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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1950-11-23, Page 3THESE: +BARS, ANI HAVE TO BE R A Almosi any day now Charles Cooper and his son John will watch the hundredth car they have made being pushed out into -the yard of. their garage li surrey. That event will be a turtling point in the story Of an adventure that began as a hobby four years ago, and has de- veloped into both a new type of motor industry and a rapidly grow- ilig sport --500 c,c, motor racing: The story really goes back sev- oral years before the war, to the time when'C:llarles, thea a racing mechanic to Kaye Doit, made a miniature racing car in which his seven-year-old soli John drove, up and down a cul-de-sac near their home. The plans were put away in a drawer ill the workshop and for- gotten through the war until, ill 1946, Mr. Cooper senior picked til, a paper and read that a group of aircraft workers in Bristol had adapted. their knowledge of aircraft design by bulding light car bodies round motor -cycle engines, and were having great fun staging hill climb trials in theta. Rey to New Boom He thought of the little car lie had designed. for his son and sud- denly realized that he held the key to what might prove a new outlet for the speed bug that infests most young men. At odic mowents between attend- ing to his garage business, and far into the night, he pored over his drawing board, devising ways of getting the utmost speed from a . tiny 33a. lr,p. engine while giving safety ill sturdiness and, freedom from sway. For months the work vvent oil. The first Cooper car was ready to race. But there was no race for it. Five -hundred c.c. racing had not yet become well established as a class. The only events open to it were hill climbs and short speed trials for light cars. They decided to enter a speed trial for light cars being held on the front at Brighton. The Cooper "midget" was easily the smallest entry. Its appearence created more ammusement than genuine interest, but John Cooper won the race with it writes Jeffrey Wyndham in "Tit Bits". The -following week -end he lent the car to his old school friend, Eric Brandon, who tools it�to a meeting irr the Midlands, and it won .again. On the Monday morning Brandon was back at the garage: "Will you make one for me?" he asked. Brandon and Cooper "cleaned up" in so many hill ,climbs and speed tests that orders began coming in for more cars, Other firms began building car bodies round motor- cycle engines, and soon there were so many 500's in existance that a special racing class was formed. Silvertone Test There were setbacks, of course, The tiny engines, driven to excess, often blew up, It became apparent that for short .sprints of half a mile or so they were excellent and pro- vided all the thrills of racing in min-iature, but distances of five or seven miles were generally beyond them. In this respect the Cooper held a long lead. With their extra knowledge and research, they built up a virtual monopoly of first pla- ces in club events all over the country. The big test cadre when, to cele- brate the opening of the Silverstone 'circuit two years ago, a 500 c.c. Grand Prix was instituted, over the plienomenal distance of fifty miles. The Coopers had a double satis- faction. They provided the first four cars home, ,and found justifi- cation for their policy and belief that ability to finish was of even greater importance than mere speed. Enthusiasts had discovered a new s w T RIGHTING A DEADLY ENEMY Win. Russell Stewart, who has been appointed Field Secre- tary of the Ontario Division of the Canadian • Cancer Society, The new :field. Secretary will work throughout the Pro- vince ofOntario orc anizing new units of the of the Cancer Society and working with the 20 e\:i'stillg units in the Province. THEIR DRI"V'ERS, LLL TOUGH and relatively cheap way of taking a practical part in motor -racing. For R-575 anyone could be a racing motorist with a made -to -pleasure car that would clock 108-110 miles an hour.. Soon there were further develop- nients The Coopers produced a 1,100 c.c. model, substantially the sante except that two engines were conibined in the fprrn of a `. V „ The ear was so designed that it could be run as either a $00 or 1,100 cc. model. All that was necessary was to take- out one engine and substi- tute the other. Beat Big Rivals A few weeks ago, Tien Whartou, driving, one of the "twins," easily won his class in the Sheisley AValsli hill cfhill, and, in fact,put up third fastest time of the day in competi- tion with cars two and three times the size of his own. When the event N'vas over, lie tools out the en gine, installed he smaller single 500 C.C. unit, put the car in a plane for Holland, and won a race there the following afternoon" John Cooper tells an amusing story of the time lie was testing a car manufactured "for export." For tivo or three days he tried it Out on the Kingston by-pass, where two motor -cycle policeman always followed to ensure that lie did not get to a dangerous speed. Out morning the car and the two policeman were held up together at traffic lights, When the lights changed there was a cloud of black smoke caused by the fri.c.ion of the tires as the car shot away at high speed and disappeared in the dis- tance. .Later, two mystified policemen presented themselves at the gar- age, asking, "What have you put in that engine of yours this morning?" Not until they were shown the works did they realize that there was a twin engine where a single unit had reposed before. Oil the competitive side, more and more drivers are being attract- ed because once the initial