Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-07-02
The Bennett Gun Auto Race,

ufDdu iAhSos
The Bennett Cup Auto Race.
Ballyshannon, Ireland, July 1.-The
automobile race for the Gordon Bennett
cup began here today with cloudless sky
and brilliant sunshine. When the doors
of the station opened the immense crowd
of people fought wildly for seats in the
trains. By the time the race was fairly
under way, half a million spectators were
about the course. The nearest railway
station is seven miles from the start and
cabmen reaped a harvest charging five
and ten dollars for ride, the regular
fare for which is less than dollar. Tae
contest was between four teens of three
men each, representing the United
States. England, France and Germany.
Besider the Bennett cup, which goes to
the best single performer, Mr.. Scott
Montagu, NJ. p, offered 81, 900 trophy
tor the team making the highest average
speed. In order to decrease the dan
gers of collision and to allow the dust to
settle, the cars were started at intervals
of seven minutes. The first car
started at exactly l O'Clock, and
the last II minutes later MoOers, Win
ston and Owen were the American rid
ers. MOOers lost several seconds at the
start through excitement. He tried to
start before relasing his brakes. Just
before the time to start Winton discoy-
cred that part of the operator under his
car was broken and he was unable to
fix it before he was officially declared
started. With his chauffeur the Amer
lean tinkered with his machine, which
was drawn to one side of the road, while
the first four cars whizzed past him, hay
ing completed the first circle.
Almost Immediately after the machine
was repaired, Winton and his chauffeur
jumped in and with triumphant toOt of
his whistle, they rushed off at top speed
amid roar of cheers. Winton's time
of starting was forty minutes after his
official starting time. The first to fall
by the wayside was Stocks, the English
driver. He had broken his wheel and
had been forced to retire from the race.
Following this, Jarrett, one of the En-
glishmen, also met with an accident by
which his car was completely smashed
while the Englishman was trying to
take bad corner too quickly. Foxhall
Keene, the American, is riding for the
Germans. On the first round Keene
broke the record for the distance. The
American trio are showing up very
poorly.
The course was in the form of a
figure 8, the lower portion having cir
conference of nearly 46 miles, aud the
Top part being IS miles around. The
Journey consisted of three times around
the entire figure and once around the
upper circuit, making total of $40
miles, 1920 yards. The starting and
finishing points were at the intersection
of the two parts of the 8, just outside
the town of Ballyshannon. The cars
during the race crossed the starting
point seven times. Five thousand police
and soldiers were requisitioned to keep
the people out of danger and there were
about 700 stewards to give assistance to
the constabulary and militia. All cross
ways running into the course were barred
and traffic throughout the entire section
of the course came to halt for the day.
About the only danger of the race was
to the contestants themselves.
A number of the turns formed very
acute angles, compelling the contestants
to take them at their minimum speed.
Spectators covered every little knoll and
lined the course almost all the way
round. at places four and five feet deep.
! When the race was almost halt
over. Jenatzy, the German, was in the
lead Rene de Knyf, the Frenchman,
was second, with the others scattered.
All the drivers, with the exception of
the American trio had completed the
third round by that time. 1t looks as
if the race would be completed in the
mud as rain began to fall shortly after
three o'clock. Foxhall Keene gave up
the race shortly before finishing the
second round. He discovered that the
axles of his car were weakening.
Jenatzy, the German, won the race,
according to unofficial reckoning. De
Knyf, the Frenchman, reached the
finish mark first, at 5:33, but inasmuch
as the German started II minutes after
him the honors go to Jenatzy. Jenatzy
finished at 5:35, thus bearing Knyf by
ten minutes, unofficial time. Kynff Sc
cured second nlace.