NOTES.

Progress, Volume III, Issue 7, 1 May 1908, Page 231

NOTES.

Petrol Motors {not meters) as sometimes printed, are now becoming quite general. Progress referred last month in this connection to the " Victoria " petrol engine exhibited recently at Bnslol. * * ■): . * * Mr B J. F Bentley, who left England last summer with a view to motoring across Somahland and Abyssinia to Khartoum, and then by the Nila Valley to Alexandria, recently reached Adis Abeba — the half way house from Djibouti to Khartoum — after an adventurous journey of four months The Siddeley 18 h p. car which he was driving was the first vehicle of any kind to cross Somahland, and he leceived many congratulations on his feat, which is regarded locally as a wonderful one H M Emperor Menehk showed great personal interest in the performance, and a day or two after the arrival at Adis Abeba accompanied Mr Bentley for a trip on the car, subsequently driving it several miles. In his accompanying illustration Mr. Bentley was seen driving the vehicle, with H M. the Emperor on his left, while the back seats were occupied by the British and American Ministers. •* ***** The New York Taxicab Company, has begun operations on the stieets of New York Though there are only 50 of the new vehicles in commission, these arc enough to cause the drivers of hansoms deep concern, for the rate is 50 cents for the first hour, and 40 cents for each succeeding hour. For 30 cents one to four persons can go from nearly any hotel to most of the theatres m the Broadway district, and, if there is a quartet, the fare for each person is only 7] cents The drivers get tips and, even adding a quarter, or more likely 20 cents, to the fee, the transportation is by no means extravagant, and much cheaper than it has been. The taxi cabs are of 14 h p , and are capable of being driven 30 miles an hour The trouble between the chauffeurs of the new taxicabs, and the ordinary cabmen, is reaching an acute stage, the latter, especially, being wrought up over the introduction of the tell-tale dial which marks the amount of the fare. * us # * * * It is stated that experiments with a view of determining the practicability of extending the uses of automobiles are in contemplation by the Quarter-master-General of the United States army. Motor vehicles have already been employed to some extent, such as for passenger transportation, for headquarters in the field, signal corps wagons and ambulances, but now the authorities have in view tests to demonstrate the efficiency of motor vehicles for the transportation of heavy stores m the field, under all conditions to be met in the service, such as hilly country, bad roads, and long distances from sources of supply of fuel. ****** Attention is drawn to the danger and expense of using motor spirit for cleaning motor cars by the British Petroleum Company, Limited, who suggest that for this purpose ordinary lamp oil is quite suitable, less dangerous, and more economical. ****** A motor delivery service, on a large scale, is about to be instituted in connection with the colossal business of William Whiteley, Limited. This company, which, so far, has hung back in the matter of motor delivery, has, after a short trial of a 24 cwt. box van, gnen an order to the Lacre Motor Car Company, Limited, of ] -5, Poland street, W.. for 12 more vans of similar capacity. ****** The use of the motor vehicle is rapidly being extended into the uttermost parts of the earth. A. dozen new postal motor wagons are to be installed as a service by the postal authorities of Upper Burmah. These vehicles are to run a daily service of 104 miles, some 600 miles up country, and it is understood that the roads are to be specially i made up for them by the Government, though it is hardly to be expected that they will at any time I conform to European ideas of what a really good i road should be. The cars are to average 12 miles ) per hour over the journey, and will be capable of ; 20 m.p.h. on the level. There is no gradient on the

road steeper than lin 15. Solid tires will be used. The outcome of this service will be interesting, and, if successful, an object lesson to public departments. ****** When assembling parts in which split pins are u«ed, it is quickest to use new pins, and not those, which have been removed in taking down the parts. Sometimes, however, the old pins have to be used, and difficulty is experienced in straightening them. A procedure which is generally effective is gripping the splayed ends of the pin between a pair of pliers and resting the ends upon an anvil or other hard surface. A tap on the head of the pin spreads that end and closes up the other end, straightening the pin and restoring it to its original shape, so that it may be replaced easily. ****** People are still wondering how it was that the Dominion people failed to get to Wanganui by motor car on the morning after Webbs big win. It is an old story now, not quite so old as the fact that even newspaper folk make blunders, but it is for that very reason interesting. They meant well, and they did badly. They provided motors fit to carry each a couple of men and a few dozen newspapers. Had they kept to specification the motors would have got there in fair time, perhaps. But they put seven men aboard of each and a u eight of newspapers amounting to anything between half a ton and twenty hundredweight. One of the cars failed to negotiate the hill at Ngahuaranga and found its way down a precipice, while the other staggered on till it found shelter in some obscure village by the way. But there is no reason why newspapers should not be earned in good time for breakfast to Wanganui from Wellington. Only the cars must be big enough and strong enough to carry the necessary weights. ****** Much is expected, and has been for some time, about the Florida Beach motor speed carnival, which is regarded as the maddest show on the planet for the speed craze. One record only has come however, as yet, and that is a good one Bernin won the 100 miles International Championship, and the Minneapolis Trophy in 72 mm 56 sees. This beats Earp's record of 1906 at the same fixture, of 74 mm 56| sec. Last year, it will be remembered by motorists, that there was a better record than Bernm's at Brooklands, a record of a speed attained of 85 miles an hour. This, of course, works out at 100 miles m7O 40. But it is not a record of 100 miles. Two records at Florida Beach in 1906 were Marriott's mile in 28 l-sth sec, and Demegot's two miles in 58 4- sth sec. There is considerable excitement in the motoring world to know if these records have been equalled or broken on the present occasion. ****** The Italian representative in the New York to Pans motor race (via Behring's Strait), Antonio Scarfoglio was heard as he started from the firstnamed place to shout that he would be in Pans by the 15th July. The cable has announced that the whole crowd broke down in an ordinary garden variety of snow storm and switched itself off to 'Frisco. Probably the race is impossible now, as some of the conditions have been thus radically broken ; and the cars can only get to the end of their journey by breaking most of the rest. The motorists may be allowed to preserve their lives by taking ship over thousands of miles of sea over which their cars cannot swim. But they cannot, therefore, be permitted to pose as motorists who have driven from anywhere to anywhere else with the sea between the two places. As we write, word comes that the contest is now Vladivostock to Paris.