The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-27
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RACING HITHAUqOHOBILB
Contestants Leave Paris for Berlin
at Daylight.

Weird Scenes at the French Capital
Preceding the start-The Vehicles
Set Wild Pace and One Of
Them Kills a Child Near Rheims
PARIS. June 27.-The great automobile
race from Paris to Berlin started from
Champigny. twelve miles out Of the eity,
promptly at $3.50 c. clock this morning TIE
French autonobiIist. NJ Huet, was the
first to get off, NJ Giraud, and the other
contestants following at intervals OF two
minutes apart.
The arrangements proved to be perfect.
a crowd Of fully 200 stretched out along
either side Of the road to watch the start
1t was a weird sight to see these dim fg-
ures standing rnotionIess in the early light
and each inanirnate machine start sudden
ly as though tmbued with life and disap-
pear. down the road, amid a cloud of dust,
Each contestant was cheeTed heartily as
he departed and each machine attained
very rapid speed almost instantly.
At 4 o'clock the sun rose ruddy and
large over a distant wood, giving prom
ise of a glorious day for the race, and
revealing a beautiful landscape. The
Valley of the Marne lay to the right Of
the road. and from it the night mists
were slowly rolling away. The sun also
revealed groups OF queer hgur Is, clad in
every conceivable garb. assembled 70 see
the automobiIists ride by. Women sought
points Of vantage alongside the road and
remained there, bedraggled by the dust
| raised by the first machines to pass.
The Iace, as seen q mile from the start
Ing line, presented a most striking effect.
A dark mass of humanity, many thou
! sands strong, almost hid the straight
stretch of long, white road A trumpet
was heard and then small puff Of dust
was. seen. the latter gradually swelling
/ into a vast, dense cloud In front of this
dust-cloud loomed dark object, before
which the crowd parted as the machine,
coming forward ar terrific speed, seemed
to breathe Ike a living thing, the occu-
pants being nearly thrown cut of their
seats BY the vibration. Suddenly the ma
| chine flashed past and disappeared in the
cloud of dust Il was scene never TO
be forgotten by those who witnessed It
and, considering the reckless pace, it viii
be & marvel If the race ends without seme
serious accident
Among the early starters were Charron.
GiFardet, Farman, yoight. Knya, and
Pinsou. The stewards stopped NJ De-
srais because Of some fault in his ma
chine, which raised so much dust that 1t
would have been impossible for succeed
ing competitors to see the road. The de-
cislcn implied discrimination concern
ing the dust-raissng power Of the several
automobiles. which is beyond the eompre-
hension OK the lay mind
The American FoxhaII P Keeue, was
one of the competitors in the automobile
race
One of the automobiles ran over ard
killed child near Rheims
AIX-LA-CHAPELL June Z7-Theu-
sands awaited the auto cars Oh the main
/ road here, and their patience was hard
/ tested The first arrivals were expected
at IL O'Clock, but it was not until I2.5z
O'clock when FournIer, in 3 Ners ear.
reached the city. KHyff followed 1T los
O'Clock, German tine.
/ A vast crowd was present when Four
nier rushed in at fuH speed. He was un-
! able to stop at the arrival post It was
/ only by miracle that many people were
/ not hurt. Fortunately, however. the bulk
i of the crowd had received timely warning
/ Of Fournfer's coming and the road was
fairly clear.