Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-26
CRIMINAL NEGLECT
Failure to Protect the Auto
mobile Course,
NOTED WRITER SAYS
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF FIRST
STAGE OF RACE.
Cars Fairly Fell Down Slopes, Making
Their Way Through End
less Crowds.
NOTED WRITER SAYS

LONDON, May 26.-JOseph Penneil, the
artist and writer, has sent most graphlc
description of the first stage of the Paris
Madrid automobile race to the Daily Chron-
icle from Chartres. After describing the
assembling of the crowds. and how. finally
the racers were seen coming from the top
of hill, he continues:
'.As the cars fell-there is no other word
for it-down the slopes and approached the
narrow bridge, jumped with bound across
1t and flew with scream up the rise be-
yond, one could see by the twitch of the
wheels, not half of which was caused by
the road, how agonizing was the strain on
the driver, forced to make his way through
the endless, uncontrolled crowds which lit
tered the road from Paris to Bordeaux.
Criminal, Nothing Else.
Much as one may esteem the broad
minded views of the French government
in encouraging the motor industry, the
governments neglect to protect the course
was criminal and nothing else.
Though on the stretch of eight kilome-
ters between Chartres and the first village
there were from 5000 to 10000 people and
500 to 1000 cars, no attempt was made to
control the crowds. mostly made up OF
peasants and people from Paris who knew
nothing about automobiles.
THE horse-drawn traffic was stopped
during the race, but the fools on bicycles
and the imbeciles on motors careered about
and drew I'D anywhere all over the road,
and only escaped killing themselves and
the racing men by the sheer, dumb luck
which is said to protect drunken men, chill
dren and fools. Yet people wonder why
accidents happen. The conduct of the mill
tary authorities was incredible.
jam at Both Ends of Bridge.
From Chartres to the narrow bridge
at the foot of the hill the road was kept
by regiment Of infantry and some gen.
darmes, and though pedestrians were not
permitted to cross the bridge, but had to
pass through the stream below, thus MAX
ing jam at both ends of the bridge, ordi-
nary motor cars and motor cycles were al
lowed free passage, of which they took
such advantage that one of the racing cars
was stopped dead in order that person on
an ordinary car might crawl over.
LAS for the motor cycles In the race they
were simply used near Chartres pacing
machines by any stray scorcher who want
ed to take them Measures for preserv-
ing the safety of the public were either
non-existent or of the most ridiculous char
acter.'
Vanderbilt in a Ditch.
Mr. PenneI then describes the scenes at
the headquarters at Chartres and the ap-
pearance and often hysterical demeanor
of the drivers, who were out of the race,
and says:
Further up the street was another car
with huge cash in the tire of one wheel,
the other tire down, and the whole twisted
and bent, in the hands of a dozen work
men.
Walking away therefrom was being
with part of a cap over one ear and part
of pair of goggles over the other, plas-
tered with mud and oil, in the rags and tat
ters of what had once been a suit of
clothes. 1t opened its mouth and said in
voice choked with tears and in the Amer
lean language:
do not mind breaking down again;
but it makes me so very angry
ut was Mr.. Vanderbilt, and he had been
in ditch