The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-04
L QUAKER CITY SPEEDWAY
Philadelphians Plan to Have the
Finest In the World.
Fairmount Park Commissioners Re
quest the Councils to Appropriate
100000 for the Purpose-The
Report of the Subcommittee.

100000 for the Purpose-The
Report of the Subcommittee.
PHILADELPHIA, June AFTER many
I weeks consideration of speedway sites in
I Paramount Park the subcommittee of
/ the committee on plans and improve
I ments has recommended that the speed
way be constructed along the plateau ex-
| tending from Belmont Mansion to Cham
| oUnix Highlands This selt ction was
| unanimously approved by the general
| committee and a resolution was passed
! asking the councils to appropriate S210,-
| 600 for this purpose. With this amount of
| money and the natural advantages which
/ the site offers for a speedway, PhiIadei-
| Dhia is promised the finest course for fast
| driving in the world
| Superintendent Vogdes, of Paramount
| Park, prepared the plans for the speed
| way which were adopted yesterday. They
| show a driving course one mile long. The
| speedway itself win be 50 feet wide and
| the return drive 30 feet Between them
viii be plot Of ground 90 feet in width,
| y feet of which viii be occupied by
walk for spectators The remaining
| space in between the drives viii be filed
| with shrubs and trees.
| 4 delegation from the Road Drivers
| Association was present at yesterdays
meeting and gave the plans their fun en-
| dorsement.
! The report on the speedway site sub
| nitted by Col A Loudon SnowGen, chair
| man of the subcommittee, says:
/ 1T was of the first Importance that the
| essential requirements of a speedway be
| decided upon before taking up for con-
/ sideration the different locations suggest
| ed From personal inspection of the
which it was the privilege Of members of
/ this committee TO visit. and from CORES
pondence with the most intelligent men
who enjoy light harness driving in Bos-
| ton. New York, and Chicago, the conclu-
| sion was reached that a speedway con-
| structed for the safety and pleasure of
| drivers and for the enjoyment of the pub
| lie should have:
| a return drive, so that driving can be
| restricted to one direction.
| There SHOULD be ample opportunity for
| the public to witness the speeding trials
| with safety
| The Speedway should be constructed
| at a distance from steam railroads, as
| horses when speeding are in mental eX-
| element and likely to be thrown from
! their stride and alarmed by whistles and
| the rush of speeding trains.
/
| mile in lsgth.
| Having decided on these general rules
| TO be applied in the selection of Ioca-
| ton. your committee. with carefully pre-
| pared plans submitted by our chief en-
| gineer, visited all portions of the park
| where it was possible TO construct this
drive
| After an exhaustive consideration of
| the subject in all its bearings your sub
| committee was led to the logical conclu-
| sion that in constructing a drive for the
| amusement and pleasure of a particular
| class of drivers. there should be no en-
! croachment upon the driving facilities
| which have been established for the use
| of the general public and that therefore
| a speedway should be constructed with
! out any encroa chment upon any of the
| regular drives now existing in the park
/ Having arrived at this conclusion, there
/ appeared to lie but one location in the
! park that was available for the coTstruc-
/ ton of speedway for the use of light
/ harness drivers, with the conditions and
/ safeguards before nam ID, and that is on
/ the plateau running from the historic Bel
mont Mansion TO the beautiful Chamou-
/ nix Highlands, A drive constructed at this
| point viii give an extended outlook over
| the Schuyikiu River. the city and the sur
rounding country for many miles
The plans of the chief engineer show
| that a drive Of about mile in length can
/ be constructed with a return drive paral-
| ieiing it the entire distance. This part of
! the park Is less frequented than any
! other. and in diverting travel to it, we
/ lessen the congestion in other more fire.
queuted sections There will be ample
/ opportunity for the public driving OF
/ otherwise. to witness the speeding. The
! Park Transportation Company has two
| stations bordering on the drive which viii
| add materially TO the facility of the pub
! lie reaching the drive.
The cost of the drive will be approx
! mately $2IG,00O, and councils should bo
urged to appropriate a sufficient sum to