The evening world., 1904-09-21
FEVER BURNS IN
VEINS Of MOTOR CRANKS
American Nation Is Going Speed Crazy
e. R. Thomas Discards a Sixty
Horse. Power Machine for One of
Ninety.H Power.
BY ROBERT EDGREN.
The American nation Is going speed crazy,

u American nAtion u kUus bpotuNTsSy'
Only q few years ago every man. woman and child who could get q
wheel rode centuries or sprinted around the streets. The ola "bone-
shaker" which was the first form Of wheel" was not fast enough. and
gradually the improving pneumalc-thed safety" took Its place. A few
years OF invention brought the bicycle to its zenith. and rider, begA
looking about for something faster.
Then the automobile. or motor-car, appeared.
The slow old bike has been relegated to the attic.
Every man with thirty cents In hs bank account talks about buying
q motorca. So far. auomobinns Is the sport Of the millionaire, for
only a millionaire car afford to buy q big racing car and keep q stan Of
chsuneurs to run II.
The racing fever burns in the veins Of every motor crank. The smell
Of gasoline Is swseter to him than the perfumes Of Araby. First he
sNS q small car. He ies some one pass him on the road and he
longs for something faster. When . modern motorcAr crank has q sixty
horse, car he Is neve, satisfied until he gets rid Of II and obtains an.
other a the bigger. with power enough in It to ram down the iortacs-
Mr.. THOMAs's NEW RACING AUTO.
Witness Mr.. Thomas. owner Of famous race horses. Mr. Thorn. has
been running a sxy-horse Mercedes. Ho has Just obtained a ninety
horse machine. and will run It IN the International Cup races next saur-
Mr.. Thoma. has son. into motor.esr racing Inst as he went into horse
racing Hs chauneurs wear his stable colors while running his cars
than a mile . minute, and he Is an expert driver. His ambition At pres-
'Ih. [. a relief from the horse racing" he said a day or two
Of speed that he can get GU. q his cars, He has been running .
's.'yia; s, ss Iass.''i ' sSe1s u 'ssa ago g; Charlie ns' Gate, s." s.stin sns " 10 e.. H. .
II YOU Try 70 run on. OF those you will kill yourself and Us, too"
then cs s:. Bee. S' s,ius .'s ssSsSa u hs . 's sSa.,. t With giant = dst n .tis.s for and : tain sin''
Then Tn n' thsr. A !. wi nisD1' Wallace ss . Boston millionaire. Mr.. w.,.o,
,Hs 1s'1 'r%Ssa D ;Srr 1sfs' st s sSSssnry a ts, he IN: s'' snlir. the n.. ann A .s, ,;s,
about In the opposite direction. There was a grea. cloud OF dust, and ont
OF Il came Walaces machine. full speed, on the back trail. Luckily
there we're no other car behind him when the accident occurred. ""
l.. b. ROSS GOES THE LIMIT.
Louis B. Ross Is another driver who carries his crazo for speed
to the limit, He has built a racing machine that looks like a tin
cigar, with a hole In the top and four wheels at the sides The head Of
the driver sticks up through the opening In the top. He 10 strapped
TO his seat, aad cannot release himself, but has to stay until he "a un.
strapped after the race. II he should run OF the track into
I fence or anything else, the obstacle would slide along the top o. the car
and slice bis head of before he could wink There would be no POI,
she escape. Yet Mr.. Ross runs his car In every race that be can enter.
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt and W, X. Vanderbilt own and run racing
cars Is powerful as the locomotives OF the New York Central Rail
road. The speed they attain 10 almost beyond belief. YET they are Away
eager to increase II.
w Gould Brokaw has surpassed them ALL lie not only is driyln,
his own motor cars but he is building an arship and with that he hopes t
travel FAR faster than no could In anything that will ever run on wheels
II he succeeds he will 10 onved by every speed-mad millionaire in tn
country, and the aiyhip will succeed the bicycle and the motor-car
Millions will be spent to invent airships faster than that of W. Goul
Brokaw.
"Tod" Sloan owns his cara ory-horse French machine. He vii
drive II himself In tho races Saturday. He has a crack chauffeur, bu
thinks that Ia can get moro speed with himself at The wheel. His CO
has travelled q mile ir SIS seconds.
Earl Kissr, the Dayton Dumpnug." formerly a great bicycle rider
is another speed merchant who has become a n expert maniwiator Of u
devil wagon. lie will compete against Sloan and the Others Motor-ca
racing Is taking all Of tho old bike champions Eddie Raid Is one OF tn
successful ehauhsul
Germany. France ana Italy all Of which countries NJ as speed-ma
too, are 10 b rsprWentsd By driver, each and every one eager to beoom
famous b. estdoag vAndfbuts mile record Of 80 seconaL