1929-04-18 — Page 12

12

SEGRAVE'S RECORD GOLDEN ARROW PILOTED TO VICTORY

DRIVER'S ACCOUNT

Two hundred and thirty-one. miles an hour!

When Segrave first exceeded 200 m.p.h. at Daytona two years ago, everyone thought the limit had been reached.

Is there a limit at all when in those two short years the same driver can add nearly thirty miles an hour to the record?

Imagine a vast stretch of 'almost deserted sand flanked on one side by the sea, on the other by low banks, beyond which are the houses of Daytona in Florida. Where the sea plays the sand is soft and dark, above that it hardens to a concrete-like surface almost dazzlingly white, and above that again, nearer the banks, it is looser, more like real

Band.

In the foreground stand desert ed certain strange marks with a flaring light, a mile away are others with another light, and în between the marks stretches, just clear of the sand, the wire of an electrical timing apparatus. Safely distant is the apparatus it. self with officials watching the strip

on which a clock-like mechanism stamps the recorded time. Up on the banks is an eager throng of people kept in order, and out of harm's way, by a line of police, some on motor cycles, some in cars, while all around are cameras of every shape and kind.

The Monster Starts From the sea there is a steady, mild wind. An electric warning horn sounds. Suddenly the ear is caught by a far-off muffled roar as of some unseen angry monster. The roar deepens to a thunder, increases very swiftly, becomes -indescribable, something beside which the menacing voice of a fighting aeroplane high up in the sky is but a pale reflection. Far away on the sand a small weird- looking, low machine comes into view with incredible swiftness,| its gold paint glistening. It tra- vels with deceptive smoothness, becomes rapidly larger, achieves a pandernonium of noise, and, be- fore a single detail can be recog- nised, hurls itself between the marks and is instantly disappear. ing in the distance.

Thought Outfuced The thing's pace out-speeds thought, and it is some seconds before the mind can take it all in: then it flashes upon one that the car seems to be travelling in silence and the uproar to be fol- lowing astern. Of smoke, of dust, or upflung sand there is no recollection, and, curiously, not a memory of the man whose skill alone controls that giant projec

tile.

Right away beyond the mark posts, unseen by most of the spectators, a group of mechanics dash at the car as it slows to a stop with long streaks of oil run- ning along the body and a show of orange flame from the squat exhausts. Four quaint jacks are screwed from the frame to the sand, and three tons of car rise slowly amid the hard clatter of hammers on the wheel hub nuts, Almost a minute's furious hurry and the four wheels slide off, four more take their place, the nuts are driven home, the jacks un- screwed, and the car slowly turns through 180 degrees.

THE CHINA MAIL,

The commence-

exhaust note changes with the second and second to top exactly gears, the great machine in-at 3,200 rpm. creases speed, in one swift rushment and the finish of the mea becomes a projectile screaming stred section were indicated by through the air, flies over the marked course, and, before the spectators can regain their breath, is gone,

It is uncanny, impossible, quite made by human unlike a car hands, much more like some ex- traordinary unknown immense lizard with more than an animal's speed, and more than a human in felligence.

announcement

of

two big trestles 50ft, high, with a wire between them on which was suspended a large red are lamp; this could be picked up: roughly a mile away.

"When I could see the light I used the foresight which Irving had put on the car in a place usually occupied by the radiator cap and a rough form of back- sight, and though the great dif- ficulty was to see the course The Time Announced A moment's gathering at the properly these sights were very As it happened, the timing instruments, a comparison useful. of the tyewritten strips, then an weather was very bad indeed; official makes the matter-of-fact there was mist lying in patches modern all along the course and the miracle-a man has travelled visibility in general was pretty faster than ever man travelled bad-about three-quarters of a before, England has regained the mile, in fact, though in places I

speed

and could see for as much as a mile. months of strenuous work by That was why the arc lamps were hundreds of men, thousands of so useful to show up the begin- pounds of money, have achieved ning and end of the course. The the desired end; thirty-one and a condition of the sand was very fraction seconds furious action bad, certainly worse than when I and an average speed of 281,362 went last time and I am miles per hour for the mile for worse even than when Campbell made his record run. There was two runs have been achieved.

water on the sand for consider- able stretches,

world's

record,

told

Instantly the excited crowd swarms over the beach to cluster

"The car behaved exactly the in one cheering group as the big car comes slowly back to the off-same each run, north and south, cials. It is a wonderful moment but on the first run water coming that, when, the task safely ac- from a pipe near the engine began to spray over my windshield and I had to look out round the edge of the screen, which was not a very pleasant performance.

Motor Inventor Dead

David Buick, who spent a fortune on his dream of "horseless carriages," is dead, nearly penniless, although the strects are alive with automobiles that bear his name. He died in Detroit at 74, of cancer, uncomplaining and de- Gant of the deal fate had given him,

A Wise Precaution "At the end of the first run- during which, by the way, the car the handled extremely well mechanics changed all four wheels as a precaution and put in more water and more fuel in six minutes fourteen seconds, the trouble with the water pipe being cured at the same time. The

wind during both runs was some- thing in the nature of 20.25 m.p.h., and blowing dead on the side of the car all the time.

"One interesting point was that the cockpit during the whole run was free from fumes and quite cool-a big point, since engine fumes have a very bad effect on the driver, and it would be quite easy for the temperature to be- come unbearable if the design of the 'Golden Arrow' had not been right."

Maximum Not Reached

In answer to another question, Segrave said: "The car never reached its maximum owing to the conditions, and, given any. thing like good weather and smoother sand, I think-though it is extremely difficult to say- that some four or five miles per hour could be added to the pre- sent average. But I shan't go complished, a driver can lower his again unless the record is. beaten goggles and come slowly up to the by the White Triplex very short- wonderful welcome which any. My plans are to leave in two American crowd knows how to days' time to attempt the boat- give. Not all the money in the record, and then to sail for Eng- world can buy its equal, nor would land on April 6." the successful champion change places with any living man.

Some three thousand miles away two men wait restlessly in a London office, their minds out at Daytona, wondering what has happened, not without fore- boding. Abruptly the desk tele phone rings, and right across half the world a well-known voice says, quite simply: "Daytona calling; this is Segrave speaking it's all right, she's done it."

Segrave's Version

Over the telephone Segrave was extremely, interesting. He The Return Trip

said: "I took a run of about four For a second it stands while miles to get up speed before en- the twelve exhaust pipes spit tering the stretch across which flame and smoke and noise, then, the timing wires were laid, and with a quick jerky action, the for the first part of the run I was golden machine gathers way able to watch the rev. counter stupendously, incredibly, the dial and change from first to

Talking of the difficulties of the record, Segrave said: "The worst time was at the end of the second run when, just before the car crossed the line, it struck a bad gulley and the wrench damaged one of the radiators, fortunately without slowing the car. The damage is being repaired at the present moment, and the car, in- spected after the run, was in per-

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Quite apart from the magni- fect condition and quite fit to at- car, because of the roar of the

ficence of a record which puts tack records again. Probably the wind past my ears."

24 m.p.h. Asked about the White Special, the speed up some damage to the radiator was caused by the car slueing side- Segrave said: "The car is to go when it is already exceedingly ways and twisting the whole out tomorrow, but the weather high, one of the best features of radiator unit.

at the moment is getting steadily the whole attempt is that it was worse and there is a good deal of essentially a sporting effort. "By the way, during both runs in. The car should be driven immense debt of gratitude is it was quite impossible to hear a sound from the exhaust pipes, either by Bob McDonough, whom owed to the man who provided although they are in front of the you know well enough, or by Lee the funds which alone made the Bible, who is what they call here attack possible, and who, follow- an "outlaw" driver, or by Deacon ing the best traditions of sports- Litz, who drove a Miller manship, prefers to remain in the at Indianapolis. Duray is background, anonymous, and who not driving, and the car also made it possible for the whole bas had a certain amount thing to be accomplished without of mechanical trouble, though appealing for money either as a that will probably be got right. bonus or otherwise from such. The people over here gave my suppliers of material as were car a wonderful reception, and 1 willing to contribute. have had every possible assist- ance in every way."

(Continued on Next Column.)

America's Turn to Beat Record

"TIPLEX

Major Sir H. O. D. Segrave (lower left), raised the record on the world's auto speed from 207.5 to 231.8 miles per hour, His "Golden Arrow" flashed over the marked course almost faster than the eye can travel, almost four miles & mindre. M. White (lower right), American sportsman, is still optimistic that his Triplex, top, which set the former record when driven by Ray Keech, can push the mark even higher.

The Actual Times

There may be certain technical lessons arising from the record. but if there are they are entirely overshadowed by the sporting The actual times are interest side of the affair and by the un- ing. The first run over the kilo-doubted and immense gain in metre gave an average of 675 prestige for this country's drivers kp.h, and over the mile, 231.511 and for this country generally. m.ph.. slightly faster, that is, Segrave's achievement will go over the kilometre than the mile, down in history, and really cant the average being just over 233 only be judged when an accurate mi-p.h. On the second run the historical perspective has been speed was slightly lower, the established; but it certainly ranks average over the kilometre being in effect, with the successes of | 369.989 Ep.h., and the average other great adventurers whose over the mile 231.213 m.p.h. sonames are household words to- that the record now stands for the dayThe Autocar." mile at 281.862 m.p.h., and for

the kilometre at 372,478 kph,

and actually the highest speed is for the kilometre by a minute fraction. It will be noticed that

there is not a great deal of differ- FOR QUICK

ance between the two runs, which shows that the wind was not help- ing the car one way or the other, but, being a side wind, was imped- ing it in both directions.

Tyres Stout Work

The tyres were in extraordin- arily good condition, but were changed as a matter of pre- caution

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