21
THE SUNDAY CITIZEN, ABBEVILLE, N. C DECEMBER 28, 191D.
0
0
ARGUES AGAINST
GRADE CROSSINGS
Safety Demands Their
Elimination, Says Hanson.
Motor Company Head
Points to Toll Claimed
in Past Pew Years.
That the great lncpouso In travel by
automobile without the question of
human life Involved demand the eli
mination of grade 'crossings la the
opinion of'George W. Hanson, presi
dent of the Hanson Motor company
and one of the best known automobile
men In the south.
"Though any measure designed to
safeguard the lives of people from
mdden death and the consequent suf
fering put upon others of fatalities re
sulting from accidents at grade cross
ings near Atlanta during the past
week. Hut bcnldcs this the coming
if the motor car Into its place in the
ransportatlon of this modern day de-
lands a more cincient system of high
ways.
"To do this, as far as possible no
roads should cross the railroads where
It Is possible to construct a highway
without doing so. If this were ac
complished it would result In a
smaller loss of time to the automobile
tourist In slowing up for curves and
crossings, as well as eliminating the
danger consequent upon the present
system.
"Certain Information we have shows
that during the month of April. 1918,
a total of 46 accidents were reported
over 19 railroads In this district. In
these accidents, 14 persons were killed
while 37 were permanently injured.
The average was 1H accidents per
day, one person killed every two days
and H4 persons Injured every day.
"During the year 1914, according to
these earns figures, 10,785 accidents
wore reported from grade crossing
over approximately 90 per cent of the
railroads in the United States. Of
these. 4.746 persons met their death
826 lost one limb; 172 two limbs:
while 6,041 suffered more or lesa seri
ous injury.
1 27.711 Deaths.
'Over a period of 28 years 127,744
persons Jiave been killed in grade
crossing accidents, while 138,977
others have been permanently Injured.
"One railroad line in the south has
compiled statistics showing that its
lines are crossed by highways a total
of approximately' 100,000 times. Ap
plying a maximum number of work
men in eliminating these crossings by
under and Over-passes, It is estimated
that an average of 1,000 could be eli
minated each year. It would require
100 years to complete the Job.
"By a "system -ofelimlnatlng grade
crossings through a drastic change in
the method of road construction much
time can be saved the automobile
traveler end at the same time the
danger Tf Collision between automo
biles rounding curves suddenly can be
reduced greatly.
"Between Atlanta and Oridln. until
the county engineers of Fulton; Clay
ton and Spalding changed their sys
tems, the motorist crossed the -main
line of the Central of Georgia railroad
Fix times. By straightening this road
four of these crossings have been eli
minated eritlrely while another crosses
inside the city limits of Hampton, thus
reducing to a minimum the danger on
this particular route. As a conse
quence every traveler by automobile
through this section is aware of the
good condition of this particular,
stretch of road and can cover it in a
relatively short time.
"Opposing this is the unusually
large number- of crossings on the
Georgia railroad between Atlanta and
August. To every ope who has at one
time or another made this perilous
passage there is a dread of repeating
the performance, because of the
danger of being struckby a train as
well as collision with a brother motor
ist. Life too Valuable.
"Human life is too valuable to waste
when by expending a few thousand
more dollars in straightening a road
all danger from this source can be
eliminated. The present system of
constructing: highways is the evolu
tion of the age-old system of reduaing
cost in grading by following the gen
eral terrain of the country to be
A MOTORIZED WORLD
By ROLAND R. CONKLIN,
, President, Chicago Motor Bus Company.
In the mass of oahle dispatches
from England recently one small Item
appeared which Is of vast Importance
to the motor world. It told of the de
termination to continue the use of
metor lorries for the transportation
of certain types of freight and express.
During the recent railroad strike
In Great Britain, hundreds of these
motor trucks which were used during
the war were put into freight and ex
press service as an "emergency mea
sure," but like the man who went to
scoff and stayed to pray, these trucks
are to be used permanently for haul
ing small package freight for short
distances.
The transportation authorities found
that yards and warehouses were ter
ribly congested when this great rail
road strike began. The first few days
found Increased confusion, and then
the motor truck entered Into the sit
uation. It was backed up at a freight
warehouse, loaded, and then set out
UDOn Its destination, dropping park-
I ages at way stations. During the first
few days of the new service, such
l packages as were paid for, were not
left at a freight station, but were de
livered at the house of the consignee.
I thereby obviating the necessity of an
1 1 1 -.. rt
.extra nanuung. inis buuh ii v. ru
be one of the great advantages of tne
motor truck in handling this freight,
and was a decisive factor in making
truck lines permanent.
It won't be long before' a motor
truck will drive up to n factory In
London and take on a sewing machine
consigned to Manchester, delivering it
there to the party who expects to
operate It. Under the old method the
machine would have been delivered
to a railroad freight station where It
would have been unloaded from the
delivery wagon on to a platform, and
then loaded into the freight car. Per'
haps It would again be transferred en
route. At Manchester it would have
been unloaded from the freight car,
reloaded on to a wagon, and then de
livered. .
