The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972, November 21, 1920, Image 53

The Oregon daily journal., November 21, 1920, Page 53, Image 53

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Newspaper Page TextTHE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTlXnD, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER - 21,; M , 3 GRADE CROSSINGS DEATHS 19171919 11YAUT0ISTS Seventy Per Cent of Those Killed in Three Years Were Motorists; Revolution Toll Far Exceeded. Washington, Nov. 20. Seventy per cent of those killed or injured at grade crossings In a three-year per iod were motorists, according to flg tires compiled by. the interstate com merce commission and just given publicity by the American Auto mobile association, which through its touring, good roads and legislative boards la preparing a nation-wide agitation on this vital phase of high ways travel and transportation. "Three times as many American citl sens were killed or Injured at grade crossings in 1917, 1918 and 1919 a, were killed and injured , during the Revolu tionary war," states M. O. Kldridge. the A. A. A. director of roads, who gives the American cuuuura in uio priuuiinu uni ties as 6600 and places the grade-crossing killed or injured for the three-year per iod at 19,668 men, women and children, of which 5605 died of their injuries '. In spite of the' combined efforts of railroad and highway efficials and auto- dants continues annually at about the name rate. The number of such acci dents and deaths for the calendar years 1917, 1918 and 1919, as compiled by the interstate commerce commission, is indi cated j as follows : Teat. Killed. Injured. Total 1917 .. 1.9H9 4.74 6,733 1618 1,852 4.683 6,535 1918 .......... 1,784 4,619 6,400 Tar thre. yean. 6,600 '14.063 19.688 MOTORISTS IX MAJORITY These accidents include all persons w iju worn mjurcu v. hajigu uj i a-iii yjrvji trains, striking or. being struck by trolley cars, automobiles or other vehi cles and by trains striking pedestrians. A great majority of these accidents have occurred to motorists, as will be seen from the following figures: Tead Killed, Injured. Total. 1917 1,0 8,000 4,03 1918 . 1.131 S.109 4,240 191 .......... 1.232 3.558 4.780 Total for S yean 8.446 9.167 13,213 Thus it appears that nearly-70 per cent ; of those injured and killed dur ing the three-year period were motorists and that such deaths and accidents are steadily Increasing from year to year. In fact, there were nearly 14 per cent more motorists killed in 1919 at grade crossings than in 1917. During the year ' ending June 30, 1920, there were 1302 motorists killed at grade vi wloi j .it iiiu 1, i luu utawh That preventive measures are becom ing more effective in some states than in others because of grade crossing , elim inations, more cautious driving, and the protection of crossings by gates, bells, etc., is indicated by the fact that the deaths occurring are not always In di rect proportion to the number of ma chines registered In those states. For instance, while New York gained first place In registrations, more motorists were killed in Ohio. Likewise, Pennsyl vania, running third in 1919 registra tions, has fifth place on the death list. Massachusetts waS tenth In registra tions, but twenty-fourth in fatality mat ters. Connecticut was twenty-third, in registrations, but thirty-fourth in grade crossing tabulation. DELAWARE LEADS More people were killed in Delaware m proportion to the number of machines registered than In any other state. Flor ida occupies second place on this unen viable list: - 1 3. North Carolina 14. rtah 1 5. Vermont 1. Kentncky 1 7. Illinois 1 R. Michigan 1 9. Montana 20. Georgia , 21. Nerada 22. Ohio 23. Califomfe 1. Pelawam 2. Florida 8. Arkansas 4. MtaLippl ft. Indiana A. New Mexico 7. South Carolina 8. New Jersey 0. Oklahoma 10. Weat Virginia 1 1. Iioaisiana 12. Virginia In South Dakota there were fewer motorists killed in proportion to the num ber of machines registered than in any other state. Massachusetts occupies the second place on this list, with Maryland third. Oregon has place on neither list. Indicating extreme conservatism in cas ualties. 1. Roath Dakota 13. Kama 2. Masnarhiuctt "14. TenneasM 3. Maryland 15. Idiho 4. Texas 16. Pennoylranja, 6. North Dakota 17. Mnneeota e. Connecticut 1 8. Missouri 7. Colorado 19. Wiacoiuun 8. Rhode Island 20. Wyoming . . Iowa 21. AWiama 10. New York ,.,22. Maine 11. Washington, 23. District of Columbia 12. Utah 24 New Hampshire . It is practically Impossible to eliminate all grade crossings, on account of the expense involved, ' The Pennsylvania .railroad has already pent, 366.000. 