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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February i, 1903. 



THE AUTOMOBILE SHOW AT NEW YORK. 



T'^HE third annnal automobile show under the joint auspi- 

 ces of the Automobile Club of America and the Na- 

 tional Association of Automobile Manufacturers, at the 

 Madison Square Garden, in New York, January 17-24, 

 has demonstrated not only an interest in automobilism in the 

 United States sufficient to give support to a great industry, but 

 also that the progress made by manufacturers in this country 

 during the past three years has been such as to place them on 

 equality with the most advanced makers in the old world, and 

 rrnder them capable of supplying every demand at home. 

 Measured both by number and the character of the attendance, 

 the last automobile show was one of the most important exhi- 

 bitions of any kind given at Madison Square. The attendance, 

 for the most part, was not of curiosity seekers, but of people 

 who apparently were able to own automobiles, and whose inter- 

 est lay in becoming acquainted with the vehicles, with a view at 

 some time to making purchases. In fact, an important amount 

 of business was done on the spot, the aggregate of sales made 

 having been estimated at $2,000,000, in addition to which many 

 agencies were arranged for, and the future effect of the educa- 

 tional work begun is beyond computation. There were 198 

 exhibitors, including manufacturers of automobiles, parts, and 

 accessories. Over 80 firms exhibited finished machines. Some 

 of the leading foreign makes were represented, including ma- 

 chines of worldwide fame, and the show was attended by for- 

 eign critics of reputation who freely acknowledged the great 

 progress made recently in automobile construction in the 

 United States. 



This subject is of particular importance to the India-rub- 

 ber industry for the reason that it opens a new demand more 

 important than any other single industrial development at any 

 time in the past, and a demand which cannot under any cir- 

 cumstances easily conceivable cease to exist. Not only pleasure 

 vehicles, touring cars, and public conveyances are involved in 

 this new industry, but a wide range of commerciarvehicles, in- 

 cluding delivery wagons and trucks in wide variety, fire appa- 

 ratus and so on, every one of which must be equipped with 

 rubber, both for tires and for smaller accessories, the amount 

 of which, in the aggregate, will be very large. There is not 

 space in these pages for a discussion of the types of vehicles 

 shown, but it may be of interest to note that a canvas made at 

 the show revealed the presence of 253 completed vehicles, of 

 which 168 were operated by gasolene, 51 by electricity, and 34 

 by steam. Of 84 distinct makes of cars, 69 had wood wheels, 

 1 1 wire wheels, and 4 tubular wheels. Fifty had detachable 

 tires, 23 hose pipe tires, and 9 had solid tires. 



The second large automobile show of the year will be held 

 in Chicago, from February 14 to February 21 inclusive, and 

 many of the exhibits made at Madison Square will be repeated 

 there. The second annual automobile show at Philadelphia, 

 under the auspices of the local automobile club and the local 

 dealers' association, will be held March 2-7. There was a gen- 

 eral expression of opinion after the Madison Square show that 

 it closed too soon, and many manufacturers are likely to be 

 represented at a permanent exhibition of automobiles to be 

 opened soon by R. H. Macy & Co., occupying an entire floor 

 in their new department store at Broadway and Thirty-fourth 

 street, New York, and involving more space than the entire 

 arena at Madison Square Garden. 



The rubber tire industry was strongly represented at the 



automobile show by exhibits from leading companies, in charge 

 of capable forces of attendants and salesmen. These displays 

 were devoted chiefly to standard types of tires, and little was 

 shown in the way of novelty. There was particularly an 

 absence of anything like "freak" tires. The tire exhibits 

 were constantly visited, not only by representatives of existing 

 and prospective manufacturers of automobiles, but by large 

 numbers of persons interested in automobiling and, therefore, 

 in understanding the comparative merits of various kinds of 

 tires. It may be said that the detachable type of pneumatic 

 tire appeared to be in most favor, judging by the number of 

 wheels on exhibition equipped with this type, and from the 

 interest shown by visitors. For the heavier vehicles, however, 

 and particularly the enormous trucks shown, a demand exists for 

 solid tires. By the way, the manufacturers of tires of the lat- 

 ter type insist that, when pneumatic tires are inflated to the 

 extent necessary to get the best possible service from them, 

 they are not more resilient than solid tires made of good com- 

 pounds, while the latter are free from the annoying liability to 

 puncture. There was evidence of no little business being done 

 by the tire exhibitors. The exhibits will be mentioned in the 

 order of their enumeration in the official catalogue. 



Hartford Rubber Works Co. (Hartford, Connecticut) ex- 

 hibited as their leading type the Turner endless solid wired-cn 

 tire, in all sizes. Attention was called especially to its merits 

 for heavy motors, and to its durability and the perfect fit ob- 

 tainable, as compared with tires which are applied by compress- 

 ing the rubber. Exemption from creeping is also claimed. 

 Other tires shown were the Hartford single tube and Dunlop 

 detachable tires, for automobiles. The Dunlop this year in- 

 volves some new features in construction. Red inner tubes 

 were shown at this exhibit. 



Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) made a 

 good demonstration of the Firestone side-wire tire, which they 

 have just begun to make in their own factory, after having had 

 their orders filled under contract for some time past. The 

 claim is made for this tire that it can be fitted to the wheel 

 more closely than other types of solid tires, particularly in the 

 case of large sizes ; that the cross wires hold the tire in place 

 perfectly, preventing any tendency to creep ; and that any 

 trouble is avoided due to the cutting of the rubber, such as re- 

 sults from the longitudinal wires in other solid tires. 



FiSK Rubber Co. (Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts)"exhibited 

 for the first time the Fisk detachable automobile tire, which 

 they state is covered by their own patent. The distinctive fea- 

 ture in the construction of this tire is that, instead of being 

 held in place by air pressure, the outer cover is retained by a 

 series of clamps and transverse bolts which render it impos- 

 sible for the tire to come off the rim, whether ii.fiated or not, 

 and which also prevent creeping of the tire. The inner con- 

 struction of the cover renders it also impossible to pinch the 

 inner tube. The company make a claim of excellence for the 

 special type of fabric used. These tires are made in different 

 weights, but the company assert that increase in size, rather 

 than thickness of walls, produces the best results. The Fisk 

 single tube carriage tire was also shown, and the Fisk single 

 tube tire repair outfit. 



Metallic Rubber Tire Co. (New York) exhibited their 

 patent tire cover— capable of being applied to any pneumatic 

 tire — consisting of a strip of rubber studded with flat headed 



