Evening star., 1933-04-23
Of AUTOS
VASTLY INCREASED
80 Per Cent Greater Energy
Developed in Machines
Since 1926.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Since 1925. I
Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, Mich, April 22.-Auto-
mobiles Of 1888 generate 90 per cent
more power than the cars Of 1925 were
capable Of developing. Over the period
OF the last two years the capability Of
fuel as measured in octane numbers
has risen from 60 to IS.
These facts are revealed in q recent
engineering survey and they constitute
the main reasons why maximum speeds
OF 70 10 10 miles an hour have become
possible In the lowest-priced American
cars.
Credited to Power Plants.
Half Of the increase in performance
Is credited to power plants that operate
at high crankshaft speed and to cylin-
ders in which the combustion space
The other half is attributed to built
up power plant efficiency. high COM
preston and better cooling.
1t Is calculated that the combustion
space In the cylinders Of present cars
Is IA per cent greater than 1t was eight
years ago. Revolutions per minute ut
! maximum brake horsepower have gone
up q per cent and horsepower per
| cubic inch of combustion space Is s. per
| cent above the 1928 requirement.
During the same period. the estimates
| made In the survey show that braking
| pressure Is ~ per cent greater.
The increase in average speeds con-
| tinues to excite discussion among State
| motor vehicle commissioners and others
| concerned in the promotion Of highway
/ safety. The automobile makers are on
| the defense and the National Auto
| mobile Chamber Of Commerce, the So
ciety Of Automotive Engineers and other
organizations affiliated with them are
engaged in continuous educational work
| not only to inculcate safety principles
but to convert motor car owners to the
idea that the improved vehicle of today
represents definite advances In safe
| operation.
The National Automobile Chamber Of
Commerce recently cited figures cover
ing 1892 showing that for the first time
in the history of the automobile there
was q definite reduction in highway
fatalities. 1t amounted to Is per cent
and represented a saving of 1000 lives,
according to the compilation. In spite
Of the improved showing, $4,000 persons
injured in motor car accidents during
the II months.
| Accident Extent DebatabIe.
Excess speed. it is conceded, is
/ cause of accidents, but to what extent
1t can be blamed is a matter of debate.
A QUESTIONABLE circulated by the In
stitute Of Traffic Engineers, New York
City. recently put this question up to
motor vehicle commissioners Of the
various States. The question was
worded thus:
do you believe that high speeds Gin
excess of As miles an hour) alone are
frequent cause of accidents?"
1we.lty mine replies were received.
In Is Of them the answer was yes, and
| in IA others, no.
| John A. c. Warner. general manager
Of the Society of Automotive Engineers,
speaking on this point, says the author
tiles blame only 2 per cent OF all ac-
cidents on mechanical failures OF cars.
! He cites a National Safety Council re-
port N which it is found that after all,
the human machine has fallen down,
rather than the autos"
| In the report. w. H. Cameron, man
aging director Of the council Is thus
quoted: I'VE found that physical and
mechanical causes, at the outside,
cause a very small percentage OF the
accidents. We found that one personal
element was the really big factor
Nevertheless, the car manufacturers
keep plugging away for greater . saie;y; ":
proved type with those of former years.
Mr.. Warner points out that in the
early days it was not uncommon Tor a
driver to see one of his rear wheeS
come rolling alone ahead of his car
the discomfiting result of . broken
axle shaft. Now and then. front
axle would let down, frame wouio
break or q steering knuckle would 1rac-
ture without warning
| such hazardous occurrences. ne
saws. "played no small part in urging
forward the development OF steels ana
allows that are adequate to the task, !,
also they have helped to bring ABOUT
important advances in design. stan
dardization, production and heat treat
ment methods have eliminated these
untoward experiences Of the motoflst.
Every Bump Felt.
"Before the advent Of irreversiole
steering. the driver had to tight MS way
over q rough road where every pump
communicated the impact to the man
at the wheel. In an emergency, ms
only recourse was to hang on tlgnt ano
hone for the best instability OF the
Vehicle through the lack of spring con-
trolls or shock absorbers only served 10
complicate his problem and to make
his drive less safe.
"In most cases. the pioneer motorlst
virtually sat on his gasoline tank, wnere
il could become dangerous IN case OF
accident and where 1t was always
hazard when being refilled.
"Four-wheel brakes have endowed
the modern car with security: Not only
q Quick stop but straight stop can pe
executed with these modern units, even
upon slippery pavements, wnlcn couio
not be said Of the obsolete brakes on
but two wheels.
"Balloon tires enter this picture, for
they offer q greater contact surface
and thus a greater effective adheslon
between tire and road.
with the increase in night driving, q
demand for better illumination has
come. It has been partly met by the
development in headlighting equip
ment. including bulbs, refiectors, lenses
and mountings The depressed beam
lamp with double filament bulbs oneri
an example Of merit In preventing
glare. A real opportunity still exists
however, for improvement in ilum1na-
tion-a situation that is recognized by
the interests that are working on 1t.
Safer Control Seen.
Better reliability and safer control
have resulted from the lower con-
struction Of motor cars. With the bulk
Of the weight brought nearer the
ground, it has become Increasingly diff
ficult to overturn these vehicles with
their low center of gravity. It Is pos
sible, for example, to tip certain cara
through an angle Of more than so de-
grees without upsetting them.
Accessibility Of controls, simplicity
Of handling, ease Of steering and brak-
ing have contributed toward inherent