The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-04
Automobile News

~~~~~-
When joy riders in Athens, Greece,
want a taxi, they call, 'FPohpolytarto-
| cinethar1noxaxe!"
According to cabled reports from
Europe, factory has been erected at
Amsterdam, Holland, to manufacture
synthetic rubber from fish.
To increase the number of autoLdo-
biles in Salvador, the government has
issued a decree admitting motor cars
free Of duty for a limited time. Cars
are being purchased by large NUMBER
The director of public service OF TO
1edo, Ohio, has asked the police depart
ment to strictly enforce the city orol-
nance regulating the size Of tires on
wagons using improved streets, es-
pecially asphalt paven1ents-
Detroit's downtown automobile con-
geS$ion has become SO heavy that 1t
has been decided to convert one OF the
smaller city parks into an autonaoo1!e
parking space The east end of Cao1l-
&C Square, now a grassy spot, Is TO De
paved with asphalt.
An effort is being made to induce
New Orleans residents who have cot
tages at northern summer resorts to
make the trip as mem bers of the Gid
den tour next spring. There are sever
al hundred persons in New Orleans
owning cottages in the north, and the
country has appealed to many.
There is no formula, for finding the
radiator cooling surface necessary Tor
any four-cy1inder motor that is ap-
plicable to all types and makes OF
motors or radiators This is because
of the great variation in the cooling
efficiency of the various designs OF
motors and radiators made. Each rad
iator maker. however, will be able to
very closely approximate the amount
Of surface Of its own design most suit
able for any particular motor
For the first time in the history OF
New Jersey, oonvicts have been put at
work on state roads Sixteen men from
the state prison at Trenton were haul
ed IN a stage to the White Horse Pike,
a few miles distant The men had all
served several years. and were unused
to the winter weather, but seemed SO
pleased with the change that they
worked with a will and the authorities
were much pleased with their work.
According to figures published in the
Engineering Record there is one acc1-
dent for every 12,G5S miles Travelled by
a trolley car and one for every 1855
fatal accident the figures are higher;
the trolley going 100000 miles before
killing any one, and the autonoolle
2,40O, 900 miles. These figures apply to
statistics further show that the auto
mobile has to travel three times as
far as the trolley before taking the life
Of an outsider, and at least seven
times as far before injuring one
Encouraged by the success of the
first notor-driven street cleaning ma.
Sing Sing Prison, New York, is prepar-
ing to manufacture motor trucks on
what he terms a large scale. The
machine can be sold for IS 600, and as the
City of New York is required to pur-
chose New York State prison-tnade
goods, whenever possible, there VIII
be a fairly good market for the ma
chine. They cannot be placed upon
the open market or sold to private in
dividua1s. However, when the prison
has made a truck any city or state in
Sfi 6Rnarfn1anf has to RiVe II
the preference in buying machine.
1t is probable that in the near future
French roads will be numbered. The
movement TOWARD this end, which has
begun months ago, has now assumed
large proportions through the pres1-
dent signing q petition asking for the
plan, will be erected, marked with the
number and class of the road, all roads
being divided into four classes, ma
tional, departmental, those of main
communication and those of common
interest. It is thought that this plan
will make it much easier to use the
French roads. If put into effect, the
plan provides for the local districts to
bear the expense.
There is a wealth of minor improve
ment in many of the latest French ma
settled. Some, who have used three
quarter elliptic gears, have reverted
to the semi-eIliptic. Shock abSorberS
are more general. Universal joints
have been improved and radius and
torque rod constructions have been
improved upon. The double-drop frame
has been in for more general consid-
Grafton Lastly one of the hest man
ufa cturers has adopted the American
idea of selling a completely equipped
car, which, if it takes hold, can be
rea Oily seized upon by the American
exporter, and the movement will work
more or less of a revolution in the
French selling field, as well as one
which will aid in the expectation of
American cars to South America, Aus
tralia, etc, where they are in con1pe-
tition with French products. and where
the European product has largely die
tated the selling situation
A plan for transporting the Twenty
third United States Infantry from Fort
Benjamin Harrison, near Indianapolis,
Ind, to the Pacific Coast and return
during the summer of 1913, using mo-
tor trucks for the trip, has been work
ed out by Col. Edwin F. Glenn and
otherS officers of the regiment The
plan is to be submitted at once to the
experts of the War Department for
consideration, and if it meets with
appropriate $4,000 for the equipment.
Colonel Glenn has long held a theory
that the motor truck is TO take an
important part the mobilization of
troop and in ac-ual warfare. He be-
'ieVes the experiment to be Proposed
would be well worth the cost involved
if it would establish the unquestiona-
bic efficiency Of the motor truck for
army work. According to his plan it
would relui-e 10 motor trucks for the
trip, and it is estimated the regiment
could advance at the rate of so miles
a day. The average daily march of
infantry on foot is Is miles a day, and
for cavalry rs miles. Colonel Glenn
believes each truck could carry two
squads, consisting of fourteen privates
and two corporals, one surgeon and a
driver, together with their necessary
equipment and baggage. Additional
trucks would be required for hauling
gasoline oil tires, parts and