Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1921)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, MAY 13, 1921 HANDSOME NEW CHEVROLET PLANT ON EAST SIDE COMPLETED AND OCCUPIED. TO INSURE SAFETY Efficiency of Car Depends Largely Upon "Spark." Machines to Be Entered From All Over World. mb!em of Salafatltat BATTERY CONTROL VITAL FOREIGNERS ARE COMING Accidents at Railroad Crossings Ino or Three Speeders Cnder Con struction by Louis Chevrolet to Participate In July 4 Event. Largely Result From Trying to Run Ahead of Trains. ' IGNITION BIG FACTOR TACOMA RACE CARS WILL COST 500,000 I " 1 I (lli) (Note This fa the sixth of a series of ' 12 lessons in automobile driving and mech anism prepared by . the national safety' council and being published as a weekly series in the automobile section of The Sunday Oregonian through the courtesy of the Oregon and Columbia basin division af the national safety council. Complete sets of the 12 safety lessons for automo bile drivers, whicb are copyrighted by the national safety council,' ltis North Michi gan avenue. Chicago, may be obtained from the council at prices ranging from 15 cents for single sets to 9 cents per set in large quantities. Each lesson Is divided Into two parts, as may be noted below, the first half being given over to some ''phase of the mechanics of gas engines and the secona half to traffic regulations and driving rules. Lesson No. 6. which follows, deals with the subjects of "The Ignition System," and "Automobiles and Railroads." The Ignition System. 1. After the mixture of gasoline end air Is drawn into the engine cyl inders and compressed, it must be Ignited (exploded or fired) to force down the pietons and give power to the engine. This is accomplished electrically by the ignition system. The electric current ta supplied by the generator or batteries, passes by means of electrically-insulated wire to the timer and from there to the spark plugs where it jumps in the form of a epark from one spark point to the other. 2. The principal parts of the igni tion system are: (a) Magneto or generator: (b) batteries; (e starter; (d) spark plugs; (e) timer, (f) wiring. 3. Electric current Is supplied to the Ignition system either from the generator or batteries. The gener ator operates and delivers current only when the engine is running; the batteries can deliver current either when the engine is running or not In ordinary running, the generator supplies enough current both to oper ate the car and keep the batteries well charged with, energy. Batteries Require Care. 4. The batteries need careful and regular attention. a. In cold weather water should be added about every 14 days; in summer about every 7 to 10 days. b. Only distilled water should be used; ordinary water may contain Impurities that are harmful to the battery. c If a funnel is used, it should be one made of glass or rubber. Metal funnels are conductors of electricity and are liable to spoil the batteries. d. In cold weather special care should be taken to keep the battery well charged and full of distilled water. If this is not done, the dan ger of the battery freezing is in creased. A completely charged bat tery whose specific gravity is about 1.275 freezes at 90 degrees below zero; if specific gravity la 1.160, the battery will freeze at 20 degrees above zero. e. The batteries should be well covered and protected to prevent tools, chains, or other articles from falling on and short-circuiting the battery terminals. E. The starter is an electric motor which takes current from the bat teries and turns over the, engine for starting. When the engine starts, the starter is disengaged from the engine automatically. Releasing the starter button brings the starting motor t a stop. Spark Flags Bis Problem. 6. Spark plugs should not be screwed into the cylinder head too tight; they expand when heated and have been known to crack the cyl inder. e. Spark plugs should be kept clean, otherwise the engine may start hard, miss or lack power. b. Handle spark plugs carefully. A crack in the porcelain weakens the compression,, permits leakage of the electric current, and completely spoils a spark plug. c. The gap between the point in a spark plug should be about the thick ness of a thin dime. 7. The timer is a cam arrangement which automatically opens and closes the electric circuit - at different points so that electric sparks are pro duced at the spark plugs at the exact instant they are wanted. The timer requires careful adjustment and should not be tinkered with, except by an experienced person. 8. Inspect all wiring terminals and connections at least once each month. The majority of automobile fires are caused by Improper or defective wires and connections. All electric wires and cable should be kept dry and clean. Dirt, oil and moisture are liable to cause a short circuit. It is especially advisable to. clean off all corrosion which might form at the battery vterminals. When cleaning commutators, distributing discs, and contacts, use fine sandpaper (not emery cloth). Automobiles and Railroads. 9. The report of the Interstate Commerce commission shows the fol lowing concerning automobile acci dents at railroad crossings: lflin. it20. Accidents 2006 2270 Persons killed 10S3 1131 Persons injured ...3000 S100 10. One railroad reported that 95 out of 199 (47 per cent) automobile accidents at railroad crossings in 6 months resulted from automobiles trying to cross directly in front of an approaching train. Of the remainder. 