Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-01-20
NOTORIOUS TRAVEL ATTAINS
WORLD SCOPE
BY H. A. Lane
In the February Popular Mechanics
Magazine

usual manner of travel by tourists
have been evidenced by the con-
stantly increasing demand for reser-
vations on motor buses operating in
various parts of the world. And
equally remarkable have been the de-
~velopments in the construction of
these buses, until at the present time
there have been incorporated into
them sumptuous appointments which
rival the best accommodations avail
able on railroad trains or steamship
lines. If present indications may be
taken as a prophecy, the bulk of tour
list migration in the future will be
handled by this method of transport
tation.
While pleasure seekers annually mi
CRATE to all sections of this country, in
advance of inclement weather, Cali
fornia is undoubtedly the greatest
magnet for this class of people, and it
is fitting that the latest development
of the motor bus should emanate from
there. The innovation consists of an
e~ight-wheeled car, with a seating ca
pacity of 20 persons, and a spacious
compartment for the baggage of the
passengers. For safeguarding the
travelling public, the eight-wheel bus
possesses many advantages over the
four-wheel type. The new machine
steers on all front wheels, which are
fastened together by a special spring
suspension, and constitute a truck, as
likewise do the rear wheels. The car
is driven by, and the brakes are APP
piled to, the four rear wheels. 1t has
five cross seats for passengers, with
a door for each seat, while the drivers
seat has a door on each side. Although
the interior of this new departure in
notorious building is comfortably up
holstered, there can be no comparison
between it and some of the lu~xuriously
arranged buses in Europe.
European NOTORIOUS travel has
reached such enormous proportions as
to warrant the construction of verit-
able palaces on wheels" The most
elaborate of these coaches are to be
found on the French line operating be-
tween Calais and the Riviera. Moth
ing has been spared which might add
to the comfort of the six-day trip be-
tween these points. The huge inclosed
buses, with their highly polished ma
room bodies, and fitted with large plate
glass windows, present a most i'm
posing appearance. The seating ca
pacity of this type of car is 20 persons,
and provision is made for the travel
ers' baggage by the construction of
lockers beneath the chassis, and by a
guard rail on the top. Seats which
hold two persons each are placed,
three on a side, at the forward end of
the bus, and face forward also. leav-
ing an aisle down the center to the
seats in the rear. A U-shaped seating
arrangement, extending around the
bus in the rear, gives space for eight
persons. The seats are beautifully
upholstered in a serviceable French
grey rep, with the back and seat cush-
ions deep and we'll sprung. Nickel
plated fittings are used throughout, in
Guiding the grip handles on the trans
verse seats at the front end. Electric
cigar lighters are installed, ash trays
are fastened to the seats, and neat
electric light fixtures are mounted in
the ceiling which is finished with the
same cloth as the seats.
Somewhat similar to the French
buses are those to be seen in England,
26 passengers. The English vehicle
is divided into two distinct compart-
ments, n Immediately behind the
drivers seat and one at the rear. In
the front compartment are two trans
verse seats extending the width of
the body, having a capacity of 10 per-
sons. The rear compartment has
seats running around the sides of the
car which comfortably accommodate
16 persons. Each section of the bus
has a separate entrance. The inter
iors are deliberately fitted. and have
polished walnut finish, except the
ceilings, which are of white enameled
linoleum. Electric lighting is pro-
vided throughout, as in the French
real antique leather.
While pleasure seekers undoubtedly
dominate motor bus travel in Europe,
this mode of transportation is being
applied in practical usage in the
United States. Numerous sections of
this country have found these cars to
be an essential means of overland
travel. Especially is this true in Min
nesota, where between 20 and 80 bus
lines are operated to connect the Pc
culiar fan-shaped system of railroad
lines, which run out of st. Paul and
Minneapolis to all corners of the state.
Thus, a traveller desiring to go from a
point on one line to a point an another
can take a cross-country trip by motor
bus, instead of riding back to the Twin
Cities then out on another line. These
motor buses are moi as lavishly
equipped as the European bus, as they
are not considered pleasure convey