MOTOR NOTES.
HONG KONG "T.T." RACE.
LAST SUNDAY'S "SPEED"
TRIALS.
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY. MARCH 12, 1930.
of riders lap at 70 m.ph. But motor-cycliate are a game lot, and after a few mild protests, the "com. petitors get out for the start at Tytam Tuk, being allowed "to" * go | „ over the course onec."
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And what a course! Loose red sand on hairpin beads at the bottom of 1 in I gradients, on a twisting, winding pathway full of ruts, bould ers, and potholes bordering a pre- eipice; a slip over which meant a drop of a thousand feet into Tytam Tuk Reservoir--not at all inviting or a chilly morning. The Real Thing.
The "race" was run on proper TT, lines, the riders being sent off at intervals The intervals, how ever, depended on the length of time the first man took to complete the course!
When the news that an elimina tion trial would be held to decide which rider should represent the Colony.if the invitation from the A.C.U., London, to compete in the Isle of Maa T.T. races were accept- ed, -local speed enthusiasts with visions of a wonderful, blind" on clused roads set about turing their everyday machinae, seeking a few
Observers were posted at the extra" horses." Feverishly, they
most dangerous points of. the began to consult instruction-books "course" to take notes on the on "apoed timings,"" and carried riding ability of the competitors, out tests for the best carburation | and/or to pick up what little bits setting at speed. Other riders, were left after a grashi .. finding there would be no H.P. dis
Lieut. (Ebblewhite) Williams, the tinction, set about to beg, borrow,
starter, impressed on the "racers or steal larger mounts, and decided that speed was not the point of upon 12 HP Harleys and four-the race, but riding ability. Judg cylinder Indians.
As Sunday, March 9, drew near competitors received a grimly black bordered "envelope from Mr. Mar ecl. of the Hong Kong A.A., enclos ing their death-warrant for endorse ment, and official instructions, re- garding the race.
ing from the acceleration at the start and speeds along the course, his warning was soon forgotten, Al five competitors who started out were bent on making the "fast- est time of the day," or else charge into one or two observers on the
course!
Long before the appointed hour a
Returning to "civilisation" after large band of motorcyclists apan unexciting finish of the great peared on the brink of Wong Nei Hong Kong T.T., the "course" Chong Gap to chose the best spot was found to be strewn with deep to watch the race. Accompanied skid-marks, telling tales of hectic hy a fiendish roar and rattle the slips, boot-marks of footing on the competitors arrived in a bunch, and edge of a precipice, and missing were met on arrival by the Traffic branches from wayside shrubbery Department (?), members of the where one or two riders had stop Flying Squad, and various other ped to collect succimens of the Colony's fore, but only the specta. tors can tell the tale of the hectic "record laps" put up by the faster riders.
Altogether a wonderful "race,"
officials
The Road (7) Racy.
Then came the death-blow to those who had fitted higher-gear ratios
and had detached their kick-starters T.T. fashion. The official starter, Lieut. Williams, of the H.K.V.D.C., blandly pointed to a winding pathway of red gravel unning from Wong Noi Chong Gap to Tytam Tuk Reservoir-a path Way beatea by ancient water buffaloes and dirt-carriers in the building of Tytam Tuk Reservoir. This pathway was to constitute a replica of the famous Isle of Man T.T. course, around which the best
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and although greatly disappointed in not being allowed to have their "blind." the T.T. entrants were entirely satisfied with the fum ar ranged for them.
Unofficially, quite the fastest int was put up by the official car" which closed the road-Inspector | Alexander with his big A.J.S. com- bination, which he threw round the bends in true racing style, much to the discomfort of his side-car passenger 1
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RISKS OF SPEED PIONEERS.
FRENCH SCIENTIST'S
DEMAND.
