiNac IN
competition with ten othernFntrahts
in a twenty-four-hou contest.
IN 24-hour contest. The Cadillac
covered the enormous total of l,44s
roiles in the allotted time. an average
Of 60 liz miles per hour. distancing
the closest following contesant rbY @-3
miles,
The contest board Of the American
Automobile Association has completed
It's revision of the contest rules TOT inc
1912 session. governing alt form of con-
tests, such as road. speedway. mile and
half.mile track races as well as All
forms of reliability contests, hl'l-ciimos
etc.
In general the rules remain much as
!. 1911. but many important changes
have been made. A few OF these are
as follows: In meets on mile and hail.
mile tracks IL is now imperative to re-
move the top rail from the inner fence
OF the track and to establish a neutral
zone on either side OF the track from
which spectators are barred. This
zone is forty feet wide at the end
curves aud thirty feet on the straighta-
ways.
In all forms Of contest the minimum
weight clause has been eliminated so
that in stripped stock chassis events the
classification
mains as the only restrictions. The
chassis options permitted year ago
are continued.
In all forms Of contests added pow
erE are placed In the hands OF the REL
ereey who may, ROW In addition to ser
mtnating a race before its scheduled
finish delay it at any time because OF
disaster In conjunction with grand
stands, etc.
The nag code has been standardized
so that IL is now the same for road
races and track meets. The red flag
means clear course. yellow flag, blocked
aourse: white flag. stop next lap. and
green and checkered flags for last lap
and finish.
The number OF cars permitted to
start In any track meet Is limited to
one for every 400 feet Of linear track
measurement.
At San Jose, Cal. Lewis Disbrow,
driving a 80 horsepower Simplex car,
established new circular dirt track
records for Is. 20 and 25 miles at the
San Jose driving park. The meet was
sanctioned by the American Automo-
bile Association. P. J. Walker. member
OF the contest board refereeing. Bar.
ney Oldheld previously held all three
Of the records. having made them at
Milwaukee, September 81. 1910.
Cfsbrow made Is miles In 1890: 20
miles In 1857 rs; rs miles In 1926.
3-5. Oldneld's time In the same events
was 13.41. 1915 and 2247.
-
"A National Highway from Wash.
ington to Richmond via Mount Yer.
non a . Peace Monument" il the sub
3sct or an article In Southern Good
Roads BY Mr. Charles Henry Davis
Who says: Arrangements for the int.
transitional celebration In 1914 OF the
hundredth anniversary Of peace among
4 lsn3jlnh4pGoking nations are already
Uon under Wy. inc1u4inE plans for
nsat Hssnerials e ahst event
d III &; st a M sss IS ME- s alE