davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Experts discuss density Of pedes-
trians" as an accident cause. Motor.
lists blame IL.
Both Cause and Remedy.

Those who first popularized the idea
that there is strength in union were
not thinking Of modern motoring, but
their theory applies. nevertheless.
Traffic. just one Of motordoms prob
lens, is the result of the amazing in
crease in the number of automobile
owners, yet it Is this very increase
that is certain to bring the solution as
well.
1t is the new way of viewing motor
dom's problems. and the optimistic
way. If there were not so many peo.
pie driving automobiles there wouldn't
be so many problems. But it is also
true that there would be less opportu-
nifty to effect proper solutions If there
were less people driving.
The more people there are interested
in motoring. the quicker its many
problems will be solved. It's just the
old theory about strength in numbers
and in the union Of numbers brought
down to date and applied to the pres
ent situation.
When everybody has had taste at
driving cars there will be fewer jay
walkers, for instance. The people
who conduct themselves best when
afoot are those who know something
about driving cars or who take an
actual part in vehicular traffic.
If the great number of motorists
fail to effect the solution to motor.
doms various problems. then the
theory of unionism is failure. Judg
ing from the many new and logical
plans that are being developed for the
solution of these problems as a direct
result of greater interest in motoring
on the part Of every one, there is little
ground for such a fear.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
KEEP TIRE PRESSURE
UP IN HOT WEATHER
Experts Say Heat Does Not Make
Important Difference, as Many
Motorists Believe.

Motorists who decrease air pressure
In their automobile tires during warm
weather are robbing themselves Of
many miles of service.
This point Is made by tire experts
who concede that 1t Is true that heat
does increase air pressure in tires
The percentage of increase, however,
Is so slight that 1t is not even an i'm
portant factor in tire wear, they main
tain.
Air pressure may be shown to gain
several pounds by actual test, but it
tire wear. Rather, it is the genera
ton Of hest.
Take a tire which is underinfiated
on this theory and run it at a fairly
high rate of speed over hot pave
ments. Side walls, cords and tread
f1ex much more severely each minute
than when pressure is normal. Every
f1ex or movement of the tire produces
heat. After q time, this heat will
cause the air pressure to increase to
somewhere near normal. But this
pressure has been generated by ter
rifle effort on the part of the tire and
1t will show up in the tires much
shorter life.
On the other hand, the tire which
starts out with normal pressure is not
subjected to the extra strain and
stress and generates a minimum OF
heat. The pressure increase is so
slight as to be unimportant.
1. is better to initiate tire rather
than to make the tire initiate itself
under such conditions.
Evening star., 1926-05-30

balance. This hazard doesn't come
with merely fitting new rings.
1t doesn't pay to use new generator
brushes II the armature Is so worn
the brushes can't be made to At. The
armature must be turned down until
it's smooth. Then the new brushes
will do the trick. Until then the
chances are that the old brushes will
deliver higher output when used
with the worn armature
They say it doesn't pay to use a new
inner tube with an old shoe, but I
would prefer this to an old inner tube
with a new shoe. Let the old shoe
cause the new tube to blow and the
loss is the expense of vulcanizing the
tube. Let the new shoe be damaged
by the old, blown inner tube and
the loss may run into money.
Blendin' old with new is quite a
trick. Experience counts for a lot.
but good judgment can be a safe
enough rule for the car owner who
does not have an opportunity to study
the subject from the angle Of the re-
pairman
Evening star., 1926-05-30
BREAKING IN OLD CAR
HARDER THAN new
Factory Precision Absent and
Often Parts Have Been
Recently frightened.

Used cars. too, require "breaking
in." General recognition of this fact
is creeping into motordom and with
excellent results. AS an illustration.
suppose one has purchased a used car
that has undergone repair work of
major importance. Suppose the bear
ings have been frightened and new
oversize pistons installed.
Is 1t reasonable, under the circum.
stances, to expect the car to give nor
NAL performance the minute the new
driver takes the wheel? Breaking in
a car with a rebored block, larger pis.
tons and frightened bearings is a more
difficult task than breaking in a new
engine because factory precision is
not available in the average run Of re.
pair shops. There may be a tight pis.
ton, for instance, and if the new own
er assumes the car Is ready for hard
service he may find his car with a
scored cylinder and ready for another
reboring.
This is but one case in point. There
are thousands of others to prove that
it pays to break in" any car, new or
old. that is placed in new hands.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
THE OLD MECHANIC SAYS.

