RECORD MOTOR TRIP.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15317, 4 March 1920, Page 6

RECORD MOTOR TRIP.

FROM PICTON TO BLUFF

SOME UNIQUE «EXPERIENCES.

It was recorded the other day that a Mr Miller, who had made a record for motor travelling from Ticton to the Bluff, had been fined for exceeding the speed limits. But evidently, according to his own account of the ride, he had. some fun for his money. When seen by a "Southland Times" reporter, Mr jVh'ller stated that tiju'onfrme of the car had not stopped running throughout the trip, a.nd that the time lost in stoppages ■was 2 hours 20 minutes, the actual running time being 17 hours 40 minutes, and a proximate average of 40 miles per, hour for the trip, "'i engin-.- -■■■■uiived beautifully," said Mr Miller, "and never gave us any trouble either on the Auck-land-Wellington run or on the one just completed." Continuing, he said they had to stop twice on the road, and those stops were caused by bees, moths, and flies getting into the radiator cells and blocking them. On' the Canterbury plains numerous mobs of sheep were met, and on the Kilinog and: between invercargill and Dunedin fogs were experienced that made the going hard, but the other conditions were perfect for a good run. Out of the 704 miles travelled MiMiller reckoned that the car travelled at least 50 miles sideways, and on many occafcions It left the road, bounding three feet in the air before landing on the road again, and then it bounced along, hitting about 14 times before- finally settling. It was a great test for tim springs and shock absorbers with which the car was fitted. The number of birds that crashed into the wind screen during the journey also astonished the motorists, and the screen was splashed with blood on' numerous occasions caused by the birds hitting with sufficient force to kill themselves. Commenting on the motoring feat the Bruce "Herald" remarks : "An ominous roar and a cloud of dust' approaching'in volume the sm'okel of a bush fire, attracted'the attention of residents along the main road at Helmsbrook about 6.50 p.m. on Tuesday,, when they witnessed the passage of a mechanical meteor pre/cipitating itself through space at a rate of 55£ miles an hour. . . . The speed was not merely guessed at, but was accurately timed over 650 yards, which was covered in 24 seconds, giving the delinquent the benefit of ihetime occupied by-Bound travelling that distance. An examination of the road after its passage revealed two well defined furrows of pulled up metal."