Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-25
DEATHS IN AUTO RACE.
FrenchAuthorities Stop Reck-
less Sport.
SPEEDED LIKE WIND
SPANISH GOVERNMENT ALSO
TAKES ACTION.
Many Of Contestants Drop Out When
They Hear First Reports
Of Fatalities.
LIKE WIND

special cablegram from Paris to the
New York Journal says:
Begun in a blaze of glory. the great Paris
Madrid automobile race, before 1t was ten
hours old, has ended with a sickening rec
ord of fatalities which will forever scar
the remarkable achievements of its ill-fated
first stage.
Six deaths have already been reported
from points along the line. Three racers
and chauffeurs have received fatal injuries,
and not few have been seriously hurt.
Several Of the dead were spectators. one
is a woman. Another child.
And bad as the record of fatalities is, the
fact that those ponderous machines, some
of them ranging from sixty to ninety horse
power and averaging from six hundred to
thousand pounds in weight. were bowling
along the country roads at seventy ami
eighty miles an hour makes it seem re-
markab BILE that the list of fatalities is not
larger.
In consequence of the accidents, Presi-
dent Loubet, through Premier Combes,
forbade the continuance of the race on
French territory. Following this, the Span
iSh government has also placed the race
under the ban. So it is at an end.
Many of the contestants dropped out
when they heard the first reports of the
fatalities. and a continuance of the race
under the gruesome circumstances would
have raised storm of protests.
Predictions Of Accidents.
The New York Times says:
Predictions of accidents in the Paris
Madrid race have been made ever since the
large number of entries-31twaS an
nOEnced. On account of these numerous
entries it was necessary to start the racers
at intervals of only one minute, and con-
sequently all but the first few starters were
compelled to start in and ride through a
cloud of dust
This fact, together with the high rate Of
speed of the enormously powerful ma
chimes of 60 to 100 horse power or more,
caused even French racing authorities to
fear trouble, and the cabled preliminary
accounts of the arrangements for the race
say that 5000 soldiers and 1900 police, a
total Of 10000 men, were stationed along
the roads between Paris and Bordeaux to
keep the course clear.
The total length of the course of the race
from Paris to Madrid is 712 miles, divided
into three stages. as follows: First. Paris
to Bordeaux. 243 miles; second, Bordeaux
to Vittoria. 20S miles: third. Vittoria to
Madrid. 261 miles. 1t was expected that
Bordeaux would be reached by noon yes
terday and a rest taken there today. Wit
toria being reached at noon tomorrow, and
Madrid Wednesday.
New Regulations.
Each car in the first two classes carried
an observer belonging to the Automobile
Club of France or to the Royal Automobile
Club Of Spain or other recognized club,
who was to report any breach Of the rules
This was new regulation. Another new
rule was that the cars at the end of each
days run were to be placed in a pare,
in which absolutely no repairing, oiling or
other attention to the vehicle or machin-
cry would be permitted, save the injection
of little gasoline into the cylinders OF
gasoline cars or the putting out of the fires
and emptying Of the boilers of steam cars
Each morning the cars were to be started
and taken straight away from the pare"
and any repairs replenishments were to
be made outside and would count in the
running time.
Very strict rules had been made for stop
ping at controls. as good deal Of friction
arose in the Paris-Vienna race last year.
A highly important new development was
the placing, not only by individual achieve
ment, but by teams. Makers were instruct
ed to designate four of the vehicles entered
by them, which would constitute a team
In each class awards were to be given in
three groups: % Teams in which all four
vehicles reach the finish; (2) three out of
the four; CD two out of the four, and "a
one out of the four. The result would have
been significant for great as is the credit
of the actual winner, still better is high
average of regularity in running.
Another important feature was the pro-
hibition of assistance being given to the
cars by any persons save those who ride
on them, and also of the posting of vehicles
along the route with employees Of the COM
petng firms to give help in case of need
This has been a great abuse in former
races. 1t obviously put enormous advan-
tages in the power of wealthy firms who
could afford to station men with SPARE
parts and tools at short intervals along
the route, and who could effect repairs
with the briefest possible loss of time. 1t
Is said that Messrs. Panhard and Levassor
spent $50 Coo over the Paris-Vienna race
last year.