Page:Motoring Magazine and Motor Life January 1915.djvu/15

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
January, 1915.
MOTORING MAGAZINE
13

of. This is a sand bar six miles long and a place that is dreaded by all motorists.

"We were told before we reached it that we would not be able to go through on our own power. Our car had showed up so well on the trip that we decided to try, and deflating our tires, started through. Just as we were approaching the first of the sand we met a car coming out under two which had been hauled for miles.

"We started through on the intermediate, and shortly went into high, and fiften minutes later came through on our own power in great shape. It was a splendid performance, and one which will be hard to duplicate.

"We then went through Imperial Valley to Brawley, and on to San Diego; thence to Los Angeles, and over the valley route finally to San Francisco.

"Our trip consumed 37 days, and our speedometer showed that in that time we had traveled 3,296 miles without the slightest trouble from the car, mechanicall or otherwise."

Forty Miles of Boulevard to Los Angeles

A motor trip of forty miles of boulevard with all the diversity of many a longer journey — canyons, broad valleys, hillsides and a road skirting the foot of steep, rugged slopes, then through splendid citrus orchards and finally a drive through one of the very finest residence sections of Southern California, has been mapped.

"The route from the western portion of the city is north on Vermont avenue to the Hollywood Hills, then turns to the right over Los Feliz boulevard to Sunset Pass. At the top of the pass there is a wonderful view of the snow-crowned Sierra Madre range, with Mount Wilson and Mount Lowe central figures of a panorama rarely excelled.

"Through Tropico to Central avenue, then north to Glendale, where turn right on Sixth street to Verdugo boulevard. The route through Verdugo Canyon is all macadamized and the oak-covered, rolling hills, closing in to a narrow pass, then broadly flaring out again, makes an intensely interesting drive.

"For those who like diversion there is a side trip just beyond La Canada which is well worth taking. It is to Flintridge Heights, and there our Hudson car was sent over curving roads, ever climbing to the crown of the hills, where the view across the mesa north of Pasadena and easterly to the broad San Gabriel, is a feature which at this particular time, with the snow-capped mountain peaks in the background, will be remembered as one of the really grand views of our country.

"Leaving Flintridge, the grade is downward over a splendidly built park-like road, which again joins La Canada boulevard at Devil's Gate Bridge over Arroyo Secco. This picturesque structure spans a narrow point in the gorge which has been long a center of attraction to those who love nature in her more rugged aspects.

"Great rock walls seemingly hem in the arroyo to a mere hand-breadth, and the spider-like steel ribs of the bridge seem all too frail to carry its load at such a height above the stream channel. From the bridge, the boulevard enters Pasadena, and then turns north through Altadena and along the foot of the abrupt slopes of Mount Lowe and Mount Wilson. The toll house to the toad up Mt. Wilson is passed just where the highway turns south to join the Foothill Boulevard near Colorado street, east of Pasadena.

"On our trip recently, we left the boulevard a mile south of the toll house, and drove down into Eaton Canyon Wash, and then followed up the wash over the boulders and into side canyons on a still hunt for Christmas holly.

"An hour of this out-of-the-way driving yielded a tonneau full of Christmas cheer, and many were the exclamations of wonder from passing cars on the homeward way, as to where we could have found so much of the holiday garland beauties," says a writer in the Los Angeles Examiner.

"The homeward journey from East Pasadena has a double choice of route, both of which have decided merits of their own. The first is south through beautiful Oak Knoll and into the city via Huntington Park. The other, and probably more attractive route, is through Pasadena to Orange Grove and thence across the new Arroyo Secco Bridge to Eagle Rock boulevard, and into the city via Los Feliz road.

"Take it altogether, for a Sunday afternoon trip it would be difficult to find 3 more beautiful and interesting drive than that one, and the trip is especially appropriate at this time when so many Eastern visitors are curious to see the best of the country immediately around Los Angeles."

Advantages of a Full-Floating Axis

One of the advantages claimed for the full-floating type of rear axle is that in the event of trouble in the transmission it is an easy matter to remove the driving shafts and tow the car home on the idle wheels. It is not generally appreciated, however, that the same applies to the ordinary semi-floating system. With this arrangement it is possible to clear one or both of the rear-wheels of the driving relation merely by removing the wheel and taking out the driving key, so that it will turn on the shaft.

⸻If frayed wire ends come in contact with the magneto it will immediately lose its value as a spark producing instrument.