000s in grade crossing elim ination, but it is estimated that it would cost 3600,000,000 to wipe out the re maining 13,000 crossings. H1GHWATS AT FAULT "There are thousands of grade cross ings, however, which could be eliminated by relocating the main highways and by confining the bulk of the highway traf fic to one side of the railroad," com ments Eldridge, "Very frequently the highway will wind back and forth across the railroad tracks and this without apparent reason. "I have in mind a highway in Arkan sas which crosses the main line of an Important railroad nine times In a dis tance of less than 30 miles. "The great majority of accidents occur at unprotected crossings over double .track railroads where one train may pre vent motorists from observing the ap proach "of another train, or where the railroad tracks are obscured by embank ments, buildings, trees or shrubbery. On the other hand, many serious accidents occur where the tracks are (clearly visi ble in both" directions. Such accidents may be attributed to plain carelessness or foolhardiness on the part of the driv ers." . ' ,. "It would seem that since the elimina tion of grade crossings is the only sure method of preventing accidents, this work should be continued as rapidly as funds can be secured," concludes the A A A. official, who urges that "every possible effort should be made to pro tect the public from accidents on existing crossings and to impress upon the driv ers of. all motor vehicles the necessity for extreme caution." r " " Lighting the Way mgnway "iigmnouses" are now com ing Into vogue. The entire state high way system of Wyoming is soon to be equipped with them. " Dangerous curves will be designated by yellow lights and railroad .crossings by red lights. ' The lighthouses will "wink" 45 times a min ute, throwing a 9-Inch ray which can be aan iaa mIUm . m . MOTOR CAR AND PLANES MEET AT FLYING FIELD X L.. ' - '.!. Vv-3Si, I . "ZJ,a"m '" . , 1 H W Wlnaiiiii-fii nrfi-fs inn ii mtmm'timua mwii iwiiwii ii ii fli n mir am imirrTh-rrTT'iiirffiiVTTiiffiwiWMi idiii'iMw mm "t i ii n' wiwr-jy' nmmm I 'WfiW'if i 1 fLVfiva 'mwmr t n'lmiinrtr-- 1 rv ma v " mm iLiiiiu,juxji.qi..)i u.i '.'mi ' iijii''"--"wajixa..,.JJia'e : Scripps-Booth Six snapped beside the Dodrey-drrtlss Standard, winner of the fancy stnnt flying event at Tewls and Clark field on Armistice day. The car is handled here by a branch of the Scripps-Booth company, of. California. L. A. Hannan, manager of the branch, who Is an airplane enthusiast, drove the car as the official staff car for the classic One of the planes Is shown In action" at the bottom. jfe How& i ' ! - ' Washington-Idaho-Montana There are at present 278 miles of high gear motoring between Walla Walla and Portland, and by the! time tourist traffic opens up I next spring 115 miles of this will be paved road. This Infor mation has been secured from Secretary W. S. Parks of the Tri-State Automobile club, who has just finished a compila tion of road Improvement conditions fol lowing the close of road work In the Inland Emplr-9 with the oncoming of winter. ' i . j This means, those prominent In auto mobile circles here say, that Portland will be assured of the heaviest vacation ist traffic next year from Eastern Wash-; Ington and Oregon she has ever known. as the route from here to Seattle from the standpoint of grades and paving is Baid to - be not j comparable with the Columbia highway via Pendleton and the distance to j Portland is 36 miles shorter. The completion of the paved stretch, from Portland to Astoria is also a great Inducement to the tourist from this section to visit the coast resorts in the region of Portland. The principal garage men here point to the fact also that there will be an Increased traffic i to Portland next sum mer from points ; between here and Spo kane because of the completion of the paving in the region of Walla Walla this season and jof improvement Of the road north from Central Ferry on the road to Spokane.! The macadamizing of that road is nowinearing its finish while 150 men are hard at work just outside of Colfax. This will give a splendidly graded and surfaced road from here to Spokane with 40 jof the 45 miles between here and Pendleton paved and the as Lsurance that by spring the remaining rive miles will be hard surracea. The concrete paving between Walla Walla and the state line has been com' pleted and will be cured and open for traffic by about December 5. From the state line south for about six miles the black top paving has been finished to a point between Weston and