CYCLE AND MOTOR NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 96, 23 April 1912, Page 3

CYCLE AND MOTOR NOTES.

ACROSS AUSTRALIA. For the first time Australia lias been crossed in a motor car from west to east. For years the overland route from Berta to Adelaide', or, more correctly speaking, between dy nr _ senmn’s and Eucla, Las been considered impracticable for motor fi . u , rfj v oiling. Francis Birtles and }o p j._ guson, on a 10 b.p. single y tylimlor Brush runabout, have made q,j ie , look so easy and simple ti t;)t < );i( wonders whether the ropnrtevj culties of the southern ental route have been lied or that it is ail due tj ; |jjj r | ps > wonderful busheraft and ’intim.te knowledge of the sandy and wi<] waste of country that Vies north (f the great Austrniiau 'Bight. When this pioneer trip was first mooted-, the Dunlop Rabber Company n-.sk cd Birilos “i! it ’was possible.” IF'rtles’ reply was, “I will guarantee to bring a ear across, apart from mechanical) troubles.” Ht 3 lias kept In’s word. Bi'r-j ties and Ferguson left Perth at ][ p.m. on Saturday, March 16th-, aboard their little Brush car, heavily laden with camp kit, etc., and were given a splendid send off as they pulled oi>t for their plucky attempt to motor

across the continent. Fair time was made through to Coolgardie (,‘>T! milfs)) which was reached til fom days. The overlanders then turner south and travelled via Ncrsomair; across to the Belladoiua overland tele graph depot.' On this run, considerable difficulty was encountered owing to the car sinking down to the axle; in the boggy dried up hods of lagoons and lakes that had to bo crossed. For Wuately a windlass which formed part of the outfit enabled the ear. to he extricated. The heavy stretch of sandy country across the head of the great Australian Bight had to he next negotiated, and it was, anticipated that this section of the route would prove a tough proposition for the plucky mo torists, but on March 28th a messag; flashed through from the Eucla over hind telegraph repeating station, slat ing that Birtles and Ferguson wen safely through. They had done won dors, for in twelve days they had covered one thousand miles of heavy conntry,,a groat deal of which had never seen a motor car before. The success of the undertaking was now practical 1> assured, for once the three hundred odd miles of broken sand hills : and scrubby country stretching away towards Port Augusta was crossed tin rest of the mute was through comparatively ■ settled country. Good progress was made across" to Port Augusta. At this point, instead of striking south for Adelaide, a course due east to Broken Hill was taken, and a I 3.30 p.m. on Saturday, April Gth 13 weeks from date of starting), the heavily laden little runabout rolled into Broken Hill, a-distance of about eighteen hundred miles from Perth. Birtles and -his companion received a

great reception, and needless to say the car, which was covered with red dust and grease, was the centre of a dig and curious crowd. The "Brush was almost hidden under about eight cwt. of outfit, including tout, sand mats, shovels, tucker boxes, water bags, guns, a cinematograph camera, and Birtlos’ old friend, his Universal bicycle, on which ho has accomplished lus wonderful cycle rides. On top of the lot was tethered a dog, a pot of Birtlos, and over all was a heavy mantle of line red dust. After a day’s spell the overlanders left early on Monday morning for Sydney, which was duly reached at 4.52 on Saturday afternoon, April 13th, or exactly four weeks from the day of starting The actual time for the trip, about two thousand six hundred miles, was 23 days 1 hour 52 minutes, an average of over 92 miles a day. Throughout the whole trip the only car trouble was a loose wheel bearing and a bent front axle, whilst the same sot of Dunlop tyres came right, through with a total of only two punctures. This feat of Birtlos and Ferguson is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable motor ear performances yet achieved in Australia.

Great preparations are being made in France for the forthcoming International motor car race over the Dieppe Circuit. When the last mail left there were already 57 entries in hand, and more were expected. This year’s Grand Prix promises to provide one of the greatest motor contests yet held, and some very fast times arc anticipated. The sum of .£IOOO was paid-by the authorities of Dieppe to have tire event held in their district.

Some remarkable times were recently established on the Los Angeles track, California, during a motor cycle match between the American champion J. J)e Hosier and W. K. Hosiia. The following were times recorded: One mile, IjSJ 3-sscc. ; two miles, i.nin !k 2-osee.; tlirco miles, 2tnin Igsoc.'; and four miles in 2min 10 3-ssee.—all new records.

A novel motor car Ims keen placed on the ro,ul by an American motoring concern for experimental purposes. Tin car has light wheels. It is claimed that the use of light wheels reduces the vibration, , and reduces the wear to less than half on each wheel. It is seldom that depressions of the load which give the vehicle so many humor' are more than 0 feet in length, and, such being the ease, tiiis American eight-wheeled machine rides over these depressions with no appreciable jar. The wheels are arranged in two double trucks-—four wheels at each end of chassis—and upon them the body of the machine is mounted. The. steering gear controls three pairs of wheels, namely, the rearmost pair and the two forward pairs. The other pair oi wheels are the drivers, and at turns they form the fulcrum about which the machine swings; of course the rearmost wheels must he turned •oppositely to the sides of the fulcrum It is claimed that the riding quali-

til's of this ear are excellent. By reducing the shaking and racking often associated with the four-wheeled type, there is a saving not only of tyres but also oi machinery. Should one of these wheels be broken, the car runs with perfect safety on seven wheels.