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THE GARDEN ISLAND TUESDAY, NOV. 21, 1922
Diary of an American Motorist
By VICTOR BEVERIDOE
It Is slwsys Interesting; to know
Just how things are made and 1
hare a special desire for that kind
of knowledge where motor cars and
their acessorles are concerned.
Mjr latest experience was a visit
to the home of the "Victor" lamps
at Cincinnati. Being namesakes of
my own, I felt quite a personal In
terest In the visit.
I don't think I had ever given
much thought to how lamps were
made. They were just lamps and
when they give a good light on
dark nights, I took their excellence
for granted, but when, as soemtimes
happens, they were dim, then I
was distinctly annoyed.
To begin at the beginning, a
lamp is just afleet sheet of metal,
steel or brass, as the case may be.
This sheet Is cut up by big cutting
presses, like so much paper, into
smaller pieces and then goes to tie
first stamping press by which It Is
shaped Into something like the "tin"
hats we used to wear at the war.
I lost count of the number of
processes thru which every lamp
goes, but after each one, the lamp
grew more and more like the finish
ed article to which we are accus
tomed, until at last, polished like a
mirror, the enamel coat was applied.
I fetl It was a shame to spoil the
burnished metal by covering Its shin
ing beauty, but I suppose more of
us would care to have the work of
keeping our lamp bright.
I was astonished at the number
of acetylene lamps I saw In pro
cess o fmanufacture, but I was told
that In many countries the gas lamp
Is coming back Into favor again.
There are many quaint signs com
ing Into preponderance on Ameri
can roads, warning the tourist a
gain speeding and careless driving.
Just recently in Chicago I saw a
huge illumined sign built across the
entrance to Lincoln Park which
read: "Take your time and save a
fine." At the little town of Fort
Wayne there is a warning in these
words, "Drive slow and see our
town. Drive fast and see our jail."
I tried to see the jail but did not!
At many railway crossings you will
see the body of an automobile which
has been hit by a train, nailed high
up on a tree with the information
that the driver of that car had not
been careful to look before crossing
the railway. In the center of a nor
thern town I passed thru lately, I
saw a notice at a cross road say
ing that two fatal accidents had
recently happened at the spot. On
the Dixie Highway every now and
then, the motorist is warned of
coming curves and dangers by signs.
showing skulls and cross-bones. Al
together the life of an American
motorist is not without Its moments
of apprehension.
I have recently visited quite a
number of automobile factories and
the general impression I have form
ed of the future trend of the trade
Is all towards smaller and lighter
engines. At last It seems as if the
lessons learned on aircraft engine
design are finding their way Into
motor car construction. For while
the engines and cars are lighter
and smaller, yet the power develop
ed Is, If anything, greater.
Engines which a year ago would
have been rated at ten horsepower
now develop anything from IS to
18 horsepower, and the petrol con
sumption Is correspondingly decreas
ed. Twenty-five miles to the gallon
is now quite an ordinary showing
for a car of medium power.
Prices of cars consequently may
be looked for to fall In 1923 and
many economies in running costs
will be found, not the least of which
is the ever-growing mileage given
by tires of the better class. Records
of tires covering 10,000 and even
as high as 15,000 miles are not un
common. This result of course is
entirely due to the cord type of
construction and the ever improving
methods of manufacturing the rub
ber treads.
Next year motor racing In Ameri
ca Is likely to experience a big
boom, - not only are the old racing
firms getting ready for the coming
year but the Packard firm announ
ces that they intend to resume rac
ing .The first appearance of the new
Packards will be on Decoration Day
at Indianapolis and In view of the
fact that Packard cngined planes
have been very successful this year
In air contests and the American
speed motor boat championship was
won by a Packard engined craft it
will not be surprising if on the
track this old established firm
should win many victories In 1923.
I have just had one of the strang
est experiences happen to me of
all my motoring career and that
has meant nearly 400,000 miles of
travel, 100,000 miles of which was
covered in the late war, so my op
portunities of odd happenings have
been many.
Starting out on a run of 100
miles I had a very bad skid which
was stopped by the rear wheel hit
ting the curb of the pavement.
The shock was a great one and
was a real test to the Haynes disc
wheels with which I had fitted the
car. I am certain that wooden
wheels would have collapsed under
the strain.
Naturally I got to examine any
damage which might have been
caused by the skid but, so far as
I could see, everything was In order
and the car ran perfectly for 80
miles, then on a sharp rise, a pe
culiar sound came from somewhere
"down under" and with the greatest
difficulty I managed to reach the
top of the hill .Ordinarily the car
would have gone over on third but
I had to drop to first speed to do
It.