54 (27. per cent) resulted from auto mobiles running into trains (not trains running into automobiles). 11. It was reported by one large railroad company that in one year over 600 crossing gates lowered to protect the public were run Into and broken down by automobiles. 13. Another railroad company re ' ports on actual observations of 3589 automobile drivers at railroad cross ings: 2907 (31 per cent) looked neither way before crossing. 602 (17 per cent) looked in only one di rection. 80 (2 per cent) looked both ways. 13. The railroads are doing their part to prevent accidents at railroad crossings. They have spent and will continue to spend immense sums of money for track elevation, watch men, crossing gates, and alarms. Already the railroads have spent more than $100,000,000 for track elevations in the state of Illinois alone: but with 17.100 crossings still in exist ence, and because the average cost of eliminating crossings is at least $30,000 each, railroad crossing acci dents will continue to occur unless the public too does Its share toward , preventing them. 14. It Is advisable never to cross a ' v riC, - - - 1 f.u:a fXWiWJiiii ; i A II I 'T.1 'VaTCL.'J I If v:-:-V- , vf , ill ) . . railroad track in high gear. Many accidents happen because cars be come stalled while on the track. It is safer to shift into intermediate or low gear a reasonable distance before crossing a track. 15. All crossings should be con sidered as dangerous, whether guard ed or not; crossing bells are some times out of order; watchmen or gate operators may be off duty. 16. Be especially careful at cross ings where there is more than' on track. Do not cross directly behin a train that has just gone by. An other train may be coming In th opposite direction on the next track 17. A train running 40 miles an hour goes 59 feet in one second an cannot be stopped in less than abou one-quarter of a mile. An automo bile running 25 miles an hour ca be stopped in 58 feet. 'Which should stop, look and listen at railroad cross Ings? The train or the automobile 18. Accidents involving railroad trains and automobiles rarely kill o injure anyone on the trains it usually the people in the automobiles who are killed or injured. (Copyright, 1020, by National Safety Conn cil, 168 North Michigan avenue, Chicago. CHEVROLET UN HE FACTORY BRAVCH MOVES IXTO FIXE iXEW BTJILDIXG. Change of Location, of Wholesale Quarters Coincident With Drop li Price. Almost coincident with the unex pected drop In price of the car, the Chevrolet Motor company of Oregon the factory branch and wholesale or ganization for this popular-priced car, moved into its new building at the corner of East Third and East Salmon streets last week. In moving into its new home the company has occupied one of the finest buildings for the wholesale automobile business in the entire northwest, the structure hav ing been erected expressly for 'the Chevrolet, which is occupying it on a lone-term lease. The new building, which Is two stories In height with a full basement, Drovides 60.000 square feet of floor space and is reached by trackage on two sides. The structure has storage space for from 700 to 1000 cars, in addition to ample office room, stor age space .for parts probably larger than any similar structure in this sec tion, and quarters for unloading and loading cars, and for shipping. Portland is headquarters for the Chevrolet for district No. 20, compris ing Oregon, Washington, Idaho and western Montana, and it is estimated by M. D. Douglas, sales manager for the local organization, that the whole sale car business handled through the Portland plant will exceed 112,000,000 annually. A feature of special inter est in the new plant Is the unloading device, whereby freight cars can be run right into the building. Three cars can be unloaded at one time in this. way. Another feature is the parts room. Over $10,000 worth of steel bins have been installed here and a complete supply of parts Is kept on hand. A mechanic could, in fact, assemble an entire car by merely col lecting his parts from one end to the other of the parts room. Special ar rangements for shipping are provid ed, and orders for parts received as late as 2 o'clock in the afternoon are shipped out that same day. The recent reduction in price of the Chevrolet has brought business back to the normal basis, according to Mr. Douglas, and already there Is consid erable danger of a shortage of cars at the local plant. The new price puts the car at retail in the Pacific north west practically back to the figure I of 1917. I Views showing the exterior and Inter lor of new wholesale home of Chevro. let for the Pacific northwest. The Interior views show the office rooms and a portion of the extensive stock room. 