ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN MOTOR CARS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 60

ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN MOTOR CARS.

hard work afoot, and only use their machines for short rides. <. . . The great secret to enjoyable walking is wellfitting footgear, and the same remark will also apply to long-distance cycling. Once let the feet go wrong all a man can do is to stop. This is not, however, so pronounced in cycling, as the legs do not have the weight of the body to carry. j RELIABILITY TRIAL. The following is the liet of the entries for the Canterbury Automobile Association's Reliability Trial, which will be held between December 27 and 31, the course being from Ohristchurch to Dunedin and return : — Trade — Class A, 12 h.p. and over. E. F. J. Grigg, Dennis. 20-22 h.p. A. Jones and Sons. Ltd., Siddefey, 18-24 h.p.' Motor Import Co.. Riley, 12 h.p. Mrs Arini Donnelly. Napier. 60 h.p. J. M'Rae Peacock, Enfield, 15 h.p. Inglis Bros., Stuart, 10-12 h.p. A. G. Nalder, Stuart, 10-12 b.p. J. S. Hawkes, Alldays. 20 h.p. Adams, Ltd., Talbot, 1& h.p. Adams, Ltd., Talbot, 15 h.p. Adams, Ltd., Talbot, 12-16 h.p. Adams, Ltd., Humber, 15 h.p. Skeates and Bock&ert, Darracq. P. W. Sampson, Stuart, 10-lfi h.p. Trade— Class 8., under 13 h.p. A. J. Tozwaxd, Siddeley, 6 h.p. Dexter and Crozier. Cadillac, 10 h.p. J. S. Hawkes, Alldays, 10 b.p. Private Owners—Class C, 12 h.p. and over. Donald M'Lean, Talbot, 12-16 h.p. W. E. Milla. Clement Talbot, IS-16 i.p. A. Morten, Humber, 15 h.p. Mts Arini Donnelly. Napier, 60 h.p. D. Wood. Dennis, 14 h.p. W. X MTJonald, Darracq, 15 h.p. Dr Thacker. Argyll, 16-20 h.p. Dr Finch, Humber, 15 h.p. W. E. Thompson, Ford, 16 h.p. E. Dorm an, Rover, 20 h.p. R, English, Stuart, 10-13 h.p. T. Y. Wardrop, Argyll, 14-16 h.p. David Matscra. Talbot, 15 h.p. C. Bell, Enfield, 15 h.p. J. M'Rae Peacock, Stuart, SO h.p. ; Private Owners — Class D., under 12 h.p. G. A. M. M'Donald, De Dion, 9 h.p. Mark Steeds, Reo, 8 h.p. T. Williamson, Stuart, 7-9 h.p. C. M. Ollivier, Rover, 8 h.p. Mrs E. Backaert, De Dion. THE AUSTRAL WHEEL RACE. MELBOURNE, December 14. The Austral Wheel race resulted as follows : — Colvin 1, Meyer 2, Birch 3. Won by a length. Time, 4min 25 2-ssec.

At a meeting of the American Electrochemical Society) the world-famous inventor, T. A. Edison, stated that he had row- o\ercome all obstacles, and that motor cars would soon be so cheap as to be withia the reach of every man who could :.afford to own a horse. "I, have at last succeeded in placing the electric storage battery on an economical basis," he said.. "I am now turning out 300 batteries per week. Af>;er experimentiqg for, three years. I realis<?d that a battery .capable of-furnish-ing power for 12,000 miles before being recharged was not superior to the hoise. Therefore I macfe -a battery* with a capacity 3*0,000 miles before being recharged —co the horse is doomed. I expect -to have the batteries ready for the market by the end of December.'" Mr Edison's idea is that the production of a cheap and efficient storage battery will solve the' traffic problem in the great cities. Motor vehicles would become inexpensive, simple and silent, with a range of speed and certainty of action not possible in any but the most expensive petrol cars. The discovery of the perfect storage battery has been announced so often, however, that the public will be inclined to be a little sceptical until the invention has been tested by independ.ent persons outside Mr Edison's laboratory and workshops. A battery of a eixe that could be carried An a, motor car, and would supply power for a run of many thousand miles, would be an enormous advance on anything of the kind that has been designed by science jn the past. LIEUTENANT SHACKLETON'S MOTOR CAR. Lieutenant Shackleton, who is to command the Antarctic Expedition which will set out from New Zealand, is taking with him on his long journey a, specially constructed Arrol-Johneton car, with which the Lieutenant hopes to- make a dash for the South Pole. v Unlike the Northern Polar regions, the "country" around the South Pole has vast tracts o,f practically level snowcovered ice, which extends from the edge of the barrier as far, it is hoped, as the Pole itself. There are 750 miles of this to be covered before the Pole can be reached, and as Captain Scott's expedition ! got within 470 miles of ite destination when want of food supplies forced' a return, andl there are still no signs of any impediment to the use of the ear. it is thought by Lieutenant Shackleton that with the use of a specially constructed car he can negotiate the great white desert, which has so far floored all expeditions. The car will carry three people, two jn front and one ai the back, suitable protection being provided for rough weather. It is intended to carry as much provisions as possible on the car itself, and fo drag a team of sledges, comparatively lightly laden, lashed side by side instead of tandemwise for greater security against overturning. Every hundred milee or so one of these sledges will b© cut adrift and packed with provisions, so that it will form a temporary base against emergency. Following up behind the motor car party will be three other explorers mounted on ponies, who will travel light, and therefore rapidly, and will rely upon the provisions which they will find on the slodges cut adrift from the car. The remainder of the expedition, which numbers 12 in all, will remain at the base, from j which they will, of course, make local expeditions for various scientific purposes. AN ENTHUSIASTIC WALKER. That, grand old cycling champion, the late .Tohn Keen, was a great believer in the walking theory, and years ssroi when I isays C. n. Larrette in Athletic News) asked him his opinion as to the best method of training for cycle racing, he told me he "always trained on foot, and practised on his bicycle." I have followed the old warrior's advice, and attribute my present Vigorous state of health to having done so. I am confident our racing men, especially those whose operations are confined to the road, would be greatly benefited if they [would* during the sinter months, do their