The effect seemed to suggest a
slipping clutch and a peculiar
knock In the clutch pedal gave
some color to this Idea, but the
closest listening did not seem to
locate the trouble In that part of
the mechanism.
Thoroughly mystified I set out
again but the noise and vibration
grew steadily worse while the speed
gradually dropped to about 8 miles
an hour.
Then the footbrake pedal, It op
erated on the shaft, became very
hot. I traced the heating and found
the gear box very hot, so much so
that the grease was liquid and oos
Ing out of the shaft bearings. That
seemed to suggest that the brake
band was fouling the drum and so
setting up excessive heat thru con
stant friction. But examination prov
ed that this was not so there was
clearance all round.
Slower and slower became my
speed and I just managed to reach
my destination when the car ab
solutely refused to budge, though
the engine was running perfectly.
If rather hot, and both clutch and
first speed were engaged.
We pushed the car into the gar
age and next morning had the re
pair man come over to examine the
mystery.
The engine started up at once,
first speed was engaged, the clutch
let in, but nothing happened, only
a weird rumbling sound came from
the enclosed propeller shaft. There
seemed nothing for it but to dis
mantle the shaft and Its tube. When
this was done we found the shaft
had been fractured and In break
ing had held its broken pieces in
line and the sharp edges of the
break had formed a sort of dog
clutch which functioned fairly well
at first but which gradually wore
smooth until at last there was not
enough friction to grip and turn
the rear axle.
Twenty miles with a broken pro
peller shaft! I would have smiled
at the idea as impossible, but there
it was beyond the shadow of a
doubt. The skid at the beginning of
the run had started the fracture
which only became absotlute when
I struck the little bit of extra grad
ing 80 miles further on.
Qlvo your friend a nice magazine
for Christmas. Send your order to
the K. C. Hopper Nswa Agency, Li
hue. Phone 22-L. Adv.
SUBSTITUTIONS
The S.S. CLAUPJNE will substi
tute for the S.S. MAUNA LOA for
one trip, sailing from Honolulu on
Friday, November 24, and returning
on Friday, December 1.
The S.S. KINAU will substitute
for the S.S. CLAUDINE on her
schedule to Kauai ports from Mon
day, November 20 to Sunday, De
cember 3. t
Due to Thursday, November 30,
being a holiday,, the S.S. KINAU
(substituting for Claudine) sailing
to NawlllwllI will be postponed un
til Friday December 1, at 8 p. m.,
and on her return she will sail from
Ahukinl on Saturday, December 2,
at S p. m., arriving at Honolulu on
Sunday, December 3.
No passenger vessel will be substi
tute for the S.S. KINAU while she
Is oft her regular run from Nov
ember 22 to December 3.
A freight steamer will sail on
Wednesday, November 22, and Wed
nesday, November 28, at 6 p.m.,
with general freights for Koloa, Port
Allen and Walmea, but returning
will sail direct from Walmea as
soon as work Is completed.
Inter-Island Steam Nav. Co., Ltd.
Honolulu, T. H., Oct. 31, 1922.
(Nov.14 21-28)
CALIFORNIA FEED CO.
LIMITED ).
Dealers In i
I Hay, Grain and Chicken Supplies i
SOLE AGENTS FOR t
International Stock, Poultry Food
and other specialties. Arable for ?
cooling Iron Roofs. Petalumm In 7
cubators and Brooders. 1
King's Special Chlek Food i
P. O. Box 45) Honolulu i
Dr. Justin C. Smith
RESIDENT DENTIST
Office Hours:
8 a. m. to 12 m.
1 p. m. to 4:30 p. m.
Telephone 150
LIHUE, KAUAI
7?
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burn STAR. OIL
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You are rid of the drudgery of feed
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To be sure of best results in your
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Buy a 35tZcI
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Nawiliwili Garage
DO YOU WANT A RADIO RECEIVING SET?
Here's Your Chance!
The Garden Island is going to give a $75 Aeriola Sr. Radio Receiving Set to the boy or girl
who sends in the largest number of NEW YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIONS to
THE GARDEN ISLAND during the remainder of the year.
Put this set in your home and you can hear the concerts from Honolulu and the mainland every night.
The Aeriola Senior
Is one of the most successful Radio Receiving Sets on the market, AND COMES COMPLETE. All you have to
do is to set it up, put on the head phones and listen to the concerts.
Do you want it?
If so, send in your name AT ONCE and we will send you subscription blanks and instructions.
DO IT NOW!
The boy or girl who has the most grit and the greatest amount of hustle is going to get this
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Will It Be You?
