Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1908 — American Car Falls Behind in Auto Race. [ARTICLE]

American Car Falls Behind in Auto Race.

The Thomas Flyer, which led in the New York to Paris race across United States and departed for Alaska'before the foreigners arrived in San Francisco, has lost its lead, the crews of the Italian Zust and Fien De Dion, with their automobiles, having taken passage last Wednesday on the Pacific liner, Aki Maru, for Japan, whence they will be transferred to Vladivostok, for the long run through Asia and Europe to their destnation. By catching the Aki Maru out of Seattle, Wednesday, the Italians and French autoists gain a lead on the Thomas car of several days. The American entry did not wait for the foreigners when it arrived in San Francisco and the French and Italian drivers could not see how they could be expected to await the return of the Americans from Alaska, which country was found impassable. The Italians stuck to it up to the last minute that they would take the Alaskan route. Even after word, was received that a personal inspection by the Americans proved the trail via Valdez, Fairbanks and Nome an impossibility for autpmoblllng, the Zust’s navigators declared they intended to make a trial by way of Skagaway and Dawson and thence down to Yukon. It didn’t take many minutes conversation with old Alaskan travelers after their arrival at Seattle to convince them that such an attempt would be a waste of time and probably very dangerous. Men familiar with all the Alaskan trails say they don’t think an automobile cduld cross the. country under any circumstances, but. that if done at all, it must be in winter. The season is now so far advanced, they assert, that an automobile would stand no more chance on the trails than a locomotive. The steamship Bertha, bringing the Thomas car and its crew back from Valdez, was due at Seattle last Friday. They took the next steamship for Yokohama or Vladivostok.