New parts save old parts. New
parts are often damaged by old parts.
Yet new parts and old parts can be
made to get along together in a great
many cases.
These are few Of the things / have
discovered through experience. An
old water hose connection can cause
Dverheatin' in the engine and damage
vital parts just because it's saggin'
ansides block passage of the water. A
new gear will not run we'll with an
old one. Yet new set of piston rings
will prove benefit in the oldest of
cylinders.
1t requires a little knack to figure
out what goes with what. There are
cases where all new parts do not go
es well together as new and old COM
bined. Take a new cylinder block,
fit new pistons to it and the chances
are that the results may not be as
satisfactory as if one had used new
and special piston rings with the old
pistons and cylinders. In fittin' all
new pistons to the new block there
IS the risk Of failin' to obtain proper
Evening star., 1926-05-30


one enters the inside lane for north
and south bound traffic.
). Cars entering from Massachu.
setts or Rhode Island avenue keep
to the outside of the safety island, no
matter what Is their destination.
They may continue around the circle
to the right of the island and leave
at any intersection desired
1t will be found that if one attempts
to violate any Of the driving rules at
the circle, he will be confronted with
a red light. so well placed are they.
Ihe lights have been located so as to
snow against the approaching cars.
This was no easy matter, as the ap-
pfoach is made in several instances
at peculiar angles.
On the appended diagram No. l traf.
fic is indicated as flowing north and
south. If motorists who approach
from Sixteenth street above or below
the circle find the light directly facing
them showing green, they should
move on into the circle, keeping to the
LETT OF the safety isla nds. II the lights
DO not change after entering, thew
Will find the light on the farthest end
OF either island showing green, which
permits them to drive into Sixteenth
street.
-hcdAWHllc cross LFamc IS held uD
by red lights showing where the two
avenues enter the circle and at two
ends Of the safety islands facing the
cars which already have begun to
drive around the circle.
Cross.Town Traffic.
Diagram No. 2 is the reverse and in.
dicates the conditions under which
traffic moves eastward or westward
through the circle. Cars which have
entered the inside lane to pass again
INTO Sixteenth street are halted by red
nights showing at the extremitfes Of
the safety islands. The control sig.
nalS facing the two avenues and the
cars waiting inside the circle to cross
sixteenth street change to green and
start the flow of traffic around the
outside of the safety islands, as indi.
Gated by the arrows.
The traffic streams at Scott Circle
have been arranged so that at no time
do they cross. Cars entering from
Sixteenth street with the intention of
northward are never
brought into conflict with vehicles
coming from Rhode Island and Massa-
avenues. The same state.
nent holds for cars coming out Of the
tour side entrances to the circle.
All Of which may be summed up
into the single conclusion: That to
drive through the circle may appear
to be bugaboo to the tyro. but if 1t
Is. the reason must be that he Is color
blind or the signal lights have ceased
operating.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
DOING THE BACKING FIRST
BEST IN TURNING AROUND
When Reverse Is Used at Outset
Traffic Is Often Inter
fered With.

When trying to turn around in a
narrow street it is better to do the
backing part of the procedure at the
beginning rather than after having
swung around. The usual method is
to turn over the opposite curb and
then back ont into the middle of the
street again in order to cut the wheels
enough to clear the curb on the Sec
ond trial. This invariably interferes
with traffic and is embarrassing, as
we'll as frequently dangerous.
The better way Is to start turning.
then reverse to the curb again and cut
the wheels. The car is then in such a
position that it will turn around with
out running into the opposite curb.
The big advantage of this plan is that
all during the procedure the driver
faces the traffic and the center of the
street; the other way he is reversing
against traffic.
Evening star., 1926-05-30

