The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-02
"A Remarkable Trip.

e feats of the kind on record. The
<" was sent out as a relief car
was driven by Freeman Monroe,
won fame by plotting the champ
motorboat Kitty Hawk to a new
rs record last year. With the
ton of three punctures, picked
the debris Uttered streets OF
4, it was not necessary to make
A4gle adjustment or repair to the
Car during +he whole time.
Although loaded down with extra
equipment, medical supplies and pro-
visions until it weighed more than
5000 pounds, the machine went every
foot of the way on its own power and
was never stalled.
Trains were running between De-
troit and Toledo and the car was
shipped by rail from the factory to
the Ohio town. All wires were down
and there were no means of communi-
cation or transportation between Tole-
do and Dayton. Motorists and city au-
thorities in Toledo attempted to dis
suade the Detroit men from attempt
ing the trip, declaring that the roads
were not only impossible on account
of the mud but that the high water
made the attempt exceedingly dan
gerous.
Nevertheless just at dawn, a few
hours after the arrival in Toledo,
Monroe took his place at the wheel
and started out for the food stricken
city. The battle with hub deep mud be-
gan the minute the car left the paved
streets.
! Time and again Monroe found it
necessary to back up and buck the mud
as a snow plow clears the drifts. A
lshort distance out of Toledo the roads
were two and one half feet under
water for stretches of mile at time.
And there was practically no bottom
to the roads.
At some points there was nothing
to indicate the position of the road
but occasion1 fence posts at either
side. exposed for a few inches above
the murky food. Near Kenton, O., the
only bridge over what was ordinarily
a sluggish creek but now a swollen
torrent, was washed away. No adVan-
tage could be made by detQuring and
after a. hasty survey of the situation
it was decided to shoot the stream
Taking a start of several rods the
driver launched the machine into the
swirling waters Fortunately the bed
of the, creek was solid and in less time
than it takes to tell the ear was On the
other side. The creek was over five
feet deep in the middle.
: All day and all night the car fought
its way, sometimes through fields
and sometimes on the turf along the
roadside. The following morning the
relief party arrived in Dayton. They
Immediately offered their services,
with the car, to the authorities and
were assigned to attempt dash for
Hamilton, 55 miles distant, to learn
'Nof conditions there. The trip was made
in one hour and 45 minutes, an aver
age of better than 25 miles an hour.
4 The journey back to Detroit was
started the Sunday after the food be-
gan to recede. Sunday night was
spent in Toledo and the party arriv-
ed at the Chalmers factory early
Tuesday.
The speedomoter showed that the
car had Travelled twice the distance
Shat would have been covered under
ordinary conditions. In one instance
it was necessary to detour 80 miles
In order to advance two.
In sections of Michigan the roads
had been considered absolutely i'm
nassab1e for vehicles Of any kind for
three months, but the "six" went
through without hitch.
The car carried to Dayton life BELTS
Several hundred feet of rope, collap-
sible canvas boat, medical supplies
and a quantity Of provisions, all OF
which we're turned over to the officials
in charge of the relief work.
The hazardous expedition was
planned that C. A Pieffer, treasurer
of the Chalmers company, might get
into Dayton to search for his parents
and little daughter, whom it was fear
ed we're lost in the food.
c:Toe ord SiIo0o