expendi- ture has been overcome they cost little more than motor cycles to maintain.. At 100 m.p.h., the driver gets much tile* same thrill out of speed whether lie is in a large car or a small one, The Italians have tagged them as "Juke boxes," why, no one seems to know. Because of the lightness of the cars, there is rarely any serious trouble, and any dam- age earl be put right in next to no time. At one meeting a 500 c.c. driver hit a protective straw bale so hard that he bent his front axle almost six inches out of true. But he could still. drive it; and the car looked as good as new two days later. Even punctures seem to make little difference. Stirling Moss, the well-known 21 -year-old driver, felt something wrong with one of his front wheels half -way through a recent race, but he carrried on and won. The car lurched badly as he came to a stop, and only then did he discover that the valve had been torn out of the tire. Air pressure had been maintained by centrifugal force, which meant that he had been driving on a puncture at well over 60 m.p.b.1 Have to be Tough An extraordinary spill occurred at the Goodwood meeting at Whit - sun. Three cars going into a bend together at 90 n1.p,li. became inter- locked. John Cooper was on the outside, and describes it thus: "I saw that the machine next to pie was apparently taking off. Two wheels came up and rode over my wheels, so that .f could see the crank -shaft and underparts of the car I thought the best thing I could do was to turn away in case lie went over. In doing so I 'vent off the track and hit a concrete post." By all the rules there should have been a bad accident. But there wasn't. Cars and drivers alike are tough. Probably competing some- where this week will be a car and driver that recently were concern- ed in one of the most spectacular Of all post-war motor -racing crash- es., While racing at Blandford, a 500 C.C. car flew off the track—liter- ally. It took to the air and landed oil the roof of a stied! NEW USE FOR ROADS Outsi& .Russia roads are used for walking or driving, Inside Russia -•-non• that is a different story. Here is what the So`,iet paper Sotsialistichslcoie leniledelic re- ce'lltly repor't'ed: "The broad and even highway between Mosccow and Raizan stretches for many kilometers, Icor the second year already the kol- khozniks of Lukhovitsy use one side of the asphalt - covered highway n for drying grain. For tens of kilo- meters the asphalt is covered with a thin layer of grain." The paper recommended this method of drying grain to other kolkliozes. The only trouble is that hard -surface roads are extremely, rare in the U.S.S.R. Perhaps now, that a suitable use for them has been discovered, more wilt be made. n 71 '4, k "One -Carrot" Ring—tiVayne Wicklander got a ringer when he dug up this carrot in his garden. The carrot, seen enlarged in inset, had known through a badly -tarnished gold ring. The stone, possibly a diamond, was missing. Memorable Sayings Marriage: "Every plan is fright - By Bernard. Shaw erred of niarriag•e when it conies to the point; but it often turns out very comfortable, very enjoyable Success: "The secret of success is and happy indeed, .,ir--from time to offend the greatest number of to time." people.,, as: "x111 progress is icall- Art: "Art is the niagic mirror you by challenging current con - ed by make to reflect your invisible ceptio and executed supplant - cepa dreams in visible pictures. You use is s." ing existing institutions. a glass -mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your Poverty: " \1'e, after the terrible soul." experience ive have had of the ef- Writing: "Journalism can claim fects of poverty oil the wlmolL pa - to be the highest formof literature; tion, rich or poor, must go furtherfor all the highest literature is and say that nobody nrrrst be poor," journalism." Doctors: "Is it possible for a man Praise: "Woe unto pie when all to go through a inedical training men praise pie!" and retain a spars: of common England: "It takes an Irishman sense:" years of residence in England to flsidier: "Soldiering, my deal learn to respect and like a block- madam, is the coward's art of at - head. An Englishman will not tacking mercilessly when you are respect nor like anyone else." strong, and keeling out of harm's Truth: "The truth is the one way when you are weak." thing nobody will believe." Conversation: " ablest and Christmas: "When you find sonic most highly cultivated people country gentleman keeping up the continually discuss religion, politics old English customs at Christmas and sex." and so forth, who is he? An -American who has bought the Experience: "We learn iron ex - place." perience that men never learn any - Laughter: "Orr, do not make me thing from experience." laugh. Laughter dissolves too many G. B. S.: "Shaw is an incor'rig- resentments, pardons too many sins ible and continuous actor, using and saves the world a many thou- his skill as deliberately in his social sand murders." life as in his professional work in Love: "Sir: there are two trage- the production of his often plays. dies in life. One is to lose your He does not deny this `G. B. S.' heart's -desire, The other is to gain lie says `is not a real person: lie is a legend created by myself.' " NEW SURPRISES IN SANTA'S BAG C Santa—working closely with the toy manufacturers—goes al Here are some of the shiny new items that the old gent will 1, cienfist i Can't Tell why It, Is The geographer looking at t ka wap of Europe Is baffled by the olds question: Why do men who look on the sea differ so much from won who look on the lands' Here is Western Europe, with the sta everywhere present and all coun- tries maritime countries. Here is Eastern Europe, a -vast plain stretching eastward to the shores of the Pacific. " Why should the monotonous, infinite gray line of the horizon at sea suggest different trends of thought to the human mind than the landlociccd horizon?" asks Jean Gottmana in his recently published "A Geography of Europe." Perhaps it is because the sea offers so rnatay opportunities for trade not only with neighbors but wHi distant and different civilizations. 