The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-21

newest and most elaborate of the motor
tracks. 1t represents an investment OF
about $3,500,00O.
Everard Thompson, the general man.
ager of the Sheepshead Bay speedway
says that the public has little idea OF
the value of such races as will be run
on the splendid new track.
while there is apparent utilita-
rian purpose shown in driving a car at
ITO miles, an hour says Mr.. Thompson,
''such speed being, of course, fmpOs-
sible and impracticable on a highway,
valuable information is obtained by
such speeds. Driving a car at its ut
most capacity for two or three hours
! brings out any possible defects in en-
CINE or other machinery, and the engine
that will maintain such a speed for 300
| or 500 miles proves its mechanical ex-
| cellence, and if placed in a touring car
where it will never be called on for
such strains it will render perfect serv-
ice for years.
1.-THE money necessary for making
these tests can be had only by giving
| the public form of entertainment for
which spectators will pay. For the AS
| tor cup race, which opened the Sleeps
| head Bay speedway, we offered purses
aggregating $4,000, and our other ex-
penses were that much more. Manu-
facturers could not meet this enormous
| expense, so they are glad to take adj
vantage OF the speedways to test their
cars"
Since the automobile attained a speed
| of a mile a minute there has been q
keen rivalry between the gasoline We
| hicle and the steam locomotive in the
matter of speed. Each form of transit
] ent honors about equally. divided. The
| locomotive has a better record for from
| one to seven miles, while the automo-
bile has shown its superiority over dis
| tances from SO to 500 miles.
| The fastest time ever made by a loco
motive for a short distance was in
/, March, 1901, when a Plant system train
| covered five miles in Florida in exactly
| 2 minutes and 80 seconds, a speed OF
| 120 miles an hour. Three years later
| the Philadelphia and Reading sent a
| train from Egg Harbor to Brigantine
| Junction, 4,8 miles, in the same elapsed
| time. a speed of 1920 miles an hour.
| No such time has ever been made by an
| automobile. ~
| Dario Resta on his first trial broke a
worlds record on the new Sheepshead
Bay speedway by travelling ten miles
five laps around the two miles track. in
5 minutes 81 As seconds, a trif1e below
100 miles an hour. In a previous race
at Chicago Resta had covered two miles
| at speed of 110.S miles an hour This
is considerably slower than the two
miles a minute done by a locomotive on
| steel rails and a straightaWay course.
But if. the locomotive had been driven
| around an oblong track to complete the
five miles, thus having to negotiate I'VE
1 curves, it is certain that the speed
would not have appropriated a mile in
thirty seconds.
I The superiority of the automobile over
a long distance is unauestioned- The
worlds record for 500 miles was made a
| few months ago in Chicago when Resta
| completed the distance at an average
/ speed of 97.5S miles an hour This in
c1uded stops for gasoline and to change
tires Compare this humiliation of dis
lance with the following figures for fast
railroad trains:
June, 1905, Pennsylvania railroad, New
york to Chicago, S97 miles, 56.O7 miles
/ an hour; July. 1904, Great Western Of
tEngIand, between Paddington and Bris-
toll, 11S.5 miles, SAG miles an hour;
June, 1905, Lake Shore, between Buff
falo and Chicago, r525 miles, $3.50 miles
an hour; October, 1905, Pittsburgh, Fort
| Wayne and Chicago, between CrestIlnel
O., and Clark Junction, Ind, 257.4 miles,
| 1856 miles an hour.
1t will be noticed that these fast times
by railroad trains were made ten years
| or so ago and that since that time no
extraordinarily fast time has been
made. Railroad managers seem to
! think that the limit has been reached.
and that there is too great danger in
doing much better than a mile a minute.