NEW YORK TO PARIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 63

NEW YORK TO PARIS.

Now that the great race from New York to Paris has been won, it is interesting toi, recall its leading features. It was promoted at the instance of the French journal, Lej Matin, and ' was practically a round-fche-j world contest. At first it was declared to be? impracticable by those who had an idea o& the dangers and difficulties such an eventf would entail; but nevertheless cix competi* tors were forthcoming. The route origir.-.; ally mapped out embraced a journey across? America, and northward through practic-' ally roadless and snow-bound country toY Alaska, and thence across the frozen/; Behrjng Straits, along the northern shorot of Siberia, down the River Lena, on theY ice, and on to the old eastern caravanf route, the .scene of Prince Borghese'ft' triumph in the Pekin-Paris event last year--The route then lay across Asia and Europe, to the French capital, making a total dis-. tance of from 18,000 to 20,000 miles. The* six starters were St. Chaffray. on a 30 h.p.i D-e Dion ; Godard, on a3O h.p. Motoblocy' and Pons, on a 15 h.p. Sizaire-Vaudin (representing France) ; Roberts, on a6O h.p.< Thoma-s (America) : Scai-foglio, on a4O h.p. Zuet (Italy), and Mass, on a 40 h.p. Protos (Germany).

They were accorded a great send-off from New York, but winter conditions were experienced, and at the end of a fortnight the six cars were strung-out some hundreds of miles along the mud and snow tracks leading tc San Francisco. The first arrival at the Papific coast was Mr Montague Roberts, who had taken 41 days, and had gained a lead of 16 days on his rivals. The American then set out for Alaska, where heavy thaws had set in, necessitating .tho abandonment of this section of the route. In the meantime, while Roberts was plugging northward, unaware of the decision to modify the course, two other competitors had taken boat for VJadivostock to pick up the Siberian railway route across Asia. Roberts was eventually recalled from Alaska, but by this time the German officers on the Protos car had sained a big lead, which they maintained through Siberia, Russia, and Germany. Hobe"rte. however, picked up on the Gorman car, and ran a good second, so possibly h»» will be adjudged the winner, owinsr to having lost a lead of 16 rlays throush following the official course from Snn Francisco to Alaska. St. Chaffray ml Godard withdrew fiom the contest after crossing America,

gmd Pons retired at an earlier stage. So praoh have the conditions and course c> ,the so-called race been altered that it has fca^fc the elements of a speed contest. * Nevertheless the event has again demonstrated the .wonderful powers of the modern car in traversing great distances under trying and hazardous conditions.