Motoring on Rails. BOSTON TO MEXICO. Mr. CHARLES GLIDDEN'S WONDERFUL JOURNEY. THE FIRST MISHAP

Progress, Volume II, Issue 6, 1 April 1907, Page 225

Motoring on Rails. BOSTON TO MEXICO. Mr. CHARLES GLIDDEN'S WONDERFUL JOURNEY. THE FIRST MISHAP

We have received from Mr. Charles Ghdden, whose motor tour in this colony was sketched in our last issue, some particulars of the completion of his trip from Boston to Mexico City, which was finished on the 31st December. Unfortunately, Mr. Ghdden's usual good fortune deserted him when within 51 miles of Mexico City, as after successfully traversing 4972 miles on the railway on his Napier car, the machine struck a rock wedged in between the rails when gliding smoothly along at about 28 miles an hour. The accident occurred at kilometre 80 at 11.30 a m. The front wheels jumped into the air and the rear wheels followed them. When the dust cleared away the Napier car was turned on its side against an embankment of rock and dirt, both wheels being demolished and the occupants spread on the track, while a path through the rock ballast for a distance of 90 feet showed the trail of the machine after it had left the track.

The car was occupied by Mr. Charles J. Glidden, Mrs W. S Hills of El Paso, Miss Martha WaldronLarron, Charles Thomas the engineer, W S Page, train-master of the Mexican division of the National Railroad, and a newspaper reporter After assuring himself that none of his party were injured Mr Glidden hunted up his camera, which was mixed up in the wreck, and began snap-shooting the car and surroundings 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 Glidden was a telegraph operator, and he always carries a set of instruments and wires to make connections whenever he goes on a iailroad automobile trip An attachment to the overhead wires was quickly made, and 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 of train-master Page was sent at once, followed by other messages to railway officials and friend^. The accident to the car occurred on a practically straight track and was not the result of excessive speed,* or incautious handling Other than the wedged rock the track was in perfect Condition, and the presence of the rock is unexplainable Before the wreck the car was going at an average speed of 30 miles an hour, running >as high as 32 miles. Although the heavy wood spokes of the front wheels were broken to splinters, the only other damage consisted of slightly springing both axles and some hurt to the upholstery. Arrangements were made for a passenger tram to pick up Mr, Ghdden's

party and bring them to the City of Mexico. Up to the time of the accident Mr. Ghdden's Napier had kept absolutely to the schedule time , ever since leaving Chicago not a single tram had been delayed by the car, which in fact often made better time than the regular trains. Mr. Ghdden speaks very highly of his experience on the Mexican Railway lines, and classes the trip as the most delightful he has taken. He says the scenery is unsurpassed, and as at one point he reached a height of over 9,000 feet he would, no doubt, have seen some fine mountain scenery. Mr. Ghdden conveyed a greeting from President Roosevelt to President Diaz, and intended leaving for Boston after a few days stay in Mexico City. He has shipped his Napier car to London, where it will be overhauled and made ready for him to start on a trp on the Ist May as he is not satisfied with his present total of 39,768 miles, but is ambitious to complete 50,000 miles in 50 different countries. Mr Ghdden is not in any way discouraged by his accident, as it was the first that had occurred to his Napier car that in any way prevented him continuing his trip Of a total mileage of 39 768, a large proportion was covered m countries where the road conditions were very unfavourable. Mr. Ghdden's intentions are to complete the remainder of his World's tour in countries surrounding the Mediterranean S^a and the South American Republics. He considers that his Napier car has enabled him to see more of the world and its people than it would be possible by the use of any other conveyance but a motor car. The followirg are the countries travelled through by Mr Ghdden on his motor, with the mileage for each

The railroad mileage included in the above is as follows — Soo Line and Canadian Pacific 1803 Rock Island . . 3300 Fort Worth & Denver 82 Int'l & Great Northern 837 Nat'l Lines of Mexico 803 Total 6825 The travel results are thus summarised by the wholesale motorist — To make the drive of 39,768 miles in 36 countries, I have motored 312 days, twice circling the Globe, crossing the Arctic Circle in Sweden, reaching the most southerly road in New Zealand. Travelling by sea 44,760 miles, a total journey by motor car and steamship of 84,368 miles in 461 days.

Countries Miles 1 Afuca 41 2 Annam crossed fr'nt'r3 Australia 2109 4 Austria 627 5 Bajour crossed frontier 6 Bavaria 235 7 Belgium 160 8 Bohemia 315 9 Burmah 509 0 Canada 1251 1 Ceylon 1334 2 China 308 3 Cochin China 652 4 Denmark .... 308 .5 England 2639 .6 Fiji 200 i 7 France 4563 [8 Germany 1546 19 Hawaii 30

Countries Miles 20 Holland 435 21 Hongkong .... 170 22 Ireland 1510 23 India 4345 24 Italy 508 25 Japan 1122 26 Java 1250 27 Mexico 803 28 New Zealand.. 1145 29 Scotland 200 30 Spam 4 30 31 Strait Settle ment 303 32 Swat 19 33 Sweden 1540 34 Switzerland . . . 1097 35 United States 7977 36 Wales 427