The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-03

and secured their indOrSement or the pldIl
 t. come by Birmingham with the cars. It
 is stated that 500 cars will be in the tour
 this year. carrying two men each on the | average, and that the interest will be very high. The local automobile association, of
 which Dr. J. D. Dedman isspresident, is expected to give that plan all possible aid and 1t is believed that the efforts to be put forth will be successful. It
 is stated that the Glidden tourists have done more than any other agency to pro mote the feeling for better roads through
 out the country. The cost of entertaining the delegation would be infinitely small, it is stated
 A feature of the exhibit of eectrics a
 the shows is the apparent tendency on the part of all manufacturers to bring the ! coach bodies closer to the ground, which construction admits at the same time
 of greater safety, greater ease and great CT beauty of line.
 Those who are familiar with the show of only a year ago. remember that prac- tcally all the electric coaches shown
 were built with the high hung body. This,
 on modern city street, is hard to enter
 or leave: and today. with the close fit
 ting styles fashionable for women, 1t Is not only difficult, but dangerous.
 The high hung coach body is relic of the early days of coach building. During the middle ages even the city streets were seas of mud up to the hubs, and it was necessary to swing the coach bodies high in order to protect the pas senger. Modern coach makers followed this construction blindly long after mod ern paving had made it an absurdity. An announcement to the effect that the Olds Motor works of Lansing, Mch.. will add to their line fire fighting and other equipment for municipal service, has just been made by Mir W. J. Mead. Vice president and general manager of this company. The Oldsmobile chassis for several seasons past has been used for this
 work and for three years this company, has carried on extensive experiments with fire fighting apparatus.
 Mir. Mead states that there Is no longer
 any question of the practicabiity of mo- tor driven fire apparatus, for only a short time ago the Oldsmobie fire fighters now in use in the city of Lansing mad one of the most severe tests ever given apparatus of this kind Two pumping engines are in use in Lansing one O horsepower and the other 20 horsepower pumping engine. At the burning of Ian sings largest hotel. the Downey House,
 short time ago, the smaller of these engines, which by the way has seen three years Of service, pumped steadily 10 hours anu 10 0nlIHleS, Wnlle the large one worked without stop for 13h hours. The two engines consumed total of 96 gal Ions of gasoline throwing an average of 1850 gallons of water per minute. As the hydrant pressure only averages from
 10 to 20 pounds 1t can be seen that the
 engines were working to their fullest ca paclty at all times.
 Mir. Mead says that for the present the combination chemical and hose wagons haf t1-ftI lances, will represent the major part of
 the output, and that the company is now prepared to go ahead and accept orders for same.
 The big automobile circus that Is to be held under canvas over the streets on three sides of University park, March 80, without exception will be the big gest and most important event in In- dianapolis motoring annals. The show organization is now hard at work on the details of the pageant and everything points to success. The canvas, which will i be rented for the occasion, Is said to be the biggest ever made, not excepting the | biggest circus canvas.
 Already all the show space has been sold and practically all the manufacturers of Indianapolis. Ind. and the remainder of the country will be represented The h. didnapolis automobile show is expected to attract thousands of visitors to this city from Indiana and adjacent states. Jovial John Orman of the Premier Motor Manufacturing company, has been ap- pointed general manager of the tented show
 Women have for some time been q strong factor in molding the chaarcter and direction of the automobile business, according to George M. Dickson, general manager of the National Motor Vehicle company.
 Dickson declares that the left hand drive, with center control. which his com pany now offers, is adapted to a large de- gree to satisfy demands of women mo- tcrist. IIe says that with the inception of the self starter, which mkaes the gas oline car as easily to handle as an cleo tric, that more than ever before women are taking to motoring. With the left hand drive" he declares women are able to drive with more assurance. They are able to get clear view of the road ahead when desiring to pass other ve- ricles, and they are also able to take turns in crowded city traffic with much greater safety. In case the top of the car is up a woman can hardly determine whether any other vehicle is trying to pass her from the rear. if she is driving on the right hand side, but with the left hand drive she at all times knows her road conditions. The instinct to reach for the control levers with the right hand is not lost, as theHontrol levers are now in the center. Inv case the woman is not driving, she has easy access to the front seat. and is always next to the curb be- cause of the convenience in the construc- ton of a car with left hand drive