Milton. From Pendleton the same road is hard surfaced to a point between Athena and Weston, which are three miles apart. The unpaved five) miles is new macadam and will be naved next spring. From Walla Walla to j Dixie a concrete road 20 feet wide has been finished and will be cured and open for traffic by Decem ber 5. Thus there will be within three weeks 50 miles of paved road In South eastern Washington and Northeastern fOregon to connect with the Columbia highway at Pendleton. The 64 mues oi paving from Portland to Hood Elver together with that finished in Umatilla county and that Which will be completed from Hood River to The Dalles In the spring it Is pointed out, will bring traf fic from Spokane and points south through Walla Walla and; Pendleton over the Columbia highway to Portland in greater, numbers that ever known, if the proper Cooperation is received from the tourist organizations of the Rose City. All automobiles arriving from the East come into Spokane via Sandpolnt, Idaho, and Thompson Falls, Mont. The route via Wallace, Idaho, being closed for the season on account of snow and mud mire. j " From Spokane to Portland and Seattle the highways are reported fair. The Blewett pass is still open, but the going is very poor, due to some snow and earth slides. SnoqUalmie msa is reported free from any heavy! snow fall and good time is made through this pass. This infbr mation cornea from the headquarters of the Good Roads association here. The farmers illving along the Inland Empire highway will have special cause for Thanksgiving this year as the final stretch of highway road out of Yakima, which has been closed for the greater part of the past year, will be thrown open on Thanksgiving morning, accord ing to announcement made today by the state highway department The road will enable motorists to have- paved highway into Toppenlsh; and connecting many other valley cities with' Yakima. Southern Oregon The condition of the Pacific highway from the North Josephine cqunty line south Is as follows : ' North county line to Grave creek, S miles, i pavement and macadam. About one half mile of - dirt - road from Grave creek te foot of Smith hill that is rough. North slope of Smith hill is now macadamised. South side of mountain will require chains for com fortable driving. Smith hill to Grants Pass ia fair traveling, although it is somewhat rough owing to! recent grad ing. From Grants Pass south every thing is pavement The Grants Pass-Crescent City road is not a good road for tourists during this part of the year, owing to heavy rains and steep grades. However, from Grants Pass to Waldo the going is good' with the exception of Hayes hill, which Is very slick. From Waldo to Crescent City, it is all mountain road with heavy grades and sharp curves. A large force of men ana teams is at work on the Pacific highway between Myrtle Creek and Canyon ville and will push the construction of the highway at that point until completed or the weather forces a halt Travelers oyer the high way will find the longer road by Riddle in fair condition. The Pacific highway through the canyon., is in fine shape, where the big bridge Is almost com pleted. Frosts In the canyon during the past week interfered with cement work, but with a continuance of fair and warm weather, it is said that motorists will be able to use the structure by the first of the year. The Pacific highway south of Ash land over the Siskiyou mountains is re ported in good condition by the cars which are coming over every day. The construction work on the sum mit has been held up by the recent rains but a representative of the construction company is out on the mountain this week expecting to call the crew out fof work If the weather does not get worse than at present Detours, however, are In good condition and the construction work does not hlndef'travel. , Construction work on the Green Springs mountain road has been sus pended for this winter. Work will not be resumed until next spring. Rains have made the roads very rough. The Ashland-Klamath Falls auto stage line has stopped its dally run for the season. This stage line goes over the Green Springs road. Tillamook District Trucks and passenger cars are hav Ing difficulty negotiating the rickety road of boards near Willamina, on the Tillaraook road. The Willamina-Grand Ronde Railway company and the state highway commission have threshed the matter back and forth for the past few weeks without result and motor cars still plug through mud. The stretch Is about a half mile in length and was originally repaired by the Bates-Rogers Construction