The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-11

considering the protest lodged by Gle
ment in yesterdays automobile race
for the Vanderbilt cup dislllowed the
protest at an early hour this morning.
Heath. who finished first was declared
the winner.
The official time as given out follows:
Elapsed Corrected
time. time.
Heath .....:.6:56:4 5:26:45
Clement ..........6:oS .13 5:28:13
No time was taken for the other con-
testants.
New York, October S.-Four wheeled
vehicles of all sorts of incongruous
shapes, rushing along the road at
speed OF from sixty to ninenty miles an
hour, the air resounding with the ''honk
honk" Of horns, the changing Of bells,
and the shouts OF guards, signal flags
waving and futtering, and an occa>
sfonal cheer from thousands Of throats
was in the atmosphere in Minola,
Hampstead, Garden City and other
Long Island suburbs of Greater New
York today during the three hundred
mile automobile race for the William
K. Vanderbilt, Jr.. cup.
One death, one man in hospital seri-
ously injured. many lives placed in
jeopardy during seven or eight hours
of the day ard many thousands of dol
lars expended, is the result.
The story of the race itself is one of
intense excitement and nerve tension.
After running for seven hours, some
lrN-yO tlEa-
ala hour. faster than many express
trains. George Heath, American
driving q S0-hOrse power vehicle, or
foreign make, and representing the
Automobile Club of France, finished
first in the run Of thre hundred miles.
with Albert Clement. representing the
same club and driving an S0-horse pow
er machine also of foreign make min
ute and 2S seconds behind him.
When the TWO men flashed by the
judges the crowds in the adjoining
grand stand rose in a body and cheer
after cheer relieved the tension or
nerves thai had held the crowd for SO
many hours. But the award was not
vet certain. for Clement lodged pro-
test with the racing board of the Auto
mobile Association of America under
whose control the race was held, and
the decision given ibut a few minutes
before was withdrawn until the board
had made an investigation into the
claims set forth by Clement These
were of = technical nature. Clement III
his protest declared that he had been
held up in Hampstead over minute
and a half and that if this time haC
been allowed him he would have wor
the race He said that his gasolen'
tank broke IN Hampstead and that time
was taken on him while he was repair
ing it, contrary TO the conditions OF th'
race. He also asserted that his time
in controls had been charged agains
him.
Like AL previous races of the kinC
there was 4 chapter of accidents anC
fatality. The victims were among tn
participants in the contest. Fortunate
ly none Of the spectators along tn
course was hurt.
The man killed was Carl Meusel,
chauffeur, who was driving the car o
George Arents. of New York The ac
cident was caused by the tires siippin'
and il occurred about s o'clock, tW'
hours after the start The car wa
travelling at q tremendous rate and wa
approaching a curve, when ii suddenE
sweryed and turned completely over
Meusel was caught beneath the ma
chine while Arents was thrown to on
side Roth men were taken to a hos
pitaI where il was found MeuSel ha
one arm broken and that his Skull wa
fractured and that he had numerou
cuts and bruises. One ear was tor
off, one ankle sprained and he was IN
ternally injured. He died half an hou
later at a hospital. Arents escape
with a few cuts and bruises. Aren't:
car was demolished.
The race was started al o'clock Tn
course was over a thirty mile triansi
with turns that were sharp and dan
gerous. At two places the rallroa
crossed the highway at grade, an
these places were guarded by sigma
men, Twice at these crossings GaDrle
a French motorist, narrowly misse
being struck by a train, in one 1T
stance. running but two feet ahead
locomotive
The starters in the race were: A.
Campbell, Gabriel, Jos. Tracey, A.
Webb, George Arents, Jr., HI. II. Lyttl
u c. A.=...- D