Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-06
ENORMOUS CROWD WITNESSES
ANNUAL EVENT
AMERICANS POOR SHOWING
Meet With Accidents and Race Lies
Between French and Italian Driv-
ers-Lancia Leading When
Machine Breaks Down
By Associated Press.

LAS CHAMP, France, July 5.-France
again established her supremacy in an.
International automobile contest over
the Auvergne course. Thery, the
French champion, won after an excit-
ing contest with the italian champion
Lancia. An enormous crowd witnessed
the race and gave an enthusiastic
greeting to Thery as he crossed the line
winner.
Soon after the start Lancia began to
draw up with Thery. finally passing
him and securing six lengths lead,
when his machine broke down. There
after Thery had the race his own way,
finishing in 5 hours 18 minutes, with
Cagno another Italian, second, Naz-
zari third, Caillois fourth and carp
fifth.
Three Americans started but they did
not make a notable showing. There
was much surprise among the confess
tants at this Lyttle, who was placed
twelfth and who was the only Amerir
can to finish, in reply to a question
said:
II had almost completed the first lap
at good speed, when, while crossing
rut. the principal lubricating tube Of
my machine burst beyond all possibility
of repair. 1 continued the race. how
ever, my mechanic holding the tube
| together with his fingers for distance
of 400 kilometers. We were both soaked
and nearly blinded by the escaping oil
and were compelled to reduce our
speed. This accounts for our bad posi-
ton in the race. 1 do not know what
became of the other Americans. Ding
ley completed the first lap and Tracey
three laps, but neither returned to Las
Champ. None of the American motor
cars participating in the race was suf-
fciently speedy or appropriate for the
course and there was also much trouble
with the tires. Otherwise we would
have been better placed"
Thery First OFF
The race started at o'clock this
morning. Thery, the French champion,
was the first off, followed by the entire
eighteen contestants, including the
three Americans. A great crowd, in
Guiding Minister of Commerce Clemen-
tel, and Gen. Brugere, the commander
of the French army, witnessed the
start and gave the contestants an en-
thusiastic greeting as they thundered
past at the start. The day opened
cloudy and threatening and the tribunes
and streets presented desolate ap-
day, which stripped off the decorations,
awnings and flags. The crowds began
to arrive before daylight. A formidable
force of military composed of five regi-
ments of infantry and three regiments
of artillery cleared the track at $3.50
O'Clock, a. m.
Thery received an ovation when he
appeared and the Americans also were
warmly applauded. The three Ameri-
can machines were painted red, the
French blue, the English green, the
German white, the Italian black and
the Austrian yellow.
The crowd increased as the hour for
the start approached, many automobile
parties, including Americans, being
among the throngs. The huge machines
quivered and snorted while awaiting
the moment of departure.
At exactly 6 o'clock Thery shot Off
amid cloud of cheers. the other con-
testants following in order and time as
follows: carp. English, sos; Jenatzy.
German, 6;10; Lancia, Italian. 615;
Braun. Austrian. $40; Lyttle. United
States. 6;25; Caillois. France. $3.50;
Rollyes. England. 6:s5; Decaters, Ger
rnsny 6;4O; cagno. Italian. 6;45; Hyer-
onimus Austria. $3.50; Dingley. United
States. 6;55; Duray. France. 1900; Ber-
nachi, England. 7:05; Werner, Ger
many 7:1O; Nazzari, Italy. 7;15; Bar
ton, Austria, 7:20; Tracey, United
States, 7:25
Soon after the start Jenatzy, the Ger
man champion, was delayed twenty
minutes, which threatened to put him
out Of the race. Thery finished the tirst