company while the flatter had charge of making the railroad grade. Little effort Is being made to keep the plank road In good condition, the place Is narrow, and at times as many as 20 automobiles and trucks are lined up awaiting their turn. Frequently ma chines slip from the planks and a tus sle with the mud is the result This Is the worst portion of the Tillamook road, and, in fact, is practically the only spot where motorists are having any trouble. road engineer has built up. A heavy truck standing still at one ' spot on a highway will cause no visible damage, but roll the same truck back and forth over the same spot for the same length of time and an effect will be noticeable. The continual pounding on the highways is what tears them down. Speed is a contributing factor one reason why state and city governments allow ve hicles to proceed only at a certain pace. TJS8PKHNG WEIGHT The element of safety to human life Is the personal reason for epeed cur tailment Unsprung weight the weight below the springs without any softening influence to mitigate its effect upon the surface or foundation of a roadway, has been found to be the secret of road wear. This weight may be taken up by the cushioning effect of pneumatic tires, but when solid tires are -used and a heavy rear axle Is employed to fur nish contact for motive power, the Im pact weight of the. truck is increased that much and the wear on the highway is augmented proportionately. The foot- poundage of torque generated in the dif ferential is impact weight While consumers are viewing with gratification the opportunity for .quick. efficient and comparatively cheap trans portation through motor trucks, it might be well to raise the question as to how the highways will ultimately fare. This inquiry may result in legislation regu lating the speed of certain types of trucks, recommendations for, certain equipment may be made and other con- ditions" imposed for the purpose of elim inating the chance for a great future expense to the people, lost sight of at present in the satisfaction of profiting AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL URGED BY TRAFFIC HEAD G. L Case of Meier & Frank Co. Says Guard Against Reckless Driving Is Essential. G. Zj. Case, traffic manager for Meier & Frank Co., has decided opinions regarding delivery cars. Case, says, "the necessity of regu lating the speed of commercial vehicles Is universally recognized. The many abases of reckless driving compel the truck owner to safeguard his interest by equipping his truck with some device which automatic ally keeps the speed within a pre determined . limit" Manufacturers of a considerable num ber of standard trucks, realizing the necessity for the regulation of speed, have adopted th,e policy of equipping their trucks with governors which regu late the speed. . If all commercial cars were so equipped, it is believed, 50 per cent of accidents could be entirely avoided, in itself a sufficient reason for the general public insisting upon such equipment on commercial cars. "The truck owner has other reasons of equal . importance," continues Case. "Judging from our own experience, repair bills can be cut in two. On most of our equipment the speed is regulated by governors. We have trucks so equipped that have been in service eince February of this year, upon which there has been no expense for repairs, some of them having covered a total of nearly 8000 miles. By regulating the speed of delivery cars, the tire expense can be reduced from 20 to 25 per cent In addition, the elimination of a large per centage of accidents, the saving in repair and tire bills, the life of commercial cars so equipped is Increased Wrom 300 to 400 per cent In other words, a truck will last three or four times as long. , "For the benefit of truck owners who are not familiar with governors. Case says tlfat a standard governor which can be installed on any make of car or truck and for which repairs or parts can be obtained locally, is preferable. Information at hand would indicate that a superior Instrument of this kind Is being distributed on this market and would suggest that truck owners could investigate it to their advantage." Eugene District's New Roads Praised Eugene, Nov. 20. Engineer C. G. Whitmore of the State Highway com mission, paid a recent visit to Eugene and looked over some of the finished road projects in this vicinity. He inti mated that these compare very favor ably with any surfaced roads in the state. He states that this county will receive the amount of $55,000 from the state market road funds next year, wits) the provision that the amount be matched by an equal amount to be raised by special levy to the county. A Letter y From. All of. Us to S. Kozcr TO Sam Koxer by a type of transportation efficiently shouldering the task of supplying con tinual short haul service and occasional emergency transfers. The cost of trans portation may not mean the immediate rate per mile ton. It may mean the ultimate bill for highway repair. (Apofacfas to K. a B.) DKAK Sam I get a letter from you ' EYZBT yeai' ABOUT this time AND in every letter YOU ask me .