The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-20
BUFFERS MOTOR DIED
BOSTON MAN LOST AUTOMOBILE RACE
AFTER HE HAD IT WON.
Harry Gibson, of Cincinnati, Won Be-
cause His Gasoline Engine Held
Ont Till the Last.

TIL motorcycle race at Newly oval last
night demonstrated the truth of what a
colored gentleman said Of gasoline ngine
that they were moab mule-like dan a steam
injin." Poor Tom Butler, of Boston, who
has been working out in fine shape at the
track for over a week and putting himself
in form to easily sail way from his rivals,
lost the race, after he had it won. by the
balkiness of his pacing machine Harry
Gibson, the graceful little Cincinnati chap,
whose riding has made him popular in this
city. fell heir to first place by virtue or the
constancy of his red wagon just ahead.
Indeed, Gibson's motorcycle was the only
one that finished. the other two falling by
the wayside. Starbuck was to have had the
fourth machine. but the factory could not
complete 1t In time for the race. The chain
of Charles Porter's pace-maker broke early
in the journey, and a tandem was called
into the game as a makeshift. Gibson's
time was AHA for the twenty-five miles,
and 1t didn't break any records that any
one knows of. The chill of the air, a stiff
wind at times and a slight sprinkling of
rain initiated against record breaking. A
crowd Of several thousand people was out.
and the street-car service home was more
satisfactory than the races.
Porter and Gibson were behind red ma
chimes, more trim in appearance than the
black piece of mechanism which set the pace
for Butler, and having a louder and more
musical "chug." The black machine, how
ever, was Of two and one-half horse power,
while the others were a half horse power
less in strength. The four star riders rode
machines geared to 112. Gibson has made a
mile in 1:A behind his machine, but he
didn't approach this mark last night. Star
buck. clad like a hornet, had the pole; But
Ter. in blue and white, in second position;
Porter, in pink, blue and black, was third,
while Gibson, in baby blue, was up on top
of the bank. The riders were held in posi-
ton while the pacemakers were sent around
the track. AS the pacing machines ap-
preached the riders were started and the
motorcycles came up behind tnem' the
riders catching the pace a few yards from
the starting line. Starbuck was doomed 10
defeat from the very beginning. 1t was an
nounced that he would try TO catch a second
place behind one of the others, but In the
first lap he was out of the race. Pease and
Ward were pilot and engineer, respectively,
way. In the second mile Gibson was pulled
up close to Butler, who led. but could not
hold the position. Before the third mile
was gone Porter's machine broke and he and
dem and occasionally setting a pace for each
other. They would make about two laps
Wnere the MOTORS were going llT6e, OCCd-
sionally catching a motor pace for a few
seconds, only 10 lose IL. The pace of these
gasoline machines was SO terrific that 1t was
end of the third mile Butler, who had been
steadily gaining, passed Gibson and was a
full lap ahead. In the middle of the thir-
teenth mile Butler caught Gibson again,
giving him two laps the advantage. In an
effort to pass Gibson the only pretty sprint
OF the race was seen. and as the whirring
machines tore around the track it looked
Ike a race OF old. so much so the crowd was
inspired TO cheer.
BUFFERS MACHINE DIES.
Butler dropped a few lengths behind and
the race went on monotonously until the
sixteenth mile. when Buffers machine
went dead" The Boston man cried for a
tandem and two of his friends in street
clothes mounted one and started TO pace
him, but a tandem was no match against
a gasoline engine. In a few minutes Gibson
had regained the two laps he had lost and
was drawing easily away from Butler. who,
before that time, seemed TO have the race
clinched. After the twenty-second mile But
ler's motor was put in shape, but 1t was too
late then to do any good. Once or twice
Butler caught Gibson's pace and once Por-
ter, who was also trailing, flew up the bank
of the spectators this seemed to be a foul.
although it would not have prevented Glib
son winning under the circumstances. But
iSl iIlllSDCu a lew ldpS dlleT GlDSOl COH-
pleted. the twenty-five miles. and thus
earned second money, while Porter was still
going around the track to complete his
journey as the crowds left the oval. The
time of the race, as the miles were rolled
| eff, is as follows! las As, 3:3l, 5:12; 6:51 3-5,
$40 20, 1929, 1874, 14;02 Is. 15:4s 2-5, 1899 Is,
1928, 21:14, 23:02 3-5Y 24:50, 26:45 LIS, 2S:47,
1928 4-5. 33:H 20. 1888, 1885 l-5, 1890, H:23 1-5,
1919 %, 45:17, AHA.
A one-mile lap race for amateurs was an
interesting event. 1t was run in two heats,
the first three men at each lap in each heat
scoring points according to position. In the
first heat Cliff Allen won, with j. b. Mar
shall, Of Carbon, second. Time, 2:21. They
qualified in the final. c. J. Wagner, of Day
ton,> and Harry Moorehead, of this city.
also started. In the second heat Willis Coval
was first, James Davis second and George
Walther third. These three qualified. Oscar
Anderson and c. w. Donovan also started.
The time, 2:17. In the final Cliff Allen won,
James Davis second and George Walther
third. Time, 2:22 As.
l.. o.. Watson and Charles Pease won the
one-mile professional tandem from Sam
Murbarger and l.. o. Gordon in 1:57 As. The
worlds record for this sort of a race is
l.57. Willis Coval took the half-mile anna
teur handicap. with twenty yards handicap.
while Harry Moorehead, with sixty yards
start, was second, and Cliff Allen, fifty
yards, third; time, 1:03. Willis Coval at
tempted to lower Harry Gibson's record OF
fifty seconds for a half mile paced and
came within three-ffths of a second OF
| doing II