Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-07
FRANCE WINS
VANDERBILT CUP
ITALY CAPTURES THE SECOND
PLACE IN CONTEST
Frenehmen Also Take Third and
Fourth Honors, While cer-
man Car Finishes
Filth
Rc Associated press.

-
NEW YORK, oct. 6.-France today
won the third International automobile
race for the William K. Vanderbilt,
Jr., cup. completing a record Of three
straight victories in this. event, which
is run over the turnpikes of Long
Island, the center of the course be-
ing about twenty miles from New York
city. Italy was second in the race,
France filled third and fourth places,
while Germany furnished the fifth car.
Only these five machines completed
the tenth and last lap of the course,
which was 2971 miles in length. The
total distance of the race was 291l
miles and Louis Wagner, driver OF the
winning car, made the distance In 29O
minutes 10 Us seconds, a speed OF more
than a mile a minute for the entire
distance.
who lined the course one paid with his
life the penalty of a too great curl
osity. He was near the dangerous
turn in the course known as Krug'
corner. Two cars had flashed by when
the man ventured out on the road to
get a better view of the others coming.
With the rush and roar of throDblng
engines the French car driven py I'll
lott f. Shepard, an American, dashed
into the man, who, in view of thou
sands, was hurled high in the air. Wnen
picked up many yards from the scene
of the accident the man was dead. HIS
skull had been fractured, both legs
broken and he was frightfully' crusneu:
After a few minutes he was identlned
as Bert l.. Gruner of Passaic, N. j.
Shepard plunged ahead at 80 miles an
hour along the straight stretch lead
ing to the judges stand. He was COM
pleteIy unnerved, however, and did not
finish his seventh Ian. 1t was given
out that he had broken a crank shaft.
SHEPARD was running sixth and was IN
a contending position when the accl-
dent occurred.
Joseph Tracey, In his American car
crashed into crowd of men and boys
and seriously injured Sylvester Bald
win, a boy of Norwalk, Conn Several
others were slightly hurt. Tracy held
to the course
DR.. Weilschott, an amateur driver
of an italian car. lost control OF his
big; 120-horsepower machine on the
very first round He ran down two
hovs on bicycle. then plunged down
a 3O-foot embankment. Both the
driver and his mechanic were picked
up unconscious, but were quickly re-
vived. The injured boys are John
Brooks and Robert Teneycl. both liv-
ing near the course, Several persons
were run down by touring cars in the
crush going and returning from the
race.
It was impossible to keep the inn
rnense throng off the course They
swarmed on the roads, breaking down
the danger fences as though they were
built of paper strings.
The Dlare of the bugle and the cry
of ''car coming" had no effect upon the
crowd. They held their positions on
the course until the oncoming car was
within a few hundred yards.
Then, like the opening of an i'm
mense wedge, the crowd gave way with
reluctance, leaving barely room for the
rushing car, with it's powerful engines
splitting fire and flame and roaring
like battery of small caliber artll-
lery to dash through. one false mo-
ton of the hand clutchins the steer
ing gear and an accident like that of
the express train crashing into hum
dred people would have resulted.
The accidents that did occur We're
early in the race, before the majority
of the spectators became SO bold
The Vanderbilt cup again goes into
the possession of France and the next
race will be run in that country. The
race was held in America this year
through the courtesy or last year
winner.
Wagner. who won the cup, drove the
same make Of car that carried Hem
ery to victory last year. Hemery was
to have driven the car this year but
at the eleventh hour gave way to his
junior associate on the racing team.
Wagner was ahead on every lap.
Seventeen cars started in the race,
and of these fourteen were running
when time was called. All fourteen
had completed the seventh round of
the course, eleven had completed the
eighth, eight had completed the ninth
and five had completed the tenth and
last round over the course. T,:is was
regarded as remarkable record. Leb-
Ion was the only driver of an American
car to complete the ninth round.
Tracy of the American team, winner
Of the American elimination trials,
was on his ninth round when stopped.
He had the satisfaction of driving the
fastest lap of the day, thereby estab-
fishