The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-09

After Two Had Finishsd because
Crowds at the Grandstand We're In
Danger Contestants Reached ~
Miles an Hour al Ttmcs--One so NtuS
Dash in IA Mlnut es-Scenes by the Way.
An American, in a French made machine.
George Heath, with Panhard OF 90 horse
power. won the race for the William K.
Vanderbilt, Jr., Cup. on Long Island, yester-
| day. the first international race for motor
cars ever held on American soil.
The 2si,lO miles of road were covered
by Heath in his big. square nosed car. In
| s hours 20 minutes As seconds actual runs
ming time, and he won the trophy by travel
ling the distance in only minute % secon ds
better time than did the young Frenchman,
Albert Clement, who drove an 50 horse
| power Clement car from his fathers factory.
Young Clement made n protest for an
allowance Of time. but 1t did not result IN
chan ging the order OF the finish
ONE DEATH IN THE WILD Run.
In the struggle to win the trophy, one
man was killed and several we're injured.
| OF the in jured one was seriously hurt. The
dead man was Carl Meusel, chauffeur for
George Arents, Jr.. Of New York 1t was
Arents hims self who was most seriously
hurt.
The race was one Of tremendous speed
| Seventeen cars started at two minute in
tervals. beginning at O'Clock in the morn
ing. Most Of them were 30 or 40 horse
power. and they went rushing about the
triangle, through the sleepy farming
villages, at from 40 to 90 miles an hour.
Thousands thronged the roads in every
direction. The deputy sherifs were with
out authority to keep the crowds off the
course. They could only VAN them.
The race was called of only after two
men had finished, because the crowd grew
more reckless, and the officials feared
disaster.
| In some Of the laps over tho 30 mile
! course. which was covered ten times, The
average speed was higher than in the con-
! test for the Bennett cup, in Germany, last
June. Various cara at times went 10
miles an hour or more, but the average was
cut down by the many turns. The average
for the whole race was lowered, because
not even the winner escaped tire troubles.
DASH AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
! The fastest tirue made in the race was
! that OF Teste. the Frenchman, who did not
finish. He covered one lap of 80. miles
in "a minutes seconds, a rate of nearly
| 10 miles IN hour.
This the FIRST race for the Vanderbilt
cup was held under tho auspices al the
American Automobile Association. with its
racing board as the executives.
The race was run over course shaped
! like an elongated triangle, extending through
Nassau county and into Queens county.
its base lying to the east between Jericho
nd Plain Edge and its apex at Queens
pointing west.
| Four nations were represe in the
race, America, France, Germany and Italy
French cars we're first and second; American
cars third and fourth, German car fifth.
and another American made car sixth
That was the way the leaders stood when
the contest was declared OF TO prevent a
great sacrifice of life; but only two cars
we're officially timed for the total distance,
and only three made the whole trip.
HOW THE LEADERS FINISHED y
The six cars in order We're;
George Heath's 90 horsepower Panhard,
driven by himself; Albert Clements 80
horsepower Clement, driven by himself;
Pope Manufacturing Company's ~ horse
power Toledo, driven by 81. II. Lyttle;
Packard Motor Car Company's 40 horse
power Packard, driven by c. Schmidt;
s. B. Stevens, Jr.'s, 90 horsepower Mer-
cedes, driven by A. Campbell; Frank
Croker's rs horsepower Simplex, driven
by himself.
Save these ak. but two cars were still
running when the race was called OF. These
were the 90 horsepower Mercedes OF Isle
dor wormser, Jr., driven by ]. Luttgen
These were simply limping along.
NINE CARS OUT OF THE RUNNING.
All the other cars OF the seventeen that
started had been put out OF the race by
some accident cripplins them or their
operators. Mishaps Of all sorts marked
the whole race Giant road engines ran
In wild curves, overturned, plunged into
bitches, bolted into trees, slowed around
and crumpled UP. and yet out Of it all there
was but the one death.
William X. Vanderbilt, Jr,, donor Of the
cup. which In perpetual challenge trophy,
was referee Of the race, and the grand stand
opposite the start was we'll hlled with pa
trons Of tho sport. Although tie CUP vac
| won bv n French uads car. n viii not h~