An automobile performs best in a
moderate temper3 ture From 40 to
~ degrees Fahrenheit it gives ex-
tremely efficient service. Above or
below these extremes it works under
disadvantages. and motorists who ex-
pect any kind OF service must give
their cars special attention.
More Oil Is Needed.
In cold wea ther consideration is
given to the condition of lubricants.
Lighter oils and greases are use1
But why should d motorist >>sume
that even the standard lubricants
for normal Temperatures will stand
up under excessively hot weather? ?
In Summer car needs fresh sup
plies of grease and oil frequently to
make up for what is burned off or
thrown off or what leaks out.
Universal joints are an excellent H.
lustratton. On a real hot day any
or the lubricant that was serviceab BILE
enough i'm Spring will be whirled out
with the rotation of the propeller
shaft. Such parts will go dry in no
time, and in this process much dam.
age may be done. Wheel bearings
are another example. The motorist
who does not Inspect the condition
will find that hot weather causes
wheel bearings TO suffer. If front
wheel brakes are used the chances
are that the brake lining will become
greasy. causing the brakes to drop
off materially in their efficiency.
The best thing a motorist can do
in the Spring is to get rid of the
lubricant that was used during the
cold weather. This he can do in
some instances by removing plugs.
such as draining the transmission
case and the differential case. Where
no drainage is offered another way
to remove worn lubricant is to force
into the bearing fresh lubricant under
pressure. All the old grease in the
universal joints and spring bolts can
be removed In this way.
To remove old grease from front
wheel bearings 1t is best to remove
the wheels. If front-wheel brakes
are not used. of course the old grease
can be forced out the inside by pack
ing the hubs with grease and screw
ing them on. repeating the process
until the fresh grease begins to come
through.
Rear wheel bearings require Gif-
ferent treatment because the wheels
do not revolve on dead aXles, but are
bolted to and revolve with live aXles
Grease is added through a plug hole
cut through each extremity of the
rear axle housing. 1t is necessary.
however, for one to know whether
the axles are of the floating type or
the semi-floating variety.
If grease is forced through the
holes in sufficient quantity it will
work out in various ways, depending
Of VII ho
is one of the several varieties of the
floating type old grease will tend to
work out toward the wheel hub. If
the axle type is such that the wheel
can be removed without difficulty a
simple way will be found to free the
bearing of the used lubricant. If
the wheel is not removed and fresh
grease is forced in in suffic;en,
it sometimes happens that
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Did You Know That

If the engine does not seem to use
the usual amount of oil after valves
have been ground the chances are
that the cylinder head gasket is leak.
ing? Water is getting into the cylin.
ders and down into the engine crak.
case causing the oil level indicator to
register full
Balloon tires go fiat more SLOWLY
than the high-pressure type when a
slow puncture has started? This is
because pressure is lower. Balloons
that look ''low" should be tested at
once.
} 1t is not a requirement of an in.
surance contract that a car must be
found unlocked IL DESTROYED In a
garage fire? Tho matter of locking
is considered by the companies only
in theft losses. AS a matter of fact
theft is so much more likely than
fire that most companies consider
locking the car in the garage an as.
sistance.
Gears Raise the Grease.
DO the countershaft gears of the
transmission serve any useful purpose
Continued on Eighth Page.)
Evening star., 1926-05-30