'IE Fll IS CHANGED '. A. COOK AXD CHAS. B. HARRIS XOW SOLE OWNERS nterest of W. A. Gill and II. W. Lyon in Cook & GUI Co. Are Purchased. Reorganization of the Cook & Gill company, Paige distributors through out this territory, was completed last week, Fred A. Cook and Charles B. Harris, two members of the firm, pur chasing the interest of the two other firm members, W. vA.. Gill and H. W. Lyon. Mr. Cook and Mr. Harris will continue the business under the same name and with the same general poli cies as in the past The home of the firm will continue to be at Eleventh and Burnside streets, where the Paige has one of the finest automo bile establishments in the Pacific northwest. Mr. Cook, one of the remaining members of the firm, was the orig- inaator of Cook & Gill company and has been active in the development of the business since the first. Mr, Har ris, the other member of the new firm, has been interested in Cook & Gill company for the past year and a half, and prior to that, time- was district manager in the northwest for the Paige-Detroit factory. This experi ence naturally has given Mr. Harris a wide acquaintance and an excellent' experience with the Paige and with the automobile business in general. Mr. Gill has announced that he will retire from the automobile business to devote his time to private affairs. while Mr. Lyon, the other retiring partner, has consented to remain with the firm as wholesale manager. In connection with the reorganiza tion it was announced that Roy O. Burnett, who has been a salesman with the Paige force here, has been advanced to the position of sales man ager for the company. Mr. Burnett has been selling Paige cars for Cook & Gill company for the past four years and Is well known in automo bile circles. Previous to joining the Paige distributors here he wis en gaded in the piano business in this city with Sherman, Clay & Co. and with the Wiley B. Allen company. To Straighten Front Axles. A method of straightening a front axle that has been bent in a vertical plane Is to take two lengths of 4x4 Inch joist, long enough to reach from the upper side of the axle, just out side of each spring plate, to a cross timber of the ceiling or roof of the garage. Then If the jack is placed beneath the axle at the bend, enough pressure may be applied by means of It to force the axle back into shape. Pipeclay for Mats. Pipeclay acts as a preservative of rubber and makes one of the best mediums for treating the rubber mats used In automobiles. Oil and grease are ruDDer solvents and ruin the floor mats if they are allowed to remain on them. The mats should be wiped quite dry and then be pipe clayed. The pipeclay dries and sucks the oil out of the rubber. TACOMA, Wash.. .May 1 4. A fortune will be Invested In new racing cars to be seen on the nation's speedways this year, according to advance in formation received at the offices of the Tacoma speedway. It is reporteJ that 20 cars are ready or under con struction with a total valuation of $500,000. Among the new cars o be seen ii Tacoma will be two or three under construction by Louis Chevrolet, dean of all American race drivers, who has quit the racing game. Three cars arc building In Kansas City in addition to several new Monroe, Krontenac and Duesenberg special racing creations. Foreign Cars Coming. Report has It that Cliff Durant, who has always been at the wheel of a Chevrolet special, is trying to in duce his father, former head of the General Motors company, to build two racing cars to bear the family name. Several foreign cars will soon be in the t'nited States and it is expected that at least two of these cars, either French or Italian may come to Ta coma for the events of July 4. Early reports from Indianapolis say that there have been 23 drivers already entered and that more cars are expected with -the next two weeks. W. C. Baldwin, president of the Ta coma Speedway, will be in Indian apolis for the Memorial day race of May 30, and will have the pick of the cars at the Indiana track. The Tacoma track's purse of $2 000 with first money of $10,000 in ad dition to 400 points for the national championship of 1921, is ' creating greater interest in the track than ever before and the race of 230 miles is another feature' that is appalin to the speed kings. BlKgeat Crowd Expected. . "Interest In the July 4 race this year exceeds" all past years," says President Baldwin. ,-The demand for grandstand seats and parking spaces in front of the pits from racing fans in thre'j states is taken to lndicato that .the crowd this year will exceed all previous records at the track. We will be prepared to handle 50,000 peo pie in a short space of time. "Motor car racing has come back since the year stronger than ever be fore, cars are faster, drivers are devoting every hour to practice work and automobile builders are watching this year's events with keener in terest than they have In past years. Tacoma and northwest racing fans are going to see the most wonderful cars ever presented and the race this year should bring., countless thrills and shatter old records for speed and endurance." Speedway tickets are already on sale at all branch offices of the Auto mobile club In western Washington In addition the Hotel Grayport in Hoquiam and the Hotel Washington In Aberdeen are speedway ticket offices this year. Bureaus are also to be opened in Spokane and Port land. - WINS AGAIN! First Car This Season to Cross Summit of Sierras (elevation approximately 6800 feet), Winning Feather River Inn Trophy, again Demonstrating BUICK Power and Reliability. A Few of the 1921 Buick Records January Buick Coupe, San Francisco to Portland, 29 hrs. 16 minutes. February Buick Coupe, winter record, Portland to Pendleton. April Seven-Passenger Touring, Yosemite Valley, Perpetual Chal lenge Trophy. April Five-Passenger Touring. Climbs Mount Tamalpais over right-of-way of the crookedest railroad in the world. May Seven-Passenger Touring. First car. over summit of Sierras to Feather River Inn and to Reno, winning Feather River Inn Trophy. What These Buicks Did Any Buick Will Do Duplicate Cars Ready for Immediate Delivery If additional proof of Buick power, dependability and popularity is desired, it will be found in the fact that over 65,000 Buick owners on the Pacific Coast are willing to testify to Buick superiority. Peer of All Buicks Is the 1921 Model When Better Automobiles Are Built, Buick Will Build Them Howard Automobile Company Largest Distributors of Automobiles in the World Salesrooms Twelfth at Alder Street Phones Broadway 1130; 562-41 FIRST PRIZE CAPTURED 100-MILE ROAD RACE. IX WHERE THE COWLITZ RIVER BORDERS THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY IN WASHINGTON. - - 4 til f ' 'tf U 1 ' h " V ---V 'V-V. Portland Distributor Reports In creased Sales During Past Few Months Popularity Grows. News of Franklin triumphs in far- off South America reached J. C. Braly, president of the Braly Auto company, Oregon distributors for the Franklin, last week. According: to these advices a Franklin car in the hands of a pilot who had previously driven In but one race won the first prize of $1000 in 100-mile road race staged in the soouthern continent recently. Twenty-seven cars were entered, among them "several well-known American and European makes. Most of the cars were in the hands of profes ional drivers of considerable reputa tion. The run took place in Urueuav, between Montevideo and Punta del Este. the latter place being: a fash ionable seaside resort. The Frank lin completed the 100-mile jaunt i hours 22 minutes 35 seconds. xne nrst nan or the course wa over a macadam highway, but th last half was ovei a very rough and difficult unimproved road running through a range of hills. Braly also Is In receipt of advice: from the Franklin factory at Syra cuse, New York, to the effect that business done by Franklin dealers throughout the nation during the last 20 days of, April exceeded by 10 per cent the volume of business done dur ing the corresponding period of March. Franklin sales records have shown a steady Increase for a good many months and Braly declares the Frank- lin's popularity has shown a wonder ful growth since the Introduction of the new Franklin hood and the other Improvements embodied In the latest models produced by the Syracuse fac tory. L The Best Water. Not all car owners know that pure rain water is the best that can be used In the cooling system. This Is because it Is free from mineral sub stances, which are present In ordi nary water and which are deposited on the metal 'walls of the redlator, Piping. Jackets, etc., to their detri ment. When rain water Is available, always use II. Wmrl) the cur In front. SLEEVE VALVE MOTOR Scene north of Castle Rock, on the road to -Seattle. where the highway makes !( way up the east aide of the Cswllta River canyon. Construction work la going On at neveral places In this vicinity, a la shown by the road machinery In position here, bat arrangements are made for detourlng when necessary and the roada are kept Im icood shape.- The car In the photograph la a Mitchell recently driven down from Seattle hy Mitchell, Lewis A Stayer, Mitchell distributors lor the northwest. Is Your Automobile Engine Sick? Are Tonr Spark Pings Dirty? Has Year Engine Lost Its Power f Do the Cylinders Pomp Ollf Do the Cylinders eed Re-borlngf Here Is the Remedy: Use Zel nfr Wr rvr.Tf. ni. r- , . " - j i isiun ttinirs. I nrA-niAn sntirau t t oiop. nai a muer. .fcver-Tyte Lbs wear on your cylinder wall than 5 ,oler Piston rln. Greatest oil wiu iuci savers in me world. Here Is the Proof: iBi-wii xvijia o lu uran ft nitrnan mm presslon, develop more power and use less fuel and lubricating mi ..... c sole judge. Wa will refund th fnit ........ price of any purchaser upon the re turn of the rlnes. If ihov r.n i i. absolute satisfaction within a period of twelve months from date of installation. This la the strongest tumniai .i by any piston ring manufacture if your repair man tries to substitute or sell you a piston ring, so-called just as good, order direct from EV1NRU0E MOTOR CO. ill Morrison street, Portland, Oregon.- Phone Marshall 175. Whole sale and retail distributors of Zel nlcker and Ever-Tyte Piston Rings for Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Dlseourts allowed to the trade. A live dealer and representative waaud la reur town. . , IMPROVES WITH USE Used in the Costliest Cars England, France, Belgium each of these nations -produce one automobilc so distinguished from all others by its in comparable excellence that even as its name comes to the lips quality leaps into the mind. They are three of the costliest automo . biles in the world ! And all are equipped with the quiet Sleeve-Valve Motor! The triumph of the Willys-Knight engi neers is that they have reduced the cost ' of this famous motor by the magic wand of quantity and coupled to a moderate price the most perfect and economical piece of motor mechanism in the world. WILLYS-KNIGHT WILLYS-OVERLAND PACIFIC CO. Broadway at Davis Phone Broadway 3533.