538 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August 1, 1912. 



served at the Portage Hotel. The party left Sunday morning 

 for Canton. 



The Four-States' Tour was adopted last year by Indiana auto- 

 mobile manufacturers as a novel way to advertise Indiana-made 

 machines. The tour in 1911 was more or less of an experiment, 

 the route being through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan. 

 It was such a great success in every way that it was decided to 

 make the tour an annual event. This year the tour is being made 

 through Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. 

 * * * 



The Hadfield Rubber Co. has been incorporated under the 

 laws of Ohio for $10,000, fully paid up. John Hadfield is pres- 

 ident and Hugh Hadfield is treasurer. The company has its 

 office and shop at 911 Sweitzer avenue, Akron, Ohio. The 

 parties comprising the company have been in the rubber busi- 



JoHN Hadfield Rubber Co. 



ness in Akron for almost four years. This company has an 

 extensive dipped and molded goods trade and its business is 

 growing rapidly, necessitating day and night shifts. 

 * * * 



The explosion of the gas envelope of Melvin Vaniman's air- 

 ship, "Akron," which was wrecked at Atlantic City on July 2, is 

 claimed by Cliarles Hillman to have been caused by having the 

 escape valves of the gas envelope too close to the exhaust valves 

 of the engine. Mr. Hillman says that there were six exhaust 

 valves in the gas envelope by means of which the gas, when it 

 became heated, was allowed to escape. These valves were 

 placed three on either side of the envelope in a horizontal line 

 slightly on the lower side of the bag. Four of the valves, fore 

 and aft, were located directly over the exhaust from the engine, 

 while the other two were just over the differential propeller. 

 Consequently, when any one of the valves was opened, as was 

 done by means of a string when the gas began to expand, there 

 would be a strong rush of gas, and further, the high degree of 

 inflation which would naturally cause the dirigible to make a 

 rapid ascent, would all the more quickly bring the continuous 

 exhaust from the engine into contact with the downward ex- 

 haust from the bag. It would seem from the rapid ascent of 

 the "Akron" that she carried a full head of gas. Persons who 

 witnessed the accident say that they saw Vaniman trying to 

 retard his ascension by bringing the differential propeller 

 towards the surface. When the engine failed to work, he re- 

 sorted to the exhaust valves in an attempt to decrease the buoy- 

 ancy of the airship and when he opened his forward valves, 

 allowing a great volume of gas to rush through the large open- 

 ing, the hydrogen gas was ignited by the exhaust from the 

 engine. 



Mr. Vaniman's later inventions were not a part of the original 

 balloon "Akron," as they were evidently conceived after the 

 "Akron" had been constructed. 



For Walter Guest, Fred Elmer. George Bourillon, Calvin 

 Vaniman and Melvin Vaniman, the men who gave up their 

 lives in the explosion of the balloon "Akron" at Atlantic City on 



July 2, we express the highest admiration, especially for their 

 courage and their tireless and hazardous work in the solving 

 of the problems of aerial navigation. The "Akron" was serv- 

 ing as a training school and experimental balloon for the work- 

 ing out of certain problems in aeronautics. Mr. Vaniman ex- 

 pected to build another balloon that would include all his inven- 

 tions and those of the men who were working with him, and 

 ultimately construct a balloon that would be safe for short or 

 long flights, even for crossing the Atlantic Ocean when desired. 

 These men were tireless investigators in their line of work. 

 The plans and mechanism of every balloon ever constructed for 

 aerial navigation were thoroughly examined by them. The 

 mechanism of each was thoroughly gone into, even to the most 

 minute detail. Many were improved upon, and made a part of 

 the balloon "Akron." Many devices were invented, even after 

 the "Akron" was constructed. Mr. Seiberling willingly financed 

 this proposition and was a careful student, noting each im- 

 provement that was made -by his faithful corps of aerial engi- 

 neers. The loss of the lives of these investigators is a great loss 

 to the present progress of aerial navigation and a loss greatly 

 felt by the relatives and friends of the deceased. 



* * * 



The Electric Rubber Reclaiming Co. of Barberton has com- 

 menced reclaiming rubber. 



* * * 



The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. has secured an insurance 

 policy of $500,000 on the life of Harvey S. Firestone, its pres- 

 ident. The yearly premium on the Firestone policy is $20,000. 

 Mr. Firestone's health is of the best, this policy being taken out 

 simply as a sound business proposition. 



* * * 



The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. has broken ground for a 

 new building 400 by 80 and six stories high. This new building 

 with other additions that the Goodyear company is making, will 

 give additional floor space of 260,000 square feet. This marked 

 enlargement will be used largely to take care of increase in its 

 tire business. 



* * * 



A. E. Williams, formerly with The Firestone Tire and Rubber 

 Co. and The S. & O. Engraving Co., has become advertising 

 manager for The Swinehart Tire and Rubber Co. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 

 'X'HE Thermoid Rubber Co., has installed a patent machine for 

 the making of automobile tires, which the inventor claims 

 will turn out six times as many tires per hour as are made now 

 under the hand system. The Thermoid company is particularly 

 busy just now, nearly every department working day and night 

 shifts of men. The company is doing a fine business in the 

 manufacture of brake linings, tires and tubes and belts, par- 

 ticularly belts. The demand for its brake linings for the auto 

 trade is large. In the recent Indianapolis automobile meet, four- 

 teen of the first sixteen cars to finish were equipped with the 

 Thermoid brake lining. The hose department of the big plant 

 is a trifle slack just now, a state of .affairs general with the 

 majority of the makers of hose in this vicinity. 

 * ^ * 



Quite a good many men have been honored by having their 

 friends and associates celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. Gen- 

 eral Murray, treasurer of the Empire Rubber Co., Trenton, 

 New Jersey, has just enjoyed a unique distinction because his 

 associates — evident^ being unable to wait another year — have 

 celebrated in a signal way his forty-ninth birthday. On July 17, 

 when General Murray appeared at the office of his company, he 

 was asked to go into the hoseroom to inspect a new machine. 



