Evening star., 1933-06-25

lSQeQ.
This present plan of Mr.. Van Duzer'
will be presented to the Trafic Council
at its next meeting for approval Th'
Pennsylvania avenue and Virgins
avenue. It seems that its adoption
would be a wise move. Then, If tht
plan Is successful. the area should bt
extended further uptown.
Intersection Too Narrow.
Attenti-1 has been called to the mar
roWness of the intersection leading In Of
out Of the Waterside drive around the
Church Of the Pilgrims at Twenty-sec-
ond and P streets. Its dangers continue
and not only Is the congestion so bac
in the morning rush hour, but severa,
smashups have occurred. 1t has ne
cessitated a policeman being stationed
there every weekday morning, and he
even has difficult job in keeping cars
untangled. AS matter of fact, the
policeman himself has complained OF
the conditions existing there
The intersection, through a curious
state Of our ci..JyI'- affairs, is under the
direction of the Public Buildings and
Public Parks Office. The roadway can
easily be widened without defacing the
intersection, and should be done in the
interests of safety. Mr.. Van Duzer
would do well to make q request OF
widening to Col. woodruff.
Reason for Protests.
1t appears that there was something
in all the recent protests against the
sc-called gasoline highball.
Findings from recent exhaustive road
and laboratory tests of the efficiency of
alcohol-gasoline blends as motor fuel,
participated in by advocates and oppo-
nents of the proposal, were made public
by the American Automobile Asso-
citation.
Road tests with a fuel containing 10
per cent alcohol developed that the
blend is nearly per cent less efficient
than regular gasoline. while the labora-
tory tests showed heavier fuel consump-
tion when the blended fuel was used
and also that its use required richer
flow for acceleration.
The tests were conducted by the
A. A. A. Contest Board and the United
States Bureau of Standards and the
findings are embodied in joint report
signed by these two organizations. They
are based on road tests made on the
Mount Vernon Boulevard June 9, and
subsequent laboratory studies at the
Bureau CT Standards
Participating in the tests were a dis
tinguished group, including members OF
Congress, accredited representatives Of
the Department Of Agriculture, large in
dustrial concerns interested in motor
fuels and engineers from leading univer-
sites, as well as prominent agricultural
and automotive engineers
Representative E. M Dirksen Of Illi-
nois, one Ct the congressional sponsors
of legislation to assist agriculture by
making compulsory the use of alcohol
made from surplus farm products in
gasoline, co-operated Throughout the
tests and named outstanding advocates
of the proposal to act as observers.
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace and
Assistant Secretary Tugwell were among
the large group that gathered at the
Department of Agriculture before the
tests get under way.
Result of Tests.
The results Of the tests were surn-
married by the A. A. A. as follows.
Operation of four conventional type
automobiles in road tests over a 10
mile course developed that the alcohol
blended fuel is on the average 4.94 per
cent less efficient than regular gasoline.
Road tests with a fifth automobile
run at the same time over a measured
mile, showed a decrease in miles per
hour, miles per gallon of gasoline and
increase in fuel consumed when the
alcohol-blended fuel was used.
Observations in the laboratory tests
disclosed fuel consumption with the
blend to be As per cent greater than
with regular fuel.
Acceleration tests revealed that with
a fuel containing 10 per cent alcohol
a carburetor setting giving about 8 per
cent greater fuel flow (richer mixture)
was required to secure acceleration
equal to that given by straight gasoline
The 10 per cent alcohol blend i'm
proved the anti-knock quality Of the
fuel, but only to the extent Of one
fourth to one-third Of that secured
from the highest test premium fuels on
the market today
The alcohol in the blended fuel
absorbed moisture from the atmosphere
and the mixture Of alcohol and water
separated from the gasoline.
Congress should take note.