The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-16
AUTO CROSSES U. s;
NEW RECORD MADE
Seven Days II Hours So Min
utcs From Los Angeles
to New York.
BAL MILES ARE COVERED

Heraided by a great footing Of auto
mobile horns, n roadster slid to the curb
at Broadway and Forty-second street at
2:5S o'clock yesterday afternoon. bearing
two men whose faces were almost AS
grfmy as tho dust streakcd car In which
they sat. A crowd st%raightway cheered,
congratulated and clapped on the back
era. for the men had set up a record
BY crossing the continent In seven days
II hours and SO minutes with a Cadillac
stock machine.
They were L. q. Baker and W. r.
Sturm. both Of indianapolis. and though
could scarcely SEQ their a%pplauders. for
their eyes had been cut by the winds of
three mountain ranges. burned by the
blaze OF the desert. and made heavy
lidded through having slept little more
than twelve hours. The wearler OF the
two was Baker, for he had driven every
n Of the 3.471 miles they travcrsed.
His Job just 70 Pray.
The part Of Sturm. a newspaper man.
outside OF helping out In difficulties, was
to cit tight n pray that n tire wouldn't
blow out as they ~ploughed through Mis-
souri, mud. their greatest obstacle. or
struck up a gait Of IS miles an hour.
their maximum speed. Also his mind
was occupied at other moments with
hoping that they would lower the best
nrAvfnna aft ha,ftrasa tiv,, v.hi.h hul
been made about a year ago when he
accompa MED Baker In a Stutz car from
Q Diego to New York in eleven days
seven hours n Is minutes
Through II all the roadster, a standard
eight cylinder machine. buzzed along
stanchly. with scarcely a trace Of the
arduous journey at the end save a
coating of mud. Its record was con-
sidered all the more remarkable because
It made n preliminary run OF l.7OO
miles before 1t started on the big drive
from coast 10 coast in time that would
nave been considered remarkable for "A
railroad train not so many years ago.
The car left Los Angeles. Cal. at l2 :0l
A. NJ. Monday, May S. and darted
through Flagstaff. Ariz.. to Albuquerque,
n. NJ, It's occupants happy because they
could tear along the hard desert
roads at nifty and sixty miles an hour
and keep their thoughts OF the Their
mometer. which was registering $50 de-
grees In what little shade there was. In
TACT, during the opening stages of the
Journey, by way of Santa Fe and Las
Vegas. ~. NJ. Trinidad. Col. Dodge City
n Emporia. Kan. to Kansas City, Mo
they covered 1850 miles in three days
et an average OF $50 miles.
Trouble Only In Missouri.
This speed had been due to the dry
weather. which helped Baker to reach
Dodge City two hours before a letter
which he had mailed to himself before
starting from Los Angeles. But when
tEey caine to Missouri they ran into
enough wet weather to make up for this
good fortune. For eighteen hours there
was nothing but rain.
OnIy once were they held up for speed-
ing. That was when they were entering
Collinsville. H.. and a policeman ar
rested them for going AT thirty-two miles
an hour They scarcely minded this in
terruption. however, for they were taken
10 the court house. tried. fined $3.50 and
were on their way again In twenty min
utes' From there they went through
Indianapolis, Ind. Columbus. Ohio. and
wheeling. W. Va, 10 Pit,sbure. leavin.
there at 1895 4. NJ. Yesterday.
through Pennsylvania the car raced
% Philadelphia. then gave It's dus, 10
trenton. y. j., II Jersey City. II was
tefr1ed across the river by a special boat
to Forty-second street.
The biggest days run for the tourney
~ ee7 miles. The distance by railroad
!. s,s4o miles: covered in approximately
ninety hours. with twenty-five locomo.
tives furnishing the power. At the END
Baker said he'd next try to establish a
record for sleeping.