MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1917, Page 7

MOTOR AND CYCLE.

NEWS AND NOTES. Cycling at a Mile a Minute.-r-Few of our present day wheelmen can remember the sensation that was caused in the cycling world when this feat was first performed on a bicycle.lt is recalled by the fact that Chas. M. Murphy, of the New York police force, has been compelled to retire through a motor-cycling accident. Known as "Mile-a-Minute" Murphy, he accomplished on June 30, 1899, what was then almost regarded as impossible. A specially prepared course was laid between the railway I lines on Long Island, and, Tiding be-

.hind a locomotive. Murphy, after several attempts, covered 1760 yards in 674 seconds. Pince then two ethers have ridden a mile behind motor jace in L'JSA. within '6O seconds. Of course, they are not the only cyclists who have ridden at tho rate of a mile a minute, for Guignard and Wills have exceeded this speed for an hour, though not timed separately for one mile. But the honor of having 'been the first to ride a mile within the minute is Murphy's, and the feat which made him famous stood for many years before another cyclist approached it. It is certainly a "ride that made history." Another ride that achieved similar fame was J. W. Stock's (England) 26 miles in the hour. This was accomplished for the first time on the famous Heme Hill Track in August, 1893. The actual distance covered was

25 miles 360 yards. The first mile took two minutes 18 1-5 seconds, the last two minutes 1)8 4-5 seconfls. He was paced by a tandem and singles. From the various reports received from the fighting zones during the recent advance in France it 19 evident that astensive use has teen made of cyclists. On the enemy's side the cyclist machine gun detachments have frequently remained in the evacuated villages and towns until the last possible moment, their mobility making it easy for them to slip away. In many cases Allied cyclists have been the first to enter towns and villages in the line of advance. Great efforts are being made to "boost" the American cycle trade, and judging from figures available, showing the huge output of bicycles, in America ten years ago, there is ample scope for an improvement. In 189 ft and 1897 no leso than 2,000,000 bicycles were made annually in the States. In 1903 the output was down to 250,009 a year and it is these figures the manufacturers are striving to again bring up to the million mark.

Judging by a paragraph in one of the English motoring journals, the cost of the now famous British "tanks" runs into altout £6OOO each. War and military preparation* will not seriously affect the normal status of the American motor car industry, says the Motor World (New York). This is the view held by the higher officials of the motor world. The smoke or early rumors and conjectures is clearing and tho future, as baaed on the substantial knowledge of authoritative circles, seems to be less chaotic than first predictions conveyed. It is pointed out that practically every munitions and other factory which has been engaged in operations for the Allies has completed *ts contracts and is now able to commence work for this government at full capacity. In fact, offers are now coming from Canadian plants who are no longer needed by the Allies, and who stand ready to make rifles and other military necessities for the United States. The greatest needs of the Allied nations seems to be food and raw materials and these, of course, are not connected to an important extent with the motor cor industry. Consequently, it would seem that the majority of the automobile factories will be permitted to continue their normal business while a few, which have already been in communication with the Government, will manufacture aeroplane motors and trucks. Reports have it that truck manufacture will be attended to by the large track factories assisted to a certain extent by large motor car plants as will be designated by the United States. In spite of the high thermic yield of internal combustion motors, a very large proportion of the heat furnished by the fno! is carried off either in the escape gases or in the cooling water of the cylinder's jacket It is authoritatively stated, in fact, that no lew than seventy per cent, of the hoot is thus wasted, the amount, being pretty equally divided between the water and the sea, Tho increasing popularity of the petrol tractor has leil engineers to seek to recover some -portion of this immense wastage of heat. The simplest method is to use the hot water issuing from the cylinder's jacket for the production of steam feeding a turbine or a piston engine. Unfortunately, however, the temperaturw of the water thus evacuated is relatively low. The reason for this is that experience lias shown that as the temperature rises above this point the cylinder promptly begins to seize. Therefore, the evacuated 'water must be fed into a boiler so that the steam may acquire sufficient pressure to foe. economically used. Obviously, therefore, _it is desirable to find a method by which the cylinder mav be prevented from seizing, 'while at the same time the water in the jacket mav be allowed to rise in temperature sufficiently to furnish steam directlv under a pressure of several atmospheres. Such a result would have the further advantage of augmenting the thermic yield of the motor, since this increases'in the same degree as the tcmnerature of the gases in the cylinder, and'this temperature will naturally be higher if the walls of the cylinder are hotter Engineers are now devoting much studv to methods of preventing 'seizing while the temperature of the wa I ls"is above 212 degrees f., i.e., the boilin" point of mater and the time will come when such methods will be devised that will enable motorists to obtain the maximum power from the motor spirit

consumed. , •Motorists will he interested to learn that all the different makes of petrol m England arc now "pooled" ! by the leadin" importing and distributing houses. aU the deliveries now 'being made In one firm. Tn this way it is hoped to considerably economise in the cost ot distribution and at the same time to free a number of transport waggons, m which direction there has been a consldera.ble amount of overlapping. 1 etroi in England, therefore, now ceases to be known as "Pratt's," "Shell," .tc etc, whilst all the familiar various colored tin tags have given place to one standard grev label. The grades are being marketed and are known as Nos. 1 and 2 and respective specilic gravities being 7'il'). 733 to 7<fO. The pool will last tor the duration of the war, The principle of the caterpillar tractor which has become world famed owing to the doings of the British "t*nks OT the Western front is the invention of Mr B Holt, a California*. The propell-

ing power in these tanks is said to be in tie region of 1000 kp., comprising four six-cylinder petrol engines of 330 L.p. each. This 'big power is essential, as the weight of a tank is estimated to "be between 100,000 and 125,000 lbs. The .two 40-feet caterpillar belts that arc used *to convey the driving power are about 30 inches wide, thus giving an enormous load hearing surface so that the pressure per square inch of easth contact is kept very low, probably under 0.31b5, which is a great deal less than exercised by a horse or man. It is this great tractive adhesion and tremendous grip that enables the British tanks to surmount practically any difficulties of travel.