LOSS OF LIFE.,
Professor Sarnick," the nated French scientist," recently declared that the fixing of an international speedhimit for racing airplanes and cars is essential. He contends that the great danger not the impossibility of reaching an even higher speed than that achieved by Squadron Leader Orlebar at the last Schneider Cup races, but just the possibility of doing so.
it is usual to laugh at the people who maintain that the highest speed which can be obtained by human beings has already been ob tained and that further attempts are bound to fail. Such gloomy predictions have been made thirty and fifty years ago and invariably proved ridiculous. Professor Sar- los warns us not to become too sure in our ideas about speed. He states that from the technical point of view there are really no limits to the speed which way, be attain ed with constantly progressing science" and constantly progressing human civilisation within a hundred or two hundred years.
SNAPSHOTS OF A BOY CHANGING HIS SHOES
COMES IN FROM OUTDOORS AND 15'
· GREETED WITH CRIES OF JUST LOOK AT HIS SHOES, GO CHANGE THEM PO ONCE..
COMES DOWN AT LAST. MOTHER FINDS HE'S PUT ON THE SHOES HE GOT WET THIS
MORNING..
STARTS USUAL ARGUMENT THAT THEY ARE ONLY AVET ON THE OUT-
SIDE
RETIRES UPSTAIRS AGAIN, ARGUING ALL THE WAY,
Given a motor of sufficient capa- city, reliable material. an excellent track, and good weather conditions, the professor grants that it is within the reach of possibility that
1,200 Kilometres Per Hour. Kaye Don
beat Major should Segrave's record of 333 kilometres
Professor Sernick believes that per hour by another 50 to 100 kilo our knowledge of human physiology metres, and even inore. He con- and of human physics is not yet tends that Squadron Leader. Oric-sufficiently advanced for us to sea- bar should beat his own record of ture to the technically possible nearly 600 kilometres per hour, and speeds, without having in every that he or future record holders use to pay for it with the loss of should reach 800, or even 1,000 life and the less deplorable loss of kilometres per hour. But be fears material. for the adaptability of the human senses and of the human body to such high speeds.
Opponents of the professor point out that our globe itself, with all its living beings, speeds day by day around the sun at the rate of 111,000 kilometres per hour without anybody being the worse for it Professor Saznick, however, points out that the important factor of friction and resistance is non existent or almost negligible in the case of the earth rotation, while our car and airplane racing takes place against stationary" or "even couplering air volumes.
Come and See
the
He demands the international enforcement of a speed limit, which should stand until such a time when we shall be able to gauge what the effects on the human system would be of a car journey, say, at 1,200 kilometres per hour.
SIGHS AND GOES UP, LEAVING A PUDDLE WITH EVERY STEP
COMES DOWN, COMPLETE WITH DRY SHOES AND DRY STOCKINGS,
(Copyright, 1930, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
PREFERRED DEATH TO DISHONOUR.
CHINESE CLERK'S POIGNANT
LAST LETTER.
3:
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
QUEEN'S
MOTHER CALLS TO PUT ON DRY STOCKINGS TOO. ARGUES THERE'S
NO NEED TO, AND BESIDES, HE'S GOT ONE OF HIS OTHER SHOES ON ALREADY.
MAKES ONE LAST TRIP TO PUT WET SHOES BY RADIATOR TO DRY, AND FAMILY LIFE GETS BACK TO NORMAL.
2-10
Would Have Helped Son. Tan Siew Choon, the father of the deceased, next stated that he lived at 58-9 Joo Chiat Road. Decensed who was married and lived with
him was a good son, and was em ployed at the General Accident and Fire Insurance Corporation, where he had worked for the last ten медтя Witness last saw him on January 20 at about 7 o'clock in the evening and on the following morning when he left the house at occasions he appeared to be all about o'clock.
On both these
The deceased never told. witness" anything about any financial or other troubles, "We waited for him for dinner that night but he never came," added witness. He made in- quiries but could not ascertain his whereabouts. At about 11 s.m. on January 31 Inspector MacMillan came to his house bringing the news.
