New-York tribune., 1902-08-24
AT BRIGHTON
SPEED TRIALS AT THE SEASIDE RACE
TRACK
TWO ACCIDENTS EARLY IN THE pAT-H s
HARDNESS CAPTURES TWO CONTESTS
IN BIG GASOLINE MACHINE


HARKNEss CAPTURES TWO CONTESTS
IN BIG GASOLINE MACHINE
In weather almost perfect for any sort OF out
door sport. the Long Island Automobile Club
conducted a midsummer automobile speed meet
ing at the Brighton Beach track yesterday This
seaside home of the thoroughbred racer has seen
transformations in the last few weeks The run
ming horses held full sway until the time for the
meeting at Saratoga, and then the rotters ano
PAGERS filled in their week Of sport. Yesterday
the track presented transformation more thor-
ough than ever before, for it was turned over
tc the automobile, the natural enemy and posi-
bic externinator of the horse-at least so the
horseless vehicle enthusiasts predict
The track had been carefully prepared for the
heavy horseless machines. Rolled from inner 10
outer rail the surface was smooth and hard but
the banking at the curves was not nearly steep
enough to allow of safe OF speedy racing OF
four wheeled vehicles, admirably the curves
are banked for the trotter and runner. This
accounts largely for the fact that no sensational
tine was made in the afternoon, the fasleSt
mile made during the day being 1.oI o-a-
And the machine which won the time honoFs
OF the day was almost as much OF freak a
was the cigar shaped vehicle which crea1eu
such havoc on the Staten Island roads not many
weeks ago. The machine is the child OF the
brains Of several boy students at Harvard Uni
versity It is little more than a metal skeie'oh
set upon pneumatic tires and carrying an i'm
mense boiler and two nanipulators One OF the
men sits in the rear and the other in front. tan
dem fashion. the in the rear running the
engine and the one in front doing the steering
The committee in charge of the meet ruled out
the machine upon the plea that the rules stipu-
late that vehicles must be run by one man, al
though all are permitted TO carry one extra
passenger If the driver chooses
The vehicle has become known as the Can
non Steamer" on account of the fast time made
on the good roads about Boston. George 1.
Cannon and his brothers. students at Harvard,
are the inventors Of the machine and the
youngsters were much put out when Informed
that they would not be permitted 10 start in the
open competitions. They finally succeeded in
getting permission TO go exhibition mile, al
though they were informed that no matter what
time was made if would not be accepted as
record. With George c. Cannon in the rear.
looking after the mechanism and young T. L,
Marsalas another Harvard student. in front
TO do the steering the object had the appearance
of steam launch pneumatic tires, with the
boats sides and bottom removed
The machine weighs eleven hundred pounds,
and il was perfectly handled by its young crew.
The boys went up the track and came down at
good speed. and sent the steamer across the
tape with the skill Of professional drivers The
mile was made in los 3d. but the youngsters
were not satisfied, saying that they could do
much better The machine started with $50
pound pressure and finished with 360-pound
pressure, indicating the youthful experts
that better time could have been made. Later
in the afternoon the boys had another chance,
and made the mile in 1:o7 3-5 and seemed salts
fed. for no other machines on the track ap-
preached their effort It is the fastest time
ever made by a steam machine, but whether
would be technically correct in calling it an
automobile is another question worthy Of a
learned discussion from the automobile experts.
ARM BROKEN IN ACCIDENT.
Remembering the fatality attending the
Staten Island automobile speed trials an un-
usually large number of police and suicide re-
porters and morgue editors Were dispatched to
the track to be able to write up the narrowing
details Of death and destruction which the meet
would bring forth. But their services We're not
needed. for all OF the accidents which happened
occurred earlier in the day. and the public saw
none Of them, and few even heard about them
II. C. Smith. driving big machine Of American
make the track I'm the morning ran the
vehicle into the fence, and demolished both
Ar- Smith was not injured. a more serious
accident happened on Ocean Parkway, when a
party of enthusiasts were on their way to the
track Just outside the Brighton Beach track
enc Of the machines ran into obstruction
and was wrecked. J. A Hands and ]. F. Merk
were thrown to the ground. and for an instant
the life Of Mr.. Hands was in danger The
chinery was stopped in time. however. and Mr.
Hands suffered only from broken arm. He
was taken TO the hospital.
HARKNESS DOUBLE WINNER
ness won the real honors of the day. capturing
both the ten-Tnile free-for-au and the pursuit
race. The vehicle weighs :. 130 pounds and is OF
the gasolene type. Iteis of the same make and
model as the machine which killed Mr.. and Mrs.
Fair in France recently In the ten-mile
,here might have been a contest had the novel
steamer been allowed TO start. AS it was, Mr
Harkness sent his red enamelled vehicle TO the
front In the first mile. and. steadily drawing
away from the others, won he pleased by
mile and g half The time by miles was as fol-
lows: One mile 1:I52 two miles 80 Is:
three miles $40 1-5; four miles. 4:51 1-5; five
miles, GOO 20; six miles. 1:13 %: seven miles
10:44 2-5. and ten miles. IL :5f 4-5-fast enough
fir any four wheeled vehicle TO make in safety
on a practically unbanioed track
In the pursuit the spectators eVinced the
lveliest interest. Only three machines were
started. j. W. Howard's steamer had the best
Of IL for time, but Mr Harkness eventually
sent his machine ahead. and at four and three
quarters miles he caught and passed Charles
ID. Cooke, putting the latter out of the race.
At five and three-eighths miles Mr. Howard
overfaken, and Mr.. Hardness had fairly capt
ured the honors OF the day New records for
small gasolene machines We're made in the Ave
mile race for gasolene vehicles weighing one
thousand pounds and under. This race
won by Jacques LongueveZ. in $50 % The
fourth and fifth miles were records. the fourth
mile being made in 6:5l 80
The darkness machine is said to have cost
$4,000 Albert c. Bostwick and other promi-
nent members OF automobile clubs present
but no. enough Of them took an active part in