Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-08
HEATH IS THE VICTOR
Continued from First Page.)


chine circled the course at remarkable
speed. The first three laps (9O72 miles,
we're covered Ia 76 minutes and % seconds.
The second lap was covered in 2548.
Alfred g. Vanderbilts car. No. 10, which
was unable to start with the others be-
cause of slight accident. was repaired
and sent away more than two hours late.
The Vanderbilt car was started with no
hope tina. it would be a factor in the race.
Dut to go after a speed record for the
course. The car was stopped at the end of
the first round, however, on the ground that
flying start was not permitted in speed
trial.
The objection to the flying start was final
~ withdrawn and the Vanderbilt car was
allowed to continue. The first round was
completed in 20 minutes fiat.
Crossed Tracks in Front Of Engine.
At Mineola GabrieI's car flashed across
the Long Island railroad track almost d.
rectiy In front of a moving train, missing
the pilot Of the engine by less than thirty
feet. The train had been stopped by the
signal man stationed at the crossing, but
the engineer claims that the flag against
him had. been raised before he started. His
train was moving and had gained fair
neadWay just below the crossing, when the
Gabriel car tore down the road. 1t is
claimed that there was no signal set against
him and that he had no reason to believe
That the track was not clear. For a mo-
ment II seemed that an accident was in
evitable. but the speed of the machine was
SO great that it dashed across the rails in
safety.
Gabriel, who led at the end of the first
zap. maintained his advantage in the sec
ond, covering the course the second time
at an average speed Of sixty-two miles an
hour. The end of the third lap also saw
the french driver leading the procession.
out In the next round Heaths car, No. Z,
shot to the front. leading Gabriel by q
little more than four minutes.
Inc machines entered by E. R. Thomas
ana w. q. Brokaw were out of the race
oe1ore the end Of the fourth lap, the first
from broken springs and the second be-
cause OF shattered axle
Heath Gets Lead From Gabriel.
Heath took the lead from Gabriel early in
the race and maintained it steadily, having
a GOOD lead over all tie competitors I'D to
the finish of the sixth round. Up to that
time Gabriel had held second position but
an accident put him temporarily out Of the
race, and Clement, driving his own ma
chlne. TOOK the position next behind the
ieaoer. Clement made the sixth round in
81 minutes. In the circuit of the course
Heath experienced considerable hard luck,
taking 4S.11 to cover the course Technr-
cally this meant a loss of seventeen points
to the leader and left Clement lacking only
ten points of the leading position. At that
point Heath and Clement were well in the
lead and both were pushing their cars to
the utmost. ~
Gabriel's Second Thrilling Escape.
Gabriel had a second thrilling escape from
a collision with train. This time it was
at Queens. A passenger train had stopped
at the station and unloaded its passengers
and had received the signal to go ahead
The station is only about 100 feet from the
roadway.
On receiving the signal that the track
was clear the engineer started up, and the
locomotive had reached the middle of the
race course when Gabriers car rushed down
the road. A shout went up from the crowd
gathered at the crossing and the signal
was waved frantically to the engineer to
back the train. The lever was promptly
reversed, and as the locomotive slowly
backed off the course the machine flashed
by, missing the cowcatcher by less than
two feet.
Bad Luck Pursued Heath.
Heath's bad luck pursued him. In the
seventh round his tire was punctured at
Queens, almost at the spot where Gabriel
got in trouble a few minutes before.
Clement continued to gain and drove his
machine at it's highest speed in an effort
to cut down the lead held by Heath's dis
abled machine
An explanation Of the many mishaps on
the Jericho turnpike came to light when
Wally Owens. a chauffeur, found a large
quantity of nails scattered along the course
short distance below the grand stand.
Many pieces of broken glass also were
found on the road at this point.
First Serious Accident.
The first serious accident of the race oc-
Cured on the stretch between the turn at
Queens and Westbury. when the tires
slipped from Arens machine and he and
his chauffeur, Carl Muescher, were thrown
violently to the ground Arents was not
seriously injured, but the chauffeur was
badly hurt. Both were taken to a hospital
at Mineola.
Speed of Sixty Miles an Hour.
Up to that point the leader had MAIN
tanned an average speed of about sixty
miles an hour, when the areas of control
are deducted. This speed has been main
tanned including curves and other dangerous
places where it was necessary to reduce
speed to a minimum. Figuring these deduc-
tions, the leader has at times made ninety
miles an hour level and straight
stretches and some experts say that he has
passed the grandstand at Westbury at the
phenomenal speed of 100 miles an hour.
Decision Withdrawn.
Clement protested the decision of the
judges declaring Heath the winner of the
race. The decision was withdrawn and the
protest will be heard and winner declared
at meeting of the automobile association
later in the day.