The plan of handling the movement
of vehicles at Scott Circle has shown
remarkable improvement since the
signal lights have teen installed there
traffic authorities believe, although
they realize. of course, that objection
is TO be expected from motorists who
become impatient at being halted for
q few seconds while The other fellow
is given the right of way.
Formerly it was a case of II de re
Sou to cut in on me-" with the prize
going to the man who could keep on
going with the greatest abandon.
Traffic officials believe that the
lights at Scott Circle best can serve
their purpose if motorists will obey
them promptly and move through
the circle as quickly as the speed
limit will permit. The practice of
Eauntering along at slow pace de-
feats the purpose of the signal sys.
tenn on any thoroughfare, it is pointed
out by Lieut.. Col. l. C.. Moller. as.
sistant director of traffic. The move.
ment of cars at rate of speed great
er than the present legal limit never
will become possible, he declares,
until motorists learn to avoid block
ang their fellow drivers.
Steady Improvements Shown.
Keeping close to the right at all
times except when one is about to
pass the car ahead is as essential to
fhe success of the control system
at Scott Circle as it is at other points
on Sixteenth street or MaSsa chusetts
avenue, and traffic authorities insist
that their observation of conditions
shows that motorists still have some
thing to learn in this connection. The
consensus, however is that conditions
ere showing steady Improvement.
The accompanying diagrams illus
trate the plan of trafiice control at
the intersection of the three streets
crossing Scott Circle. Safety islands
poses. They act as the dividing line
for traffic having differing destina-
tions. On them are placed the signal
light standards, which are so situated
that the light directly facing the mo-
torist as he enters the circle is suff1-
cient to determine all his movements
thereafter.
There are a few general rules
about ~driving through Scott Circle
and they are not difficult TO remem-
her particularly after they have been
practiced few times. Briefly, they
are:
|. North and south bound traffic
moves inside the safety islands and
cross traffic keeps to tho right of
these divisions.
,. No left turn may be made across
Inc traffic stream at any time after
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Homes Less Safe
Than Streets, u. S.
Survey Indicates

Streets may be unsafe in this
period, but statistics of the, Ma
tional Safety Council show the
home is more SO. Figures Of the
council for February show that an
average of 60 persons were killed
daily in home accidents. This toll,
the council announces, is consid-
erably greater than that taken by
automobiles in the same period.
Accidents in the home in F'ebru-
ary, 1925, averaged II daily.
The alarming feature of the
home accident death reports for
February of the present year is
the large number of fatalities
caused by asphyXiation and suf-
location, 43 per cent being from
that cause. Burns and scalds were
next and falls the third leading
cause Of fatal accidents in the
home.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
YOUR CAR and MINE
A Weekly Department of Helpfuness, Information and
Entertainment for Motor Car Owners.
By WILLIAM UILMAN.
By WILLIAM ULLMAN.

The completely safe body would be
all steel with body posts narrow
enough TO provide proper visibility yet
strong enough to allow a. car to stand
on its top without collapsing.
The top of the steel body would be
completely insulated as a precaution
against electrocution of it's occupants
should high tension electric wire
fall upon it.
Inside, the car would be thickly
padded so In case Of a bad spill oc-
cupants would run as little risk as
possible of being knocked unconscious.
All safe closed cars seating more
than two persons would have four
doors to provide for quick exit.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Valve Exhaust Test.

One way to test valve adjustment
in a multi.cylinder engine is to drive
up a steep hill and listen to the ex'
haust after reaching the top. II the
exhaust seems to be mixing them
up and does not give rhythmic
series of explosions. the chances are
that some of the exhaust valves are
not seating tightly and that they do
not have sufficient tappet clearance.
Evening star., 1926-05-30

some of the old grease will back up
and out Of the grease plug.
The wheels should be removed in
| the case of the semi-foating type of
| axle. for here the wheel bearings are
| between the axles and the inside Of
| the housing. Old grease will be forced
! through the housing toward the differ
ential If it cannot work out toward
the wheel. In the differential it could
| do no good.
This sort Of work should be done
4. during the Spring in order to have the
| CIR in fit condition for Summers
wOr>> Next to fabrication in impor-
tance some adequate cooling for the
engine. N-ct careful car owners
take great pains 10 cover their radi-
ators in cold weather. but somehow
seem to forget to uncover them when
Summer comes. Some cooling sys-
TENS are so delicately balanced that
on an extremely hot day overheating
will be caused by having a license
plate on the crossbar in front of the
| radiator. When the hot day con-
spires with the high hill to aggravate
the motorist he may not be inclined TO
| stop long enough to try placing the
| license tag somewhere else on the
front Of the cara And SO the engine
suffers from his lack Of foresight.
Owners who have followed wise
counsel by having the radiator
cleaned out with fresh water after
having run off the anti.freeze used
during the Winter should not consider
the cooling system ready for Summer
just because 1t is in suitable condition
for Spring. Before Summer comes
| the radiator should be washed out
again, or as often as the owner can
| think to do it.
Carbon Gets i'm System.
i With motorists using their cars 20
extensively carbon removal and valve
grinding are no longer confined to the
| early Spring season. Many have this
work done any time during the Spring,
with the result that Summer comes
with lot of carbon particles being
circulated through the cooling system.
J These lower the systems efficiency
and aid boiling.
All the care that goes into tighten
| ing the hose connections and the
water pump packing nuts In prepara-
| ton for Winter should be duplicated
| for Summer, but most owners are con-
| tent to console themselves with the
thought that water is cheap. This is
| not such agreeable information when
| the engine is getting hot on the up
grade some scorching afternoon in
| touring time.
While the fan belt probably will
need Tightening, a good plan is to keep
| it from stretching and getting too
loose by not Tightening 1t as much rs
| one is tempted to. Fan belts get en-
tirely too much attention in hot
weather. Time spent in tempting
them to break might be better en-
ployed enriching the carburetor mix
ture. A lean mixture will cause over
heating.
Summer is coming. BE prepared.
Just because it's still Spring is no rea-
son to postpone this important work
Summer sometimes comes in Spring
time.
tCopyright 1921
Evening star., 1926-05-30
WISE OWNER is GIVING
HIS AUTO SUMMER CARB
Hot Weather Calls for Special Type
of Care Which Includes Full
Change of Lubricant.
BY FREDERICK G. RUSSELL.

If Summer comes-and it always has-many will
be better prepared for it than they have been number Of
This prediction based upon the experience large
stations where thousands receiving
special grooming preparation for hot weather driving
The modern motorst longer guided exclusively by the
calendar He appreciates that the ag Spring likely
produce hot spell equal anything throughout the regular
heat at times when the average thinking
doing it tomorrow
So much attention has been given the of preparing
cars for cold weather that the necessity for dressing
er garb less has been deraked For some strange
reason most regard the automobile weather
animal ptyng it and coddlng during the cold
ting it stand on its legs when hot weather
Evening star., 1926-05-30
PARKING IN GEAR WRONG,
Car May Be Struck, Thereby
Straining Engine and Gears.

1t is bad policy to leave a parked
car lin gear on a main street or thor.
oughfare. Here it may be struck by
another vehicle, and under such cir
cumstances the transmission and en-
gine are In danger Of being strained.
Usually the main travelled street is
level, so braking in gear is not neces-
sary.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
'SZ'' Is Only Name
OF New Czech Auto
Of l8 Horsepower
Nameless automobiles are

Nameless automobiles are a
rarity.
However, the Brunn Co of
Brunn. Czechoslovakia, has begun
the manufacture of a machine that
will be designated by the letter
a." Only one type of chassis is
being produced, having a wheel
base Of 104 inches and equipped
with a two-cylinder engine which
develops Is horsepower and a speed
Of approximately 80 kilometers an
hour.
Production for the year has been
estimated at $50 cars.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
LIGHTS GREATLY IMPROVE
TRAFFIC AT SCOTT CIRCLE
Former Maze at Busy Meeting Place Now
Called Much More Orderly, Although
Not Yet Altogether Understood.
BY w. j. VOSS.

How the electrical signal traffic lights
veriabe into orderly meeting place for tributaries
the traffic stream well demonstrated Scott Circle This opn-
Jon of traffic officials shared also by those
found the change helpful
Before the installation OF the lights this complex
intersections many out-oftown auomobst and goody
nuber Washngtonians found themselves
to get into the circle but getting another
When traffic heavy this question which motorst
had plenty of ponder while sitting mpatenty at the wheel
waiting for the flow the an nsant
And now It's of watching the light using good
heSto
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Completing the Job.

1t may be kindness of motoring
humanity to pick up stray nails from
the streets, but why toss them back
on the sidewalk? They will only be
swept into the street again and ones
thoughtfulness will be in vain. Com.
plete the Job by tossing puncture
equipment into the ash can.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Turning Can Be Easy.

Turning the wheels straight ahead
pr in toward the curb when parking
always can be simplified by allowing
the engine to move the car while
Steering.
Evening star., 1926-05-30
Making Safety Complete.

While the automobile industry is
busy developing a safer type of auto
mobile body it has been suggested that
the following points be considered: