The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-14
~uREE THOUSAND ENTHUSIASTIC
SPECTATORS DISAPPOINTED.
HIGH GEARED MACHINES
COULD NOT NEGOTIATE.
oLpFIELD WENT AROUND TWICE
AND THEN STUCK FAST in MIRE.

money Was Refunded and Arrange
ments Made at Once to Have the
Races on Next Tuesday Afternoon.
Mesnrs. Rainey Will Enter n
Handicap Race With Their so
Horse Power Mercedes Racers.
management Now Anxious to
Satisfy the Public That Postpone
ment Was Not Their Fault.
Three thousand snectators were dis
appointed yesterday afternoon at the
Savannah race track. when it was an
nounced that the condition of the
for the worlds championship between
Barney Oldfeld, driving the Winton
Bullet No. 3. and e. A. Hauseman,
driving the famous freak racer. $685."
In the morning at o'clock the track
looked as hard as cement. but at 3
o'clock it was soft. Even then it was
hoped that the high geared machines
would be able to get under Roadway
and make the race off without disap-
pointing the crowd. When Oldfield
took the Bullet around the course twice
he saw at a glance that there was moth
ing doing for race.
Hauseman started several times with
1899" before he was finally able to get
away, and cover half of the course.
When he struck the heavy going in the
back stretch the high geared machine
stopped still in the mud, and would
not bulge.
After going around twice Oldheld
tried to go in close to the rail on one
of the turns to make fast swinging
turn, and his machine stuck fast and
had to be pulled out.
Yesterday morning before the parade
was put on the streets. Oldfield and
Hauseman went out to the track to see
what condition it was in. They COW
cred the entire course in a touring car,
and it looked good for g. fast race. The
surface was frozen. AS soon as the
sun came out strong the surface, how
ever became as soft as muSh, and
when the heavy wheels of the flyers
struck the miry places they sank half
way to the axle.
Machines Not Made for Heavy Going
Racing machines are not designed for
heavy going. The supposition is, when
they are constructed. that they will
OIlly nave ~ kQAA I'll AAplA u olilOONAA SUI
faces, and when they strike hard going
they stall.
Billy Pickens. owner of $685." was
one of the worst disappointed men m
the crowd, when he found that his ma
chine would not go through the heavy
back stretch. For days he and his as
sistants have been working on the big
racer, changing the gear so that they
could wrest the title of champion away
from Oldfeld. The present gear on the
machine is for straightaway races. in
reality. but it was decided to try 1t on
the circular track as Driver Hauseman
said he would take the turns at all the
speed possible. This was done with a
view of beating Oldfield.
If the gear of the machines was such
that they could overcome the heavy
going at the track, they would not run
fast enough to make it interesting.
Refunded Gate Money.
When It was found that it would be
impossible to run the races, an an
nouncement was made through mega
phone to the effect that tickets would
be given at the gate, and the money
would be. refunded for these at the
store of Mr.. T. A. Bryson. There
was a general rush to get away, and
hundreds of cash checks were given out
to persons who did not pay to get in,
and in some instances to people who