'Western Eur- ope discovered the world and placated it; civilization everywhere. "Tile geography of Europe,"Gott- mail adds, "is largely conditioned by history, but this geography also conditions to a large extent the future of our world." The geographer finds no physical barriers that would account for the present division of Europe. The barriers are spiritual. Differences of religion and language, memories of old wars and fear of future wars, a compleit of emotions and ambi- tions inherited from "the dark back- ward and abysm of time" keep the barriers in place, Race is no longer important and, in fact, the races of Europe call no longer be clearly defined. Language plus religion equals race, as the geographer sees it. Yet the sharp division between East and West Europe has existed for centuries and seems destined to continue. What has happened in our time is that Eastern Europe has reached out and drawn large areas of Central Europe behind its Iron Curtain. Spiritual barriers which have always existed have been increased to almost impene- trable strength by the great East- ern European Power. The barrier has also bee -a moved far to the west, so that on the map Western Europe looks like a small broken peninsula attached to a huge solid continent. The geographer recognizes but does not fully explain the divisions of Europe, The historian can ems - plain more. He talks of the Graeco- Roman Heritage of the West and the Byzantine heritage of Russia, of the long struggle of the Empire and the Papacy, the Renaissance and the Reformation, the French Revolution and the Rights of Mara. On the other hand, he talks of the I peculiar Byzantine attitude toward P E TOYS — t out to keep abreast of the kiddies ave under Yule trees of good little The 1951 bicycles are as shiny as next year's autos. It's import- ant to get the right size, ranging from the 16 -inch junior (fol' age 4 to 6) at left, to the 26-incher "for 10 to 100." Inset shows detachable balance wheels for tiny tots.) Fire When Ready The six-foot telescopic ladder of a new tractor -trailer fire truck fascinates Peter Vega, 7. It's a new item for Santa's pack, guaranteed to make any juvenile fire department into a first-class fighting outlt, the West which Moscow 'inherited while claiming to be the Third Route, Professor Toynbee explains the Byzantine attitude as a Idil C of inferiority complex, the r"esuli of the Roman conquest of the .ol(l Greek states. If this course ,of rea- soning is correct one might say that the policies of the Kremlin are the unfortunate consequence of the fact that the Romans happen to have administered a decisive defeat to the Macedonian armies at the Battle of Pydna, 168 &C. Next Thing Wl1II Be Atomic c Submar nes Even though a submarine call re• main submerged with the snorkel breathing tube for far longer periods than formerly, it is still tied to th.e surface because its diesel engines must be supplied Nrith air. The atomic submarine could cruise com- pletely submerged for periods limit- ed only by the air requirements of the crew. If the hull design bad the right characteristics, the sub- marine speed would be even greater than the surface speed for the same amount of power. Full -speed under- water operation would be possible for days, and not for minutes, as at present. All surface vetisels would be within range. The submarine of today is a spider waiting for the approaching victim-, an atomic submarine is a wolf that that would pursue its prey. Reduction in Weight Instead of increasing the amount of machinery, atomic power may reduce it, with a consequent reduc- tion in weight. The dead weight of atomic_ fuel for an extended cruise would be neg•1'gible. Even the heavy shielding needed around the atomic reactor for protection of the crew might be less than the heavy fuel tanks and batteries i+f. conventional submarines. The ratio of time on patrol to time in tine water is so high at present that fewer subiaarines driven by atomic power could take the place of a large number of the diesel type. This is important when we remember that the U.S. sub- marine fleet comprises 170 vessels, that of Soviet Russia at least 350. Moreover, it takes an average of two years to build a fleet -type submarine. The reactor that is now being developed by the Knolls Labora- tory will operate at high, tempera- ture, The, heat generated will be transferred frons the "fuel" to it liquid metal in a closed low-pressure system, then to a boiler, where steam will be generated to drive steam turbines. Afore power will be delivered to the shafts than is now possible for fleet -type units. No tangible products of combustion will be released. and thus ahead of the -times. boys and girls come Dec. 25. A junior atomic scientist ,oufit will appeal to the young genius in the family. It comes complete with Geiger counter, cloud chamber and a fluorescent screen to show radioactive material disintegrating. No .. , no H-bomb yank. Now twist in saving is this three-way bubble gum -basketball game bank combination, Put a penny in the slot, ball of gum rolls onto a spring shooter ireside the bank. Make the basket and the gimpy rolls (out for chewing.