The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-09-04
ESSEX To MAKE
SEVERE TEST
IN HIGH GEAR
Will Make Trial Run Between
Bennington and Brattleboro
o. }, STATE l,s,s~n FOLLOW
Precautions Taken Today to Ensure
Results Shall be Authentic In
Every Detail

The preliminary arrangements for
the series of tests for the Essex car
and which are to be carried out by
the Bennington garage, were made
this forenoon. A considerable crowd
of auto fans" assembled at the gar
age at 10 o'clock to witness the pre-
parations.
All of the tests are to be made with
the car locked in high gear and every
precaution to guard against any
questioning of the performances was
taken. The changes in the mechanism
were made in the presence of Charles
e. Beach who was assisted by Fred
Stickles.
In the beginning comparison
by means of cardboard dial was
made 10 show that the demonstration
car was geared neither higher or low
er than stock cars that have been
sold to customers in the village. The
transmission wears were then moved
into high gear position and the shift
ing fork rod latch spring removed,
a solid piece of steel replacing 1t
thus making it impossible to get the
gears out of the high position. The
transmission shifting lever was then
entirely removed and the hole cover
ed with wood cover held on by the
cap screws holding the gear lever
bracket. All screws were then wir-
ed together including the plug be-
hind the block of steel holding in
the shifting fork rod latch and the
wire sealed.
| When the changes had been made
an observer was selected from among
! the spectators and the car was taken
over some of the hills in and about
the village. The real test is to be
the round trip from Bennington to
Brattleboro and return over Woodford
Searsburg and Hogback mountains.
Following the mountain trip the ear
will make a complete tour OF the
state with different observers furn-
ished by the newspapers in the par
ticular localities through which the
car is passing. Each observer will
be requested to sign reports of the
performance and to detail what il any
repairs were made while he was, act
ing in that capacity.
1t is not the intention of the Essex
agent, Earl W. Williams to make any
demonstration of speed and no state
or city speed laws will be broken nor
will there be any interference with
traffic regulations.
So far as is officially known the
'ound trip from Bennington to Brattle-
boro ana return has been accomplished
by but one care while locked in high
gear. This test was carried out in
1916 by a Hudson Super Six seven
passenger car.
] A test such as is now being carried
out by the Essex touring car sealed in
high gear brings out proof of much
more than just the hill climbing cap
ways be started in high gear where
ever it may be stopped. This alone
would bar a car without a clutch of
wonderful smoothness and enduring
qualities from undertaking such a
test.
The Hudson Super Six which under
went a similar test four years ago
was afterward sold into livery SER
vice and the clutch endured the hard.
est of service for three more years
after it's passing through the high
gear test without the replacement of
any parts :.
The Essex clutch is of the same
type and will start the car smoothly
in high gear as well as endure the
extra hard work of doing this with
out undue wear.