- THE same question . f AND that is HOW many inches wide ' ABE the cylinders OJT my Ford car AND I never CAN remember 4 HOW wide they are AJTD every year . I have to go TO the garage man WHO knows these things AXD get this Information J TO send to you AITI as you probably know WITHOUT writing to me THE width of the cylinders TS a Ford car I wish you would tell me .... . TS your next letter .... HOW, wide they are SO I would not ... HATE to bother THE parage man WHO is not very affabU AJTD makes remark ABOUT the number of times HE has to answer this QUESTION AT this time of year. YOTJR8 truly. ALL OF US. "Freezitis" Soon To Hit Eadiators; Alcohol Is Remedy Now that winter is here once more and inasmuch as radiators In a large number of cases will be afflicted with their customary complaints of "freerl tls," it pays to remember Friend Alco hol. Radiators are not beholden to the eighteenth amendment It is well known that If the water in the cooling system is allowed to freeze. serious damage will result to the ra diator and cylinder water jackets. The use of alcohol as an anti-free re medium is almost universal, but in a great many instances it is incorrectly employed. The following formula may be found helpful : For a temperature not lower than 20 degrees above zero use the mixture, wood or- denatured alcohol t per cent glycerine S per cent, water 90 per cent; for a temperature not lower than 10 de grees above zero, alcohol 10 per cent glycerine 10 per cent water 80 per cent The glycerine does not evaporate, but the alcohol does, so that alcohol should be frequently added to the solution. BIG TIRE DEMAND TO RAISE PRICES Present Reduction Not Viewed With Alarm j 8,580,000 Cars Will Need Shoes During Year. Tire companies announcing sub stantial reductions in their product opens a 'new channel of thought and dealers are at once making pre dictions regarding the possible mar ket for automobile tires as soon as the market Is sufficiently stabilized to offer attractive buying conditions for the consumer. One dealer sums It up in this wise: ate registration figures show that more than 7,000,000 cars are in actual use in the United States, all wearing oot tires, and the estimates for the coming year call for nearly 2,000,000 more. Making allowance for 420,000 cars which will be junked during the year based on the recognised depreciation figure of per cent per year 4,680,000 cars will require tires during he coming' year. Which means a potential market for about 84.000,000 tires! Dealers are reflecting the optimism of manufacturers and distributors, and, although many have been making sales at prices below list with alow sales at that they think that if the market can fall to solid level, a healthy de mand for tires will materialise shortly. Portland Man Wires His Order for Car From Factory in East S. V, W. Peters, manager of the Port land Motor company, is in receipt of a telegram from C F. Wright of Ballou & Wright who is now in' the East giving him an order for one of the new Packard Single Sixes, delivery of which he will take when he returns to Portland within a few weeks. Wright wired that he had visited the Packard factory, seen the car and driven it This experience was enough for Wright and the telegraphic instruction to Bave him one was the result "While the wire was in the na ture of a surprise to me," said Peters, "the Single Six Is only running true to form. Simply from the information that the Packard company was to get out a light six, was enough for several buy ers to come to our salesrooms and place their orders. . As fast as the first few cars are received they will go into the hands of owners." Some of them were pur chased without even knowing the exact price. Peters also received notice last week that the Portland Motor Car com pany had been appointed a direct fac tory distributor for the entire Packard line of passenger cars and trucks, with territory to include Western and Central Orecron and finnlhxrn Ctrmmn TT.,H Ltore the company has operated under Beanie. ine new arrangement enables the company to carry