A writer in the (London Times thus enthuses over the British aviator. "You take the ordinary English youth from school, or from a, cadet corps, or from an office, or from a regiment, and give him three or four months' training, and throw him up into the air in France—and he does the rest. I have lived with more than one fighting squadron in France, and have seen the flights set forth in the morning, and watched for them as they come doubtfully home, trying to find their way through a curtain of low clouds. I have spent "dud" days of rain and mist with the pilots in the intimacy of the crowded mess, and have learned, I think, something of their quality. I know nothing comparable with it or theim They are a race apart. They are almost children in yeara; the average age of one squadron I know is 23; but there is a maturjty entirely their own, born of experiences

up n to us, in their grave faces and lan ii r , r eyfcs. Their flying life is reckoned not in years or even months, but in hours; so that a man who has flown 50 hours is experienced and one who has flown 250—'10 days of timeis a veteran. These hours are numbered to Fate and by tho average of casualties. Fifty hours without a ehash would be luck—soo would be practically impossible. Within such spans is the fighting pilot's life compassed. For beyond a certain number of hours he knows that his fatal moment is overdue . that he has exceeded the allotted span of life. He may be two or three-r.nd-twenty, on the threshold of life; but even- "day that he goes on flying he

knows that' the chances, the law of averages are increasingly against him. He knows it; but it never changes his outward demeanour, or his appetite for the endless shop that these super-chil-dren .talk, or for the music and dances that they love, or for the rngs Mid strafes that fill tho hours of the "dud" dav. Ho goes on, with more and more achievement to his name, until a day when those who hurry to the window of the mess-hut when the homing machines are heard in the sky and say, "One still to come," wait in vain for him. Perhaps some comrade who saw it 'brings the news of his end. It may have happened thus, or thus, but one thing is certain—it will have ibeen, like his life, quick and beautiful."

Nearly all motor car progress during the past three years has natmally been on military lines. There 'were armored cars before 1914. But now there are a score of types of armored cars, from the all-compelling "tank" down to the mounted Masim gun. There were a few motor, ambulances (before, the war; now there are, literally, tens of thousands of tvpes adapted to a score of services. Many new spheres of usefulness have been" evolved. There are X-ray cars, laboratory cars, dental cars, disinfec.tor cars, bathing cars, and a dozen other special varieties. These things are all of immeasurable service, and they are only possible because of the motor engine. If there had been no motoT engines, there would have been no horsedrawn X-ray cars or dental cars. Of ordinary motor vehicles, whether heavy lorries or light passenger cars, there are a thousand types in use, adapted to a thousand necessities of military service. Staff cars and despatch cars, ammunition lorries and gun lorries, telegraph cars and bread wagons, troop 'buses and meat-safe 'buses, post-office cars and boot-repairing cars. Only a man in the contract department of the War Office could catalogue them all. And

as a support to each one is the motorrepair shop, with its lathes and benches ready- day or night, to perform minor or major operations on broken-down cars, etc. When the war is over, all the energy and resources that made the above" possible will be turned into different channels and will confer benefits on all sections of the motoring community. The light car, the touring car, the commercial vehicle will all be improved as the result of the lessons of the war.

At this time of the year cyclists are alwavs wary of side-slipping, particularly 'those wlio do much riding on greasy wooden blocked city thoroughfares. To secure the greatest immunity from side slip, there are several factors to be taken into consideration. For example, it is essential that the wheels should be in line. We feel confident that if bicycles were tested with a straight-edge a very large proportion would be found to be faulty in this respect, Then, again, there is'something in tho design of the frame. The bracket should be rigid, so as to prevent any lateral whip, which lias a tendency to force the driving wheel from side to side, and so overcome the frictional grip of the tyres, which should be kept well inflated. The gear also should be moderate. A high gear encourages a heavy, plunging action, and the lateral force therefore at each stroke is very considerable. On the other hand, with a low gear there is not the same amount of power put into each stroke, and therefore the tendency to force the wheel in a lateral direction is not so great. Anyone can prove, this for himself who possesses a variable speed 'machine. To prevent side slipping, it is

essential that the steering should he straight, for wobbling reduces the adhesion of the tyres to the ground, and once the ice is hroken, so far as a slip is concerned, developments follow rapidly. At the same time, the handles should not ho. gripped rigidly; they should .he rather held lightly, and, when the machine does slip no violent effort «honld he made to return it to the path of rectitude. Tt should rather be given its head, to a slight extent, until it fetches up of its own' accord. I lie pedalling should he easy and smooth, without anv swaying of the body. Above all things, the rider should not apply his ■brakes suddenly, and should use the hack one in preference to the front, for the reason that a slip of the driving wheel mav be recovered from, but a slip ■of the front wheel generally brings the rider to earth.