MOTOR NOTES.

Progress, Volume III, Issue 2, 1 December 1907, Page 47

MOTOR NOTES.

By " Accumulator."

Slim Jim, the speedy little Auckland vessel, has been sent to Picton where, from all accounts, she beats everything at that port. There are over 100 motor launches afloat on Auckland harbour, and several new ciuisers of from 8 to 10 knots are on the stocks for completion during December.

By the Mamari a 20 h.p. Daimler car fitted with limousine body has been imported by Mr. Joseph, of Wellington. ****** The handsome motor yacht Vanora, sold through the instrumentality of Progress, to Mr. Lindsay Cooke, of Auckland, is at piesent on " the hard," preparing for summer cruising. Stale or dirty gasoline should never be poured away into the gutter, etc , as a burning nutch or cigar may easily ignite it. It should always be poured or drained into i specipl can, with snfet\ wire screen under the filter opening anc 1 kept tor cleaning purposes. * * * * h- * The belief, held by many motorists, that blowouts of their pneumatic tyies are frequently due to excessn c internal pressure, is rbsolutely erroneous Pneumatic tyres are manufactured to stand at least three times the pressure to winch they are ordinarily inflated , and the increa.se of the pressure in the inner tube, due to the heating of the tyre is of no practical importance. The fact can be easily demonstiated. ****** The new "Invincible" repoi ted from Sydney, is said to travel at 25 m.p.h., thus making her the fastest power boat in the Dominion. Much inteiest will centre round this craft when she comes to be pitted against Mr. Cecil A. Whitneys Grey Witch, for the latter boat has had the old engine removed, in readiness for a new 4-cyhnder English Antoinette machine, which, the owner confidently expects, will drive the Witch at 20 knots.

A curious anorrrly exists all over the Dominion, in the matter of speed designation. For some reason boats ™hen running over a course in harbour, are stated to have attained so many miles per hour , r.t sea it is knots per hour. The confusion, arising over this want of a common designation for distances run, is so great at times that one would thmk motorboat owners would resolve to deal finally with either knots or miles. "When the unthinkmg confuse a. knot, 6080 feet, with a mile, 5280 feet, they are giving credit for a material distance which has never been run. ****** An official trial of the Wanganui Borough Council's new Straker motor waggon was held on the 12th ult. The Mayor and Councillors Carson, Harkness, Harris, and Poynter, drove out in a cab to Hylton's pit, where they watched the operation of loading the waggon and trailer ; a load of nine yards of gravel was put aboard and the waggon took it with

ease. In the streets of the town it kept ahead of the Council's cab, which was driven at the usual speed. The trailer (containing three yards of metals was then uncoupled, and the waggon, with its six yards load, ascended St. John's Hill road, stopping several times to allow vehicles to pass, and starting again quite easily. The first motor car procession seen in Fngland was on November 14th 1896, three months after the Act repealing the road flag law had passed the House of Lords on August 14th 1896. There were 9 Panhards m the parade, 1 1 Daimlers, 2 Leon Bollee cars, 3 Bnttania electrics 2 Beestons, 1 De Dion, 1 Dun ea 3 Roger cars, a breakdown van, and a soit of freak on wheels called Pemmington. The route \\?s from Westminister Bridge to Buxton Hill and a huge ciowd turned out that foggy Novembei morning to witness the novel spectacle. ***** * Messrs T. M. Lane and Son have in hand the building of the follow ing motor craft — A launch to be fitted with a 24 h.p. 4-cylmder Bnttania engine, for a Wellington firm , dimensions 3Gft. 9m. long x 6ft. beam , whrle back 12ft. long , glass cabin 10ft. long, and cockpit 10ft. long. The boat is intended for pleasure cruising and is expected to average a good two knots more than the speed usually found amongst launches of the cruiser type. The hull will be of the two-skinned, diagonally-built type, kauri being used for the keel, ribs, and planking. The cabin fittings will be of cedar. The engine possesses two vaporisers, one for kerosene, the other for benzine, and the lubiication is of the splash type, with an auxiliary pump lubiication for the main bearings. A 32ft. cruiser, to be fitted with an 8-h.p. Union engine, for Mr. W. Reed, Ponsonby.

A 26ft cruiser for Paeroa. The engine will be a 5 h p. Monarch. A 26ft. twin-screw launch for Mr. Gillet, Auckland. The motive power will be derived from two Brooke engines, aggiegating 12 h. p., and the fittings are to be of the best.