Milford chronicle., 1903-05-29
Nine DEAD IN AUTO RACE
Paris-Madrid Speed Contest Was a
Series of Accidents.
TRAVELLED 81 MILES AN HOUR

TRAVELLED 62 MILES AN HOUR
Number Of Accidents Did Not Cause
Great Surprise Owing to Number
of contestants-contlnuance of Race
Forbidden.
Paris. May 25.-The first stage in
the Paris-Madrid automobile race,
from Versailles to Bordeaux, 34S miles,
was finished yesterday afternoon when
Louis Renault dashed at a furious
pace into Bordeaux, having made
record run of hours and q minutes.
An hour later NJ. Gabriel arrived with
a still better record of eight hours
seven minutes. 1t is estimated from
the times made that these automo-
biles covered 60 miles an hour on the
road outside Of cities.
These victories, however we're
clouded by a series of accidents. At
least two cars were wrecked and
Marcel Renault, the winner of the
Paris-Vienna race last year; Lorraine
Barrows, a very well-knOwn autOmo-
bilist. and Renault's chauffeur were
seriously, it is belived fatally, injured.
while Barrows' chauffeur was killed.
It appears that Mr.. BarrOws had tried
to avoid a dog which was crossing
the track, and his monster car struck
a tree with terrific force. His chauf-
feur was killed outright. Barrows
himself was picked up unconscious,
but still breathing, and was taken to
a hospital, where his condition was
declared TO be critical His car was
dashed to pieces. Moreover. a seri-
Gus accident occurred near Angou-
leme, in which the two occupants OF
an automobile were seriously injured |
and two spectators were killed.
The most terrible accident occurred !
near BOnneval 10 miles from Char |
tres, where machine No. 243, driven |
by M. Porter. was overturned at a |
railroad crossing and took fire. The |
chaffeur was caught underneath the |
automobile and was burned to death |
while two soldiers and a child were |
killed A Chauffeur was badly injured |
by an accident to his motor car near |
Angouleme. A woman crossing the /
road in the neighborhood Of Ablis was
run over by one of the competing .
cars and killed.
This number of accidents has not /
caused any great surprise in view of /
the number of contestants in the race /
and the great speed and power Of their
machines.
It is estimated that 100000 persons
crowed into the Versailles to witness
the start of the race. Soldiers with
fixed bayonets lined the track for some
distance from Versailles. A bomb
was exploded as a signal to get ready,
and Immediately Charles Jarrott's car
drew into place. Another bomb was
fired for the start, and then the enor-
nous machine shot forward amid the
shouts of the thousands of spectators.
The other cars followed in quick sue
cession. Nine. De Cast, the sole fe-
male competitor in last years Paris
Berlin race. was again the only wO-
man to participate in the present
contest. Her machine was decked
with flowers and her departure was
the signal for a great ovation. She
made a splendid run, passing five of
her competitors before reaching
Chartres.
In view of the number of accidents,
some fatal, in the first stage of the
automobile race from Versailles to
Bordeaux, Premier Combes has for
hidden the continuance of the CON
test on French territory. The second
stage of the race, which was to have
been run tomorrow. included a run
over French territory from Bordeaux
to the Spanish frontier.