Leaving behind a poignant letter in which he stated that he preferred death to disgrace because he had been leading a double life, a young, educated Straits-born Chinese, em-right. He gives an instance in which we ployed as a clerk in a local commer should first see the car dash past like a phantom, while its warning cial house, ended his life by con signal and deafening roar would suming a large quantity of lysol. only be heard afterwards. Profes" God bless my family, wife and sor Sarrick demands that for a few child," he wrote before going to a years we should spare the lives of lodging-house where he was found valuable pioneers, and that we should force them to abstain from dead in bed by the police on the eve
of the Chinese New Year. record attempts.
The Straits Times says the story of the tragedy was told to Mr. F. G. Bourne, the Singapore Coroner, who returned a verdict of suicide." Inspector MacMillan of the Rochore Division police conducted the in- quiry for the Crown,
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
of the
CHEVROLET
on March 25.
SIX
NEW COLOURS OUTSTANDING VALUES
HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE
THE
25, Queen's Road Central.
CHEVROLET
Tel. C. 4759.
of his son's death and a letter
written in English. Later he saw the dead body of his son lying in the hospital mortuary.
His son's father-in-law was Leo" Choon Long of Upper Cross Street, who was a rich man, Hnd his son been in difficulties and told his. Medical evidence was to the effect father-in-law he would have receiv- that the body of Tong Huc Liinged help from him. Even if he had. alian. B. L. Chergn, aged 9, was confided in witness he would have brought into the Tan Tock Seng raised the money to help his son. Hospital at 9.35 p.m.. on January
·30. A pust-mortem examination was performed and the cause of death was found to be creosote poisoning. There were signs of corrosion at the angle of the lips and mouth and in the opinion of witness the creosote, owing to its burning properties, could not have been taken by mis- take.
Never Seen Again,
The proprietor of the Hai Hia Hotel, T. Beach Road, stated that at 2.30 p.m. on January 30 the de- ceased came to his hotel and asked for a room. He was assigned room No. and he signed the hotel re- gister Tap Teck Poh, clerk from Malacca,"
The deceased paid the rent and went into the room and was never seen again. January 30 was the first day of the Chinese New Year, At about 6.20 that evening one of the servants told witness that he bad knocked at room No. 9 but could get.no reply.
Leading a Double Life,
suicide was contained in the follow- ing letter which was left behind by the deceased.
A solution to the motive for
11
"This is to advise all concerned
that I take this drastic step just as a means to avoid my troubles which I do not want to face. I prefer death to dishonour.
"Though I have led a clean life right up to my sath year I found that I was forced to lead a double life which cast me down. I ap- prouched the only source for remedy but I was absolutely turned down- such is the way of the world.
"God bless my family, my wife and my child. Well I don't mind ait, having a father sitting calmly and seeing a poor man sink. Thave no grudge against anybody but I have acted, I think, foolishly.
JI
"Please advise my father-in-law that being cold-blooded and a miser won't help things. Everything will soon ecise to light as to his treat- ment."
Witness then went upstairs and tried the door unsuccessfully as it was locked from the ipside." His Auspicions were aroused and be went to the Besch Road police It is announced oficially that J. station and moddé ‘a report. Ac- | Crawford, E. F. Moon, H, O. Hop-" companied by a corporal he return- man and J. Willard will constitute ed to his hotel and the corporal Australia's Davis Cup lawn tennis climbed over the partitiófi and team. They tail_for Europe" from opened the door. On going inside Melbourne on March 11, E. F he saw his lodger lying on his back Moon recently won the singles in bed dead. There were two empty championship by defeating Craw- bottles of lveol near the bed and ford in the final. Williard, who is a glass with a small quantity of said to possess a deadly service, lysof in it. The corporal searched beat the former Victorian · cham- the man's pockets and found a note rion, R. E. Schlesinger, and has book and a letter,
defeated Moon this season
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