a much larger stock of parts and to better their service iacuies not only In Portland but throughout the territory which the com pany now controls. TRANSPORT BIG FACTOR IN THE COST OF GOODS (CoDtinacd From Pan On) roadways through the action of various types of trucks, seeking to solve for all time the relative Importance of static and impact weight Should the high ways of the country go to pieces under the wheels of this type of commercial transportation, then the cost per ton mile will be increased just in proportion to this deteriorative effect and the con sumer will pay the difference. COXStTKEK ALWAYS PATS The truck will not be a benefit if it proves too great a strain upon the country's purse. With a 828.000.000 four-driveway tube going under the Hudson river between New York city and Trenton, N. J., with the government about to spend something like 8800,000, 000 on highway construction, and with the states combined spending a total sum in excess of that for the next few years, unless the roads are built to -endure or unless truckbuildens cut their cloth to suit the highways available the common citizen will eventually pay the bill. ' - ; , . .... It has been found that Impact weight rather than static weight is the influ ence waich seeks to tear down what the IF the Hupmobfle were a liv ing creature, the word devo tion would exactly describe the qualities which actually endear it to the average family. It so seldom sulks; it is so ready and willing; it performs so faith fully, that it repays, over and over, the confidence people place in it. Without question, these are the underlying reasons for the great good will in which the Hupmobileis held everywhere, MANLEY AUTO CO. Eleventh and Oak, at Burnstde Broadway 217 Prices Guaranteed Until March 1, 1921. Watch the semaphore. Although Armless, Fresno Man Flies ; Like an Old-Timer San Francisco, Sept j 20. The only armless blrdman In the world is today skimming over the country surround ing San Francisco. And despite his physical handicap, I C Thornton of Fresno is qualifying as an expert avi ator, his great ambition in life. Three years ago Thornton lost both of his arms In a railroad wTeck. Sheer determination and grit has led him to accomplish wonders since that time. He first wanted to drive an automobile. By rigging a sling on the aide of the steering wheel and with a hole punc tured in the rim of iron inside the wheel, Thornton drives with ease. luuinwu rcwnuy juwea an aviation school and has succeeded in learning the an oi nying unui ne is an expert, lie Is a first class machinist and the pro prietor of a machine shop in Fresno.. ! Auto Equipment v Show at Chicago Proves Revelation E. R. Wiggins, president and manager of Wiggins A Company, Inc., is in the East attending the fifth annual meeting of the Automobile Equipment association, terminating In Chicago this week. He is accompanied on the trip, which la one of pleasure as well as of business, by Mn, Wiggins. " - Manufacturers of all kinds of auto motive equipment are showing their wares at a show in connection with the convention the second year of this feature, and so large has the event grown that the Coliseum had to be com mandeered to house the vast display. Wiggins writes to his organisation here that great strides have been made dur ing the past year in the development of automqtive equipment of all kinds. . Akron, Ohio, is also on Wiggins lists, as that city is the home of the Diamond tire, for which his company is the local aistriDuior. ii is saia uiai ine local equipment man will return to. the city the first of the month. - . Zlno Rims Retard Rust Many automobile wheel rims are now sine coated by the sherardixing process. This treatment retards rusting, which in the past Impaired the life of the rims and caused occasional accidents due to fastenings giving away. ii ;i mMm Ii Wm. L. Hughson North Broad way, at Davis Fhoaa Bdwy. tilt - PERFORMANCE COUNT Mack Trucks Are Asset to Owner Their guaranteed price makes them as valuable a possession as ready money. j Prospective buyers of motor trucks need have no fear for a "falling market" in reference to MACK tracks. I The average increase in the price of MACK trucks has been only 15 per cent in eight years. Compare this with other trucks. MACK truck prices are as sub stantial as the trucks and every- body knows there is no truck that compares to the MACK in rugged ness of construction. Can voii name any truck besides the MACK that has a heat-treated, case - hardened crankshaft and camshaft? j 1 to 7-Ton Sizes J MACK INTERNATIONAL Motor Truck Corporation Broadway 691 (? 2