The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-12
BREAKS F0OR
| GREATEST RECORDS

=
ofax3n over the Sheepshead Bay
pp4Rway 1888 miles in "a hours at
1verage actual running speed OF
49, miles per hour. This daZ-
1iM9 run is the highest performance
w. made under the observation OF
s s,Ss American Automobile associa-
Hhc Chalmers thus shattered the
U previous record OF 1919 miles
sn~SA hours which was made by the
AHAeon in May 1916. The start of
tne4ss record making run was made
w nesday afternoon, Aug. l.
X4e Chalmers was driven by Joe
OGeon all but five hours when Joe
0ee2ham. another member of the
Ch1mers factory experimental staff,
tor the wheel In relief.
Ihe feat of the Chalmers Is the
mn remarkable performance to the
creAlt OF any motor car. The Hud :
SOM which created Worldwide
ee4eAtion when it travelled l,sls
m4 in 81 hours. has a motr with
ANsSfon displacement Of 2SS cubic
dn1nAs. whereas the Chalmers stock
M0eer which travelled 1898 miles in
thA4ame time over the same course
n on'y PA cubic inches '''''a's-
me canvass covering over No. 3
ple-at the Sheepshead Bay speedway
h460ed vigorously in the wind The
skysswas overcast. Alongside the pit
gedd6 little car. as 1.-the as gray
h01nd, as sturdy as an oak. There
villa crash of thunder vivid flashes
of&a9ghtning. and then the rain de-
seeded. The men in the judges
eSu crowded closer to the center OF
IT, stand IN an attempt to escape the
dWnpour. The attendants at the pit
scent cry spots The starter who
hAA been waiting patiently at the
st14eing tape while the electrical tim
SnS .fevtce was tried out, ran FOR
shygter. Only the little black and
w6Jke car stood in the rain, seeming
to-YRt at defiance the elements Soon
th1prain had spent its force. though
Il Spntinued to fall. white clad
6ytver climbed into the left-hand seat
0{~&he little car. There was n whir
o4.ehe self-starter and then a savage
b4&k that told that the gasoline had
talen hold. A strong left hand grip
p61sthe steering wheel: the right
hafd gripped the shifting lever and.
a6Nxlfe left foot threw out the clutch,
tl3l~car was thrown into gear. auto
maAlcally the hand then moved to
tQNright and released The emergency
bEGke. the clutch was eased In: there
49, series OF louder explosions, a
sLlywav Quiekenirg turning of the rear
wANels on the wet track, a gear shift
oS6ecena then into Highland Joe
U~Eson, no longer smiling Joe Daw-
eSs.s but Grim Joe Dawson was on
Inn way TO prove that tho Chalmers
waxk It's e24-inch motor was speedy
eNUugh and sturdy enough To do
VII no other car had dared for
honr stock chassis speedway record
Three tirnes the car flashed past the
Judges stand and then the starter
wnyed II down. when II WIS seen that
it~MouIa take several minutes 10 tx
tnp@sape that was TO record the miles
THIS track was 80 slippery that Daw-
s0E warned the starter not 70 per
ns<&e anyone to even cross the track
wslte he was IN motion. because IL
xeA1Rsd have been Impossible for him
fENop suddenly.
~A4ain the little car flashed around
fUx-rourse and Fred 7 Wagner the
st6N<er OF all Americas important
a0fn events, waved Il or It's way. The
aeeen'pt AZ the record began at 5:es
I'm Around the two mile saucer
SD the car and the tape clicked as
ik.Grossed the lire. Down the slip
peey track and into the turns il flew.
III I'm otor nurmueing as contented1y
asA brook IN It's way 10 the sea
.K1ne hour passed Fiehty-threa
rlooe were recorded. against seventy /
e4<nn for the first hour OF The former
rssord Round and round came the /
q Soon the moon. evidently |
ASHAMED OF the part the elera ents had |
p1Ssd in the program. smiled wanly !
Tl1ae wore on. = hundred miles was |
p6fDed in an hour. twelve minutes,
ief47 seconds, at eighty-three miles an |
-. higher average than for the |
hor The pit attendants had their
90 plies in appiepie order. At the /
49, Of the track stood pressure
t(k with two gasoline horses attach
I'm order that gas might be taken
otEbpeedily. inside the pit were
stoged cans of luhricating oil ana spare
VI oels- At 2es miles Dawson drew
In the nit. took on gas. oil ana
wneer. O. X and was gone in less than
(0(R minutes. m order to prove con-
"a lively that the motor need not be
stGped during the entire run the
Brk plug was changed while the
uao9or hummed on. There was a muir
nfo1 Of applause from the spectators
AG-1Ae car gathered speed
Hhrough the long night Dawson
d&&xe on. stopping at intervals for
l0o4 and for fuel, OIL and gas for his
DQE1ne. but never for any mechanical
rlAirs.
= heavy fog rolled IN from the east
~ o'clock in the morning. Denser
NJ denser 1t grew. Still the car
s4eed on. There was no slackening
sfHpeed. though the watchers could
how It was possible to
ltDfe 80 swiftly.
- A. NJ. Dawson rolled up to
= pits and turned the wheel over
doe Gardham. Take no chances
H&he fog. Joe," admonished w. r.
)eNgm, contest manager, as he patted
nham on the back as the car slid
IvAv ana was lost to sight not fiftv
from the pit. When Gardham |
- In for gas later he said the fog
80 dense on the turns thet he had
oes5de up against the outside rail in
: " to keep his bearings on the
|1ns A little after A. NJ, Daw-
- refreshed by catnap. took the
r1Ael again. He completed twelve
65s with a57 miles to the cars
rAatt against a23 for the old record.
- cars average was 70 IA miles
I4our
- s:b5 Dawson gave way 10 Card
again. AT HE'S Dawson took
1&-wheel and stayed with it to the
u " '"'