Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-06-22
OFFICIAL PILOT
SKATERS RECORDS
Captain Bird and Company Put
Automobile Over Arrow
head Trail in Quick Time.
LITTLE MORE THAN SO HRS.
EACH WAY OVER ROUTE
Last 200 Miles of Trip Made Through
Binding Storm of Hail,
Rain and Snow.

Driving through a blind ng storm
Of hail, ra n and snow, that extended
over the last 200 miles of their trip,
Sapt. Owen r. Bird, Of the Quarter
masters Corps, Field Service, ac-
companied by c. H. Bigelow, official
pi OF, S~ergeants II. A. Baker and Roy
Hamilton, mechanical experts, shat
tered all previous automobile records
from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City
and return. The trip to Salt Lake
City was made over the Arrowhead
Trail, was covered in the remarkable
fast time Of SO hours, 18 minutes,
actual running time or 81 hours, Ia
minutes elapsed time; the hours dif
ference being allowed for fording the
Virgin River. The return to Los An
geles was made in the yet faster time
of SO hours and 26 minutes.
The run was made under strict mi =
itary rules for the purpose of demon
strating the feasibility of Arrowhead
Trail. The run not only established
a new Los Angeles-Salt Lake Record.
but shattered several other important
records on the trip. Leaving Los An
geles the party followed the Los An
geles-Phoenix race route for nearly
800 miles, and c ipped several minutes
from the best record ever made in
that. The party also lowered the rec
ord from Los Angeles to Las Vegas,
New, more than four hours.
The record made under these ey-
tremely adverse conditions was in a
large measure due to the Goodrich
Rubber Company, Los Angeles
Branch, who turned over all the infor-
nation that they had compiled when
making and routing the entire Ar
rowhead Trail a few weeks ago. This
information was highly important, in
rections was made very easy to fol-
low, and not a minute was lost in
choosing the right roads. The Arrow
head Trail owes much to the Goodrich
Company for the manner in which
they have marked the route, placed
signs at dangersous turns, and com
piled directions for the motorist.
The remarkable time made is also
due to the Silvertown Cord tires with
which the car was equipped, for no
other tire could have stood the terri
BILE strain and grinding wear. Capt.
Bird expressed the opinion that the
most wonderful feature about the trip
was that the tire could hold the slip
perry roads without chains and with
e stand the trrifc grind of this high
speed.
c. II. Bigelow who piloted the car
on its record-breaking trip, is a vet
eran road racer and desert driver.
Capt. Bird was one of the original
organizers of the auto reserve corps,
which was inaugurated in 1912. The
o%riginators of this movement put a
great deal Of time and money into
this work gratuitously, and were act
uated only by the desire to serve the
country. So important has this week
become that in February a bill was
passed in Congress authorizing the
formation of the motor car reserve,
which is now a branch of the army,
for four years, giving unlimited SER
vice in time of war, and are obligated
to fifteen days of training each year,
Captain Bird states that Sergeants
Hamilton and Baker, who are thor
oughly trained auto racing men, gave
valuable service on the trip by max
ing remarkably quick tire changes
and other mechanical assistance.
The trip was organized OF the reg
ular military patrol basis, utilizing
the telegraphic service and facilities
of the Salt Lake Route, while B. F
Goodrich Rubber Company rendered
invaluable aid through their touring
information bureau and service sta.
tons, which were at the entire dispos-
al ~ tho party