Evening star., 1902-09-03
MOBILE RACE ASSURED
District Authorities Give It
Their Approval.
FEATURE G.. A. R. MEET
FLOWER PARADE AND SPEED
CONTEST MONDAY, OCTOBER 6.
Other Encampment Preparations-Red
Men to Welcome Veterans
Work of Auxiliaries.

Authority to conduct an automobile race
over a mile straightaway course and a
parade of auto-carriages decorated with
flowers has been granted the citizens ex-
ecutive committee on the forthcoming re-
union of the Grand Army of the Republic
by the municipal government of the ma
tional capital With this cooperation on the
part of the Washington police an assured
fact, the special committee the automo-
bile meet will issue a formal invitation
to the Automobile Club of America to give
its sanction to the race and join with the
local committees to the extent of supervis-
ing and controlling the contest. Mean
while the Washington committees interest
ed in the parade and races will arrange
such preliminaries as the selection of the
line for the parade, the location and roping
off of the course for the races, and the
suitable advertisement of both events.
The present plans of the local committee,
which are, of course subject to the ap-
proval of the Automobile Club. are that the
race shall occur on 10Th street northwest,
beginning just above L street and ending at
l street, with sufficient space at the head
of the street for running start" and at
the end of the course-in front of the Ar
ingtOn Hotel-for the carriages to come to
a full stop. The contestants Will race in
preliminary heats of two carriages each,
with sem-finals and finals for the winners
in the prelimnarieS. Fifteenth street will
be roped off with heavy manila rope and
the cross streets will be inclosed as to
give fine viewpoints for all the carriages
which appear in the parade without inter-
fering with the race course.
Such a program is expected to prove of
the utmost interest to owners of fast ma
chimes all over the country. A race in
Washington will have a national character
not possessed by any contest held any
where else. 1t will correspond to the SINH
lar meets held in Paris. where prizes are
awarded in the name of the whole French
nation. A straightaway course is the dream
of every automobilist, but no suitable
course has heretofore been found. 1t is,
therefore, confidently anticipated that the
meet will enlist the support of every man
prominent in the development of the sport
The prizes are to be handsome silver cups
and will be presented to the winners by
some representative of the government, very
possibly by President Roosevelt.
Plans for the Parade.
The plans for the parade are that the car
riages shall form in the Capitol grounds
proceed slowly up Pennsylvania avenue pass
in review at the White House, turn up
18th street or some other street parallel to
18th and enter the cross streets along the
course of the race. These spaces are to be
reserved for the carriages which participated
in the parade for the particular purpose
of insuring those automobilists who enter
the line with decorated carriages a fine
vantage point from which to view the speed
contest. sufficient number of carriages
nave already been assured the committee
to make the parade pronounced success
Present indications are that between 300
and 800 will be in the line. The occupants
Will represent the whole community of
10 act nd ol,,1a
well members of the cabinet, the District
Commissioners, and other officers of the
government
These arrangements are the result of a
visit to New York by Vice Chairman Rob-
ert b. Brown of the committee on automo-
bile display. Mr.. Brown has just returned,
and reported the greatest interest in the
PROJECT everywhere he went. In New York
NE ne sala, the only question was whether the
Washington committee would have the
forethought to enlist the support of the
Automobile Club, and that support being
obtained the prospect of the speed con-
test was regarded as fine. Makers of ma
chimes are everywhere sufficiently interest
ed to send here for the parade the finest
carriages their shops can construct In
snort, according to Mr.. Brown the meet
mas , aIreaoy taken on the aspect Of great
national competition in automobile con-
struct1on for the parade and in speed con-
struction for the races.
A Conference at the District Building.
Mr.. Brown saw Commissioner MacfarIand
and Maj. Richard Sylvester, chief Of police,
before reporting at headquarters. The for
mer had already called in Maj. Sylvester
for conference over the proposed meet In
anticipation of Mr.. Browns visit He as
sured Mr.. Brown that he and Maj Sylves-
ter saw no objection to the race and parade
If the course of the speed contest were suit
ably roped oft. Any conditions which Mai
Sylvester might propose must be met by
the automobile committee-that was the
only provision attached to the sanction of
the meet by the District Commissioners.
Mr.. Brown and Major Sylveste. chen dis
cuSsed the matter, agreed thA& ne ,see
could be conducted without danger, and
talked over the various courses proposed for
the contest. Pennsylvania avenue was ex-
cluded because of the uneven surface, fire.
quent car tracks and expense Of preparing
the street for the race. Major Sylvester
proposed 10th street wide and even
thoroughfare, but Mr.. Brown objected on
the ground that Scott Circle would interrupt
the race and add to the danger. Fifteenth
street, on the other hand, was evenly sur
faced. unbroken and abundantly long The
matter is still open, but the likelihood is
that the race will occur on 10Th street. as
indicated above.
All automobilists who intend to parttci-
pate in the parade are asked to notify Vice
Chairman Brown, in care of the encamp-
ment headquarters, that they may be pro-