Widnes Examiner. — 1901-06-07 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE HEAVY MOTOR TRIALS. The trials this week of heavy motor waggons and the like have aroused ,very great interest in Lancashire, and indeed all over the country. They commenced on Monday and ended on Friday, different tezti and routes being chosen each day. On Tuesday the motor vehicles, accompanied by a number of light fas-ruoning cars, passed through Warrington the journey being from Liverpool to Manchester. All along the route the liveliest interost was manifested in the event and at Warrington a large crowd assembled in front of the Town Hall, where there was an excellent opportunity of inspecting the vehicles, as the drivers and officials all had lunch in the town. It is not a hilly road through Widnes and Warrington to Manchester—the severest gradient is one in 24—but the many changes of surface help to make the test a real one. All survived it except the vehicle representing Messrs Simpson and Bibby, of Manchester. She broke down at Speke, about eight miles from Liverpool, and it is surmised that the frame was strained owing to over-loading. The others came thr ..tigh in excellent style. There was only one other mishap, and that a slight one. At Warrington the heavy Teorneyeroft, with Re load of about seven tons, was brought to rest over a drain in the stable yard near the 'own Hall. The drain gave way, and one of the wheels sank, and it was a little time before it could be got out with the assistance of a jack and a sister machine. The patrol-driven waggons of Messrs Milner and Co. came out ot the trial very well. Their load is only one of 14. tons each, but then they have only eight horse-power motors, and they are allowed to run up to eight miles an hour, They were the first to arrive in Manchester, going splendidly throughout. One consumed 3i gallons of petrol and the other 4-1 gallons during the journey. The Lancashire Steam Motor Company's vehicle, the Leyland, was next. Tle heavier-laden vehicles -drew up opposite Manchester Town Ball at odd intervals later, and all reported themselves before 8 p.m. After delivering their geode the lurries were driven to Belle Vue, and there they were housed for the night. On Wednesday morning they returned via Bolton and St. Helens, to Liverpool. On Thursday there was a run to Blackburn, and on Friday the return journey to Liverpool. With this the trials were completed. The rep ort of the judges will be issued in October. An "Examiner" representative had the pleasure and privilege of a journey to Manchester from Warrington in the light passenger car reserved for the local committee of the Liverpool Self-Propelled Traffic Association. Councllor A Bennett, the local hon. sec.,was in charge and our full complement,in• eluding the driver,was ten. Starting from the Town Hall, Warrington, at 230 we had a splendid run to Cottonopolis, Deansgate being reached in an hour and a half. During the greater part of the journey the car was travelling a the rate of from fourteen to fifteen miles an hour—in fact a measured mile was covered in four minutes—and this may be considered very fair "going." There were no casualties or unforseen stoppages—not even for a puncture—which may be due to the fact that our tyres were of solid rubber. The number of people along the route, both in town and village, was amazing and as one of our company remarked the journey was more like the triumphal entry into Pretoria, than a motor-I/Weal trial. The schools starting with Padgate Industrial School and right along as far as Eccles, were all closed during the time the cars were passing,and the children in charge of their teachers were marshalled along the road. Right lustily they cheered, and the object lesson they got in the utility of the horseless carriage would pro. ably not be forgotten very soon. Horses which were passed en route generally showed marked signs of disapproval on the approach of their formidable rivals, but there was no open revolt. On the other hand it was just as noticeable how supremely unconcerned the cows looked which were occasionally overtaken. Of course,their business in life is to provide milk and not to draw goods or passengers, so the advent of the motor does not in the least disturb the bovine intellects. It was wonderful to see the ease with which the car we travelled by was manipulated, particularly in the crowded streets of Manchester, where the " tooter " was readily and promptly given precedence. Even a tram stopped its majestic career down Oxford-road in mder that we mignt work our way out of a tight corner. The police were in strong force everywhere but they only winked the other eye when we shot by at a speed which the most kindly-displsed person could not say was within that prescribed by the bye-laws. The dust was the one drawbaek, and that only became unpleasant when some speedier car swept by on broad pneumatic tyre. Had the rain of the same evening come but 24 hours earlier our enjoyment of the spin would have been entirely tine marred.  Pictorial Post Cards. English and Foreign View Cards highly Artistic Cards and all Tuck's Cards for the £1,00). rrlze Competition Selections sent on receipt of deposit or references by HUGO LAND AND Co., 14 Chureh-street,Lioerpool.—Advt.  A Witiringiiin Man Hangs Himself. The circumstances attending the shocking suicide of John Spilbury, a wire-drawer, who resided at 150, Ellesmere-street, were inquired into by Mr S Brighouse, County Coroner, at the Police Station on Wednesday. Dora Spilbury, wife of deceased, said he was 39 years of age. Aboat 10 30 on Monday night she and her husband and the four children went to bed.lier husband was nnder the inßuence of drink at the time. Shortly after going to bed he became very excited, and said he was going to kill them. She was afraid, and went downstairs with three of the children. Finding all the doors locked, they got out :through the window, andfslept at a neighbour's house. She left the youngest child in the house as she could not get him out. About half-past seven next morning she went home and found all the doors fastened She obtained an entrance to the house by means of the window, and went into the back kitchen,where she found her husband hanging by a silk hankerchief from the towel roller on the bick door. She procured assistance, and devased was cut down, but life was found to be extinct. For some years deceased had suff3red from severe pains in the head, and had many times threatened to take his life. A verdict of " Suicide, whilst ot unsound mind," was returned.