APPENDIX 



HINTS TO MOTORISTS 



[Quoted by permission of United States Geological Sur- 

 vey from "Suggestions to Travellers" in Water-Supply 

 Paper 490 — A., "Routes to Desert Watering Places in the 

 Salton Sea Region, California," by John S. Brown: Wash- 

 ington, 1920.] 



More people travel the desert now in automobiles than 

 in any other way, although horses are not unknown and 

 even foot travellers are sometimes seen. Low-geared trucks 

 with large tires have an advantage in freighting or traveling 

 very sandy roads. With an experienced desert driver the 

 average car can travel almost any road that is passable for 

 wagons. Without careful driving it may fail to get any- 

 where on a comparatively good road. Automobile parties 

 should always carry a supply of spare tires and tubes. A 

 vulcanizing outfit for making patches is especially desirable. 

 A tire gauge is very useful, and an air pump and a jack 

 are necessary. 



Sand is the worst obstacle . . . Fortunately it is less 

 prevalent than popular fancy imagines. The average road 

 consists of a pair of wheel ruts; and in sandy places it is 

 essential to stay in these ruts. Leave them only to pass 

 another vehicle and then keep two wheels of the car in a 

 rut if the sand is bad. Parties attempting to pass on a 

 sandy road can usually do so by helping push the autos if 

 other means fail. Wheel ruts, if fresh, are easily traversed 

 even in deep sand, but old ruts or wagon tracks make very 

 difficult travelling for automobiles. On such roads if a car 

 gets stuck it is often possible to back up and by getting 

 a fresh start in one's own tracks break the road ahead 

 through bad sand. A shovel is sometimes useful in short 

 stretches for cleaning out covered ruts. 



It is common practice in case of trouble in sand to deflate 

 the tires. This gives the tire a greater bearing surface by 

 allowing it to flatten out and increases the effectiveness 

 of a car's gearing by reducing the diameter of the wheel. 

 There is danger of rim cutting by having the tires too soft; 



