NEW YORK TO PARIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13725, 15 April 1908, Page 7

NEW YORK TO PARIS.

THE GREAT MOTOR RACE. By Telegraph.--'Pres* Association.—Copyright. New York, April 13. Owing to the thaw in Alaska rendering the Behring Straits route impracticable, that portion has been eliminated from the New York-Paris race, and the motorists are going to Vladivostok to resume the race. A cable published on February 14- stated that, six automobiles had startld from New York on a 20,000-miles race to Paris. The contest was to take the form of a circuit round 'he Northern Hemisphere, and embrace a run through no less than three continents before terminating at Paris. The course was from New York to Chicago, thence to Siberia, via the Behring Straits, thence to Moscow, and from that on to the French capital. The competition was organised by Le Matin, of Paris, the proprietors of which offer a cup called La Coupe du Monde to the winner. It was the same journal which promoted the great PekinParis event last year. Ten entries were received for the competition, .including four French, one German, two American, two Portuguese, and one Italian, but evidently four of these thought belter of it. The Italian is Prince, Borgheie, who, it will be remembered, finished first in an Irak car in the Pekin-Paris content. Though the event which the Prince won was considered to be an exceptionally severe trial for a motor car, there is little "doubt that the contest just started will, if ever completed, prove to bo the most stupendous and difficult task ever attempted. The Home papers described how tome of the competitors had been putting their cars to severe tests. For instance, Collignoc, one of the French drivers, who is handling a De Dion car, drove his mount near to the summit of Mount Geneva, go that he might, make carburation tests. As the greater part of the journey to b« traversed will be through extremely cold districts, with abundance of snow and id?, unusual attention has been paid to clothing by the competitors. According to a French journal, most, of the drivers will wear skins, with undergarments of flannel, and seals' intestines softened with Polar bear grease, or seal blubber. Each ear is provided with elaborate cooking utensils, and as the motorists carry firearms, they hope to replenish their stock of provisions by shooting reindeer, seals, white partridges, bears, etc.