Mr Glidden’s Motor Car.

Southland Times, Issue 10966, 18 February 1907, Page 4

Mr Glidden’s Motor Car.

A BREAKDOWN. It is just over a year ago since Mr C. J. (Hidden, an American millionaire, who I was doing a motor tour in a Napier car, passed through Invercargill on his way to the Bluff. He reached the port on February 6th, tqben the total distance to his credit was 21,438 miles, for 180 days’ travelling. Mr Glidden was the first to cross tho Arctic circle in a motor car, and also claims, by virtue of his Bluff performance. tho "farthest south” record. He seems to have completed the tour on which lie was then engaged, and to have started ou another adventure. For the time being, however, he is stopped, as the following account from the Mexican Herald of January Ist will show : A small rock wedged between the main rail and the guard rail at a road crossing on the National road brought tho Glidden automobile trip from Boston to Mexico City to a sudden end yesterday' morning when the point of destination was just fifty miles away. Tho machine was running smoothly and on time almost to a second according to the arranged schedule, and the members of the party were in high spirits at nearing tho completion of the most remarkable trip undertaken iu an automobile. The machine was gliding smoothly along at a speed of 28 miles an hour when it struck the small, rock wedged in between the rails. The Iront wheels jumped into the air, and tfie rear wheels followed. When the dust cleared away the machine was turned on Its side against an embankment of rock and dirt, both front wheels demolished, and tho occupants occupying space on the track and right of way', while g path through the rock ballast for a distance of 90 feel showed the trail of the machine after it left the track.

The car was occupied by Charles J. (Hidden, Mrs W. S. Hills of El Paso, Miss Martha Waldrou-Barron. Charles Thomas, tho engineer, W. F. Page, trainmaster of the Mexico division of the National, and a Herald reporter. Almost miraculously the entire party escaped injury with the exception of bruises and scratches, and hardly had the machine stopped before tho party had recovered ■ami were making the best of the accident. The point at which the wreck occurred is about two miles from the station of Teocalco, but there is no telegraph office at that point. Thirty years ago Mr (.Hidden teas a telegrapg operator, and he always carries a set of instruments and wires to make connections whenever he goes on a railroad automobilavg trip. Engineer Thomas made an effort to reach the telegraph wires, but just as ho was about to succeed a lineman happened along- and he quickly made the necessary eonueetions. Setting his telegraph instrument on a barrel, and with another for a seat, Mr Glidden opened for business probably as unique an office as it would be possible to conceive. The report oi Trainmaster Page was sent at once, followed by other messages to railway officials and friends. One of the first messages was to Mrs Glidden, who remained at San Antonio. Orders were gi'cn to have a regular passenger train, due in Mexico City from Gonzalez at G o'clock, stop and pick up the party, while other orders were sent to procure transportation for the wrecked car. A freight train, which had orders to wait the arrival of tho car near Apasco, was notified and the engine was sent to the scene of the wreck. The accident to the car occurred on a perfectly straight track, and was not the result of excessive speed or incautious handling. Other than th£ wedged rock the track was in perfect condition. and the presence oi the rock is unexplainable. Before the wreck the

car was going at an average speed ox thirty miles an hour, running as high as 32 miles. Going up grade this speed was reduced to between twenty-five and twenty-eight miles, and at the time oi ihe accident was twenty-eight miles. A small indicator, set in front of the car, told (lie exact rate oi speed, and a watch in front oi him told Mr Glidden the time which must correspond to the schedule ha carried. The car weighs ISi'O pounds, and is twenty horsepower. The soliility of the car undoubtedly pre'ented more serious damage to its occupants. It will be shipped to the Napier factory in England for repairs. Mr and Mrs (Hidden will get it there, and tour England and Scotland next summer, going thence to Cairo for a tour of Africa. Coining when tho close of this romarkaMe journey was only a few hours away, and after a railroad trip of 6075 miles unmarred by a single accident, smash was particularly unfortunate. On this particular journey of CHS miles. 4972 on rails, Mr Glidden has successfully completed ;t distance of 39,718 miles. This result is after subtracting the GO miles into Mexico City which lio unfortunately uuable to make. NOT DISCOURAGED BV ACCIDENT. ■■ 11 1 • ver, I am satisfied/' said Mr (Hidden, "the wreck was the fault of no "i;e. but fate evidently intended things to happen the way the/ did. That wo all escaped serious injury if the best of all. and although we did not get to couplet*- the trip we have at least made the cllort, and it is not our fault that «e wet** prevented. That car has already gone round the world twice, and I am going to complete the journey oi 50. 00" miles in it if X have to do it on one- leg. The car will be repaired and be in. shape again next sunftner. This accident is unfortunate, but it is not as bad as accidents which occur lo regular trails almost every day. Mhat I have done in an automobile shows what can bo done, and it i» only a beginning. V, ithiu a few years the auto will run on rails all over the world, and it will bo a safe, pleasant, comfortable manner In which to make a journey. Such acci-, dents as this will occur, of course, but ,i doesn’t discourage me. In fact it makes me only the more anxious to complete my journey."