Significant Action.
The action at tho English traffic
experts In continuing this service Is
highly significant, and I believe marks
the beginning of a new method of
handling small package freight and
express in civilised countries the
world over I think in this situation the
Knglish have set an example which
we ' may well follow In the more
thickly populated sections of the Unit
ed States. In fact, that bus been donp
to a limited degree between Washing
ton and Philadelphia. New Tork and
Boston, and I believe it will not be so
many years before motor express lines
will be running between all the large
cities of the eastand middle west.
The advent of the concrete road
which Is making Its appearance In
the middle west and In certain parts
of the North Atlantic states will be a
great help in this direction.
It is quite practicable to build large
roomy buses, which can carry pas
sengers on top and freight below.
Even granting that special construc
tion of concrete roads would be necs
sary on the part of tlte operating
company, freight and passengers could
be carried mord quickly and with
greater safety and speed than on the
present Interurban electric lines. Con
crete roads can ba constructed at ap
proximately $20,000 per mile, and not
over 115,000 Investment per bus-truck
would be necessary in Installing a
freight and passenger bus line, allow
ing for garages, repair shops and
storage warehouses. Taking Into con
sideration the cost of grading, rails,
cross ties, trolley poles, wires and the
malntenanoe of power houses and
highly complex equipment necessary
In conducting an interurban line, mo
tor vehicles on their own concrete
roads will very successfully compete
with the electric carrier. In fact,
just as the electric Interurban is a
competitor In certain circumstances
to steam railroads so will the motor
vehicle take certain business from
the railways,
80,000 for Railway.
Under the easiest conditions, It costs
at least $50,000 per mile to build a
steam railroad. This would be on
flat country, where no great engineer
ing difficulties would be encountered.
For distances such as those between
Washington and New Tork, New York
and Boston, Boston and Buffalo. Chi
cago and Springfield, Fort Worth and
San Antonio, motor vehicle linos run
ning on concrete roads, might very
well cdnipete In efficiency with the
railroad train In the handling of small
package freight and express, in fact
reducing tho cost to the public very
considerably.
The reasons why this competition
could be carried an successfully are
practically the same reasons which
give the motor bus the advantage over
the electrlo oar, and In addition there
would be greater mobility (n the gath
ering of freight and material, and the
avoidance of terminal congestion ut
both ends of the line.
Some of he advantages of the mo
tor bus over the electric carrier are:
1. Greater mobility.
". Absence of tracks.
3. Continued expansion to meet
newly developed needs.
4. Ease with which routing can be
shifted without loss of equipment.
5. Mechanical difficulties do not ob-
. nil u v-fc m k I 1 , ClKll J Kim . II I ,71
! rupt schedule.
6. Possibility .of maintaining better
schedules and intensive service.
7. Weight of vehicle per passenger
less than tnat or common electric
carriers.
8. More efficient for certain kinds
of traffic.
9. Makes available for pleasure and
business residential thoroughfares
closed to the common electrlo car
riers. 10. Act as feeders to more rapid
and long line electric carrier.
Best and Cheapest.
It will not be very long before far
sighted capitalists will be placing
enormous sums of money in motor
vehicle lines of all types. The fact
that tho motor does the work best and
cheapest makes it the logical method
of transportation In plaoes where the
toads make It possible.
One reuson that capital Is halting on
the threshold of this motorized world
is so that It may have time to look
around and see in what manner the
enormous Investment Involved In the
older methods of transportation can
be cared for.
It is conoeivable that the owners of
horsedrawn stage coaches, horse
dealers, farriers, tavern keepers, and
holders of Turnpike stock felt very
much the same way some 80 years ago
when the puffing, rattling, screeching
thing of steel and iron called a train
first made Its appearance, and thou
sands of persons can, recall the diffi
culties placed in the way of cable
and electric cars by the owners of
mule and horse car lines when the
more modern method of transporta
tion, the electrlo car, began to drive
the other out of business.
I do not mean to say that motor
vehicles will to any great extent take
the place of steam railroads, except
insofar as they cart the more economi
cally move freight and passengers for
short hauls, but I do believe that the
motor has sounded tha, death knoll ot
ma uiu-iaamunea street car, that the
inter u roan electric line Is going to go
next and that these passe forms ot
transportation will be laid to rest just
as soon as some method can be found
to care for the enormous investments
Involved.
OF
THE RECENT COAL STRIKE
Rendered Invaluable Serv
ice to Municipalities in
Many Sections.
000 for moving the above tonna,je.
"In comparing these figure with
that ef wagons and horses, we Mm!
that the cost of maintaining and oper
ating horse teams Is 33 cents p-r- ton
mile, which If correct, gives a aiivlnv
of two hundred and sixteen million that there will be at least mll'lon It
dollars per year In favor of the mo- the first part of the year of 1J0.
tor truck ' " you that transportation
"While there are only oigm nun-; yquipnieni oj nm -vvumrr m , l"
dred thousand motor trucki In .h
United mates today. It la expected
u.n'auate for demands, wlttt
this help from the motor truck.." ,
INSTITUTES SUIT
FOR $515 DAMAGES
Mabel X. Lamson Alleges Money Due
"The Belvedere."
traversed. 'With little additional ex
pense, which the automobile age many
people, will be eliminated, and we
will not beifaced with the possibility
Of reading fne glaring headlines every
day In the papers where a. friend, rela
tive or acquaintance haa lost In the
race with death over a grade-crossing."
With the filing of a complaint
against Leon St. John, suit was insti
tuted In superior court yesterday by
Maoel K. Lmson, who In the com-
i plaint alleges the defendant Is ln-
aeoteu to ner in tne sum or &it, ine
amount said to be due as rent on
"The Belvederet" a boarding house on
Ravenscroft road.
The plaintiff seeks the amount said
to be due, and asks that interest on
the principal be paid from last Sep
tember, also that the defendant be
taxed with all costs accruing in the
action.
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
is The ABILITY to serve
is COURTESY
is ORGANIZATION
.SUFFICIENCY
is FRIENDLINESS
is CLEANLINESS
is SQUARE DEALING
is THE GOLDEN RULE
SERVICE OUrt HOBBY
CAZEL-CURRY CAR COMPANY
17-19 N. Market St Phone 3067
(By I H. Itandolph. Coston Motor Co.)
"That the motor truck rendered In
vuluable service from municipalities
during the recent coul strike, was only
another example of the unusual de
pendability, ecenomy and adaptability
of the motor truck In meeting unusual
transportation demands."
"In thm mliMIn wnt milt n fw ot
our distributors wrote us that the I
motor truck took the place of the
railroad locomotives in helping move
freight cars loaded with coal from
nearby mines and shipping points up
to the yards of the locnl electric light.
KUB iiu wnirr juiuijiik MHiiunn, iu
provide heat to tho municipal and In
dustrial buildings.
"I. myself, noticed in the daily pa
pers at the time, how when different
switchmen's unions refused to move
freight cars loaded with coal mined
by volunteers, motor trucks stepped
into the breach nnd kept up the sup
ply of the precious fuel nt a time
when no other motive power was
available.
"If these motor trucks had not
proven equal to the Job, many addi
tional hundreds of thousands of em
ployes, as well as scores of Industries
would have had to shir: down.
"Owing to the fact that the motor
truck did not employ coal as a source
of its motive power, made their oper
ation economical and efficient and did
not use up fuel that could have been
used in any way by industries or muni
cipal buildings.
"When the history of the coal strike
lias been written In its entirety, when
the suffering and anguish of the mil
lions of people as the reoult has been
told, it will bo found that If It hadn't
been for the motor truck, the nation
would have been much more worse
off."
Tires That Give Extra Mileage
Are Money-Saving Tires to Use
The price you pay for "Southern" Tires is
based on a five thousand mile guarantee, but rec
ords prove that, barring accidents, "Southern"
Tires are good for ten thousand miles or more.
The extra mileage costs you nothing. You
usually get more than two miles of service for
every mile you buy a substantial saving of tire
money which you cannot well afford to overlook.
TRUCKS MADE FOR
LOW LIVING COSTS
"According to Postmaster General
Burlespn. the use of moro trnotor
trucks on parcels post routes will
prove an excellent means of reducing
living costs in the cities." says O. M.
Coston. of the Coston Motor company,
local Kissel distributor.
"Mr. Burleson has not only urged
congress, to provide the necessary
equipment for such motor parcels
post expansion, but claims that they
will In addition, show a profit. Nine
such routes -between Washington and
Philadelphia have been established
during 11)19.
"Without a doubt this recognition
by a prominent government official is
a result of the adaptability and the 1
way the motor truck has helped tho j
(Ffiv.rnmBlil in.nl to t vu n ,1 ,1 vt ti f i.n
requirements at a time when the
country's transportation equipment
proved unequal to the demands made
upon it."
THE LOW COST OF
TRUCK HANDLING
"It is estimated that 1.200.000,000
tons of goods are hauled yearly by
motor trucks at a cost of an iiveruge
of 15 cents per ton.
"This gives us a total of $111,000,-
I
I
UHThv
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SOUTHERN TIRE & RUBBER CO.
Augusta, Ga.
J. R. SWANN MOTOR CO.
57 Bilbnore Avenue Phone 1437
A SMpmepit of
1
afeweU' Cars
m mm
E1
The New MAXWELL is More Than a "Go and Come Back Car"
ItY a Real PLEASURE Car.
WE CARRY A COMPLETE LINE OF MAXWELL PARTS
SERVICE OUR';? HOBBY
The 4M7 Garage
Cfl"Cirry Car o
Phone 3067
17-19 N, Market St,
e.
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