Cycling and Motoring.

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 847, 29 September 1916, Page 24

Cycling and Motoring.

A somewhat sensational attraction, which was worked as a feature" of the. Spokane, TJ.S:A. Motor Show held recomprised a head-on collision an- Oldsmobile and a. S'tudetoaker: at' 35 miles per'hour. ."'The- car,s; were . started off. on .their own account .and. the result; awaited. Both cars were "considerably, smashed forward, judging from a photograph, not vso.mueh >.s .might;,..be-, expected. They both •caught fire', however, and this prestun-. ably gave an ample spectacular effect xs. satisfy sensation seekers.

■ A-'further cut lias been made in the motor car record for the transcontinental trip across America from San Francisoo to New York. This 3476 miles run was accomplished in 5 days 18-?,-'hours -in July by Mr, S. B. Stevens" This is some-41- hours better than the previous ; record. -

The Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., points .out that, in these days of drastic economy, motorists who prefer the deceptive comfort of slack, tyres'' have only themselves to blame for the following higher ■ running costs. Economy can be effected ,by keeping the tyres inflated to the figure given by- the 'makers, pressure being tested by. a pressure gauge: Further',, it is' pointed out that .tyres -worn out through constant under-inflation are by no means so satisfactory when retreaded as those tyres previously given legitimate and'regular use. ' ■', " ,

• ;It. has beoh unofficially stated in' England that the recent advance of the Allies on the Sonime front means .an increased weekly consumption of over 1,000,000 gallons of petrol; If this is soy then gigantic, supplies of motor fuel will be needed later on when the present lines are pushed back nearer the German frontier. -.With .a view .to- burlding up the necessary reserves, it is anticipated that English motorists will, have their, supplies of petrol reduced by the British Government fully 75 per cent. Many doctors with "large country practices have, already had their supx>'lies cut down to2o gallons' a month, whilst motorists in general are a long wav worse off. ' ' ■•"'•."'

: It is stated thai, there are now about 60,000 motor vehicles of all kinds on the Allied front. For traction work, the Si-ton truck has proved the most 'successful* .-'•■".• '■ , - .

■Themost spectacular lanotor car motion picture yet obtained by a camera was filmed .recently near "Santa Barbara, California, when a touring ear leaped a chasm of 33ft wide and 21ft deep. It landed 'safely on the other • side with 14ft to spare, the total distance, of. the flight being '47ft. -Three passengers were carried on the perilous .journey, and none of the passengers was .injured and the car was unharmed: The car was driven 1000 ft on a temporary board inclined to give it the'momentum necessary for its ioiig leap through, the air. It had attained a speed .of 50 miles an hour when'it,,left the machine built on the approach side of the gulf. , ,* ■'

When, the flying car shot off-the incline into- the air it -described a graceful arc, and landed.squarely xm. the road bed/ 14£t-beyond tlie brink of" When the .car landed'on the. other side of, the, gorge, it.'.continued-, on: its wav up.the road .until it--was brought to a stop by.its daring .driver. As proof of the case with which .car and passengers withstood the •hazardous -experiment, they immediately drove to the city in the same car in which they made their motor car'flight.