Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28
Low CARS RAISE MORE
DUST THAN HIGH ONES
Type Is Copied From Racing
Cars-No Advantage
Is Gained.

Generally speaking. it may be taken as
! an axiom that the lower the car the
! higher the dust-that is to say, the less
the clear space underneath, the more
| likely Is the car to raise dust when trav-
cling over the critical rate at which the
nuisance becomes manifest. This being
the case. it becomes pertinent to inquire
what chance there is OF future cars be-
| ing built with a larger clearance, and
why they are at present built so low ?
This is the opinion of a local salesman
well versed in the motor car construction.
! To answer the late question first 1t is
because we are a nation of copyists, and
| because our GLASSES have been copied
from racing models" he said. Exec pt
for racing cars, which have to get round
corners as best they can at break-neck
speed, there is not a particle of ad-
vantage to be gained by low center of
| gravity. On the contrary, low center
of gravity for ordinary cars. VIII Oh are
not supposed to go round corners at a
greater speed than is healthy for tires
differentials and stray persons, is in
several ways a mistake.
| Many years ago. when the railroads
first put the high-boilered boyle locomo-
tives on the iron road. many wiseacres
shook their heads and predicted trouble
The engines, they then averred would
roll and generally make themselves un-
| pleasant. while as for corners, there
would be no getting round them The
engines, however, proved themselves the
steadiest running fast locomotives then
built and at the present day all express
engines have their big boilers nearly I'D
| to the tops of the tunnels (Which latter
have had TO remain the regulation
height.
High Center Is Steadier.
a motor car with a high center OF
gravity is steadier in it's running than a
low one. and is less likely TO skid, and
1t is only as regards racing round corners
at speed at which they ought never to
be negotiated. where it is preferable to
have the center of gravity low
IF you glance through some illustra-
tons showing the evolution Of the car
from the short. cooped-up little vehicles
| OF several years ago. with all the ma
ch.nery' stuck high from the ground. and
compare their lines with the long, rakish-
looking creations OF today, you will either
shudder or smile. as the humor o. ii
takes you. to think of the possibility OF
going back to anything SO hideous But
don't you think that habit has a great
deal to do with it? Many are getting to
| ike the look of wire wheels, yet the
pioneers of this Improvement have had
to wait patiently for our eyes to get or
the wood Then, again. the long wheel
base of the modern car would prevent II
looking anything like so ridiculous as one
is apt to picsure it; indie. d. / will go SO
lar as TO say that the appearance might
| be considered to be improved b., increas-
| ing the diameter Of the wheels, and al
| the same time raising the clearance line
! of the whole box OF tricks.
| 1t may be argued, perhaps, that al
though the vehicle itself might gain
somewhat in dignity. that of It's occu-
| pants would suffer. 1t certainly requires
some skill In department to ascend and
descend gracefully, If the distance to be
spanned exceeds the normalEa skill
which becomes all the more difficult to
acquire when our persons happen to be
built on formula more restricted in
stroke than in bore-and our dignity mus;
be maintained at all costs. Once in the
| carriage, however, there is everytf ng 70
1 be gained by fairly lofty position-peo O.
pie in the street cannot look down on US
We obtain more extended view Of our
surroundings, and are further away from
the lower and denser strata of smell and
! dust. IL Is true there would be a few
inches further to fall in the sad even,
of an accident, but this is overruled by
I the longer time We should get to look for
a nice spot to tumble on. and to compose
i our limbs gracefully during our unex-
pected aerial excursion