Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-12-23
ESSEX AGAIN PROVES
ROAD ENDURANCE
Boston to Canada and Back in
% Hours Actual Running
Time (36 Hours % Minutes
Elapsed Time) Over lob
Miles of Snow and Ice.Cov-
cred Roads,, Finishing S.23
A. NJ, Dec. II.

-
The most important event in the an
nails of the automobile in Maine and
New England occurred this week when
the possibilities of the passenger car as
medium OF transportation and COM
nunicatio were shown by the trip
made by the Essex Touring car from
Boston to Fort Kent and return in
difficult conditions under which an au-
tomobile could be sent over this route
were selected in order to prove the POS
sibility of using the automobile under
unfavorable conditions in times Of
emergency. The car used was an Essex
stock touring car which had been
driven nearly 5000 miles before the trip
was started. The orly extra equipment
was cord tires with two extra tires
and four chains. During the entire trip
Panied the car and the distances COW
cred and the time recorded Is taken
from their records. Leaving Boston at
7.59 p. NJ. on December 18th the car had
an uneventful trip to Portland regard
less of the detours encountered and the
, fact that traffic rules through cities
were observed, the car reached Port
land at 11.4 p. NJ. At Portland gasol ne
was added to the tank and chains were
put on for the first time. The next stop
was at Augusta which was reached at
1852 and chain which had broken was
replaced necesstating a stop Of three
minutes. Bangor was reached at 3e2.
! making total running time from Bos-
ton to Bangor of seven hours and IL
minutes. This time even under the
most favorable weather conditions is
remarkable but when it is taken into
consideration that the temperature was
below zero and that the roads probably
were never worse 1t is almost unbe-
lievable that the distance could be ne
gotiated in less time than the fastest
express makes the distance. The road
conditions between Augusta and Wat
erville were found to be deeply rutted
and frozen SO that the car pitched and
tossed from side to side in order to
maintain the speed required by the
schedule set for it. After delay Of
eight minutes at Bangor. where more
chain replaced the car started for Houl-
ton at $50 A. NJ. Between Bangor and
Houlton the roads were very deeply
rutted and glazed with a thin coating
OF ice Thrown from. side to side the
newspaper reporter stated after arriv-
ing in Houlton that he had never ex-
perienced such ride and never wished
to again Three times the car was
thrown into the ditch by the deep ruts
, MnlSn z tss across the road
once. however. did the motor stop. out
with jacks and bushes it was worked
back into the road and finally rolled in
to Houlton at go Tuesday morning
20 below zero and here the driver was
held until he could be thoroughly
warmed up and fed. From this point
on reporter from the Aroostook Daily
News accompanied the car. Between
Pressure Isle and Caribou snow drifts
were encountered for the first time and
when the car arrived in Caribou it re-
sembled moving. dieting. mechanical
ghost. its body and top being covered
with coating of frost and snow. From
n m n
St John River to Fort Kent over snow
and ice-covered roads was an ordeal
that few automobiles have ever expert
ence1. This rugged. green Essex Tour
ing Car with its chilled drivers reached
the most northern town in Maine at 345
T. NJ 1t had travelled from Boston to
Fort Kent over SOC miles Of the rough
est and most difficult road conditio,
possible in temperature varying from
nve to ~ degrees below zero in little
over IL hours running time With a stop
OF five minutes for gasoline the car
started out on its return trip, crowds
greeting it as the news quickly spread
through the small towns that the Essex
was on its way back from Fort Kent.
Cheers of interested enthusiasts spu-red
the chilled drivers and encouraged them
as they stubbornly fought against the
rugged elements. Reports that MANY
Wagers are current and it is said that
sne enthusiastic en- supporters of the Es-
their confidence in the cars ability. x
short stop at iAoulton, and the car was
of to Bangor where it arrived a little
after midnight. The record of the OFF,
through Augusta at 323 Wednesday
morning. At exactly 6.12 this game.
fighting. automobile swept into Long.
FELLOW Square where the chains. were
quickiy removed and four minutes later
leg of its epoch making ioiirneX A. Q %