The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-25
DEATH RODE AUTOS
,,RIGHTFUL ACCIDENTS OF RACE
FOR SPORT.
WERE so MANY AND AWFUL
THAT FRANCE AND SPAIN FOR
RADE CONTINUANCE.

aires, Fast Machines from Paris to
8ordeaux-RenauIt and Jarrett
Made a Probable Draw I'm the
stage of the Race That Had Mad
rid Fixed as Its End-StOry of the
Race and Accidents.
Paris. May 24.-The first stage in the
Paris Madrid automobile race, from
Versailles to Bordeaux, S4S miles, was
finished at noon to-day when Louis
Renault dashed at furious pace into
bordeaux, having made a record run
of eight hours and twenty-seven min
utes. An hour later M. Gabriel ar
rived with a still better record OF eight
hours and seven minutes. 1t is estl-
mated from the times made that these
automobiles covered sixty-two miles an
hour on the road outside the cities.
These victories, however, were cloe<d-
ar nv a series of accidents, having In
ono case. at least, fatal result. AT
least. two cars were wrecked, and Mar
cal Renault the winner of the Paris
Vienna race last year, and Lorraine
Barrows, a very well known automo-
biIist. and Renaults chauffeur, were
seriously and it is believed fatally IN
iured. while Barrow's chauffeur was
killed.
Moreover, an unconfrmed report says
a serious accident occurred near An
gonlenle. in which the two occupants
of an automobile, the owner of which
&c not vet known, were seriously in
iured. and two spectators were killed.
caused any great surprise here, in view
of the number of contestants in the
race and the great speed and power OF
their machines.
Vanderbilt Dropped Out.
The name of w. K. Vanderbilt, Jr''
disappeared from the reports along the
route after Rambouillet, where he
passed 2Sth in order at 4:45 o'clock this
morning, going in fine form. The omls-
sion of his name from the dispatches
from Charities, the next town on the
road. caused some anxiety and
brought forth a number of inquiries.
1t was learned later that he, Henri
Fournier and Baron de Forest with
drew from the race together before
reaching Charities All of them suffer-
ed break-downs, and having lost three
hours, they decided it was useless to
continue. Vanderbilt and Baron de
Forest laughed and made light of their
withdrawal.
Foxhall Keene Tod Sloan and w. j.
Dannat, the American artist, did not
start c. Gray Dinsmore is thus the
only American left in.
Versailles passed q night of wild ex-
Tod hot
persons crowded into the little town to
witness the start of the race. Soldiers
with bayonets lined the track for some
distance from Versailles.
bomb was exploded at 1886 a. m. as
a signal to get ready, and Immediately
Charles Jarrotts car drew into place.
Another bomb was fired at 3:45 o'clock
for the start, and then the enormous
machine shot forward amid the shouts
of the thousands of spectators. The
other cars followed in quick success
sion.
One Woman In the Race.
Mime. DeGas, the sole female COM
petitor in last years Paris Berlin race,
was again the only woman to partici-
pate in the present contest Her ma
chine was decked with flowers and her
departure was the signal for great
ovation. She made a splendid run,
passing five of her competitors before
reaching Charities.
The crowd around Mr.. Vanderbilts
machine prevented him from reaching
the starting line in time and he was
further delayed by a controversy with
the judges, finally starting two min
utes late. The last departure was at
Gas o'clock this morning.
The reports along the route soon
showed that Louis Renault was making
a great race, and before reaching
Charities he had overtaken and passed
Charles Jarrett NJ Renede Knyff and
gained a lead which he never after
ward lost. Dispatches from Vendome,
Tours and Poictiers told of his pass
ing through ahead and Bordeaux sent
the announcement of his arrival first,
at 12:14:45 O'Clock. He had beaten
Henri Fourniers record of eight hours
and forty-four minutes.
Charles Jarrett finished second at
1880, having covered the course in
hours and A minutes. NJ. Gabriel
arrived third, at 1908, his time being
hours and I minutes. The other con-
testants who made fast time were j.
Salleron, hours, 40 minutes; Baron de
Crawher, s hours, SO minutes; j. B.
Warden, 8 hours, so minutes, and M
Voigt hours. So minutes.
Came News OF Accidents.
During the afternoon word of acct
dents began to arrive and cast a cloud
over the event A dispatch from Bor-
deaux announced that Lorraine Bar
rows had met a shocking accident
near Libourne, seventeen miles from
Bordeaux, at lis p. m.
It appears that Mr. Barrows had
tried to avoid a dog which was cross
ing the track and his monster car
number five in the race, struck tree
With terrific force. His chauffeur was
killed outright. Barrows himself was
picked up unconscious, but still
breathing, and was taken TO hos
rital, where his condition was de-
clared to be critical His car was
dashed to pieces.
Shortly afterwards news came that
Marcel Renault had been overturned
in deep ditch beside the road near
Couche twenty-oue miles from Polo
tiers, and that he was dangerously in
1ured.
The automobile club of Bordeaux
received a dispatch at o'clock, say
ing Reneult was unconscious, and, II
Mas feared. dying.
Many lesser break-downs and cas-
ualiies are reported.
ChR6eur Burned 30 Death.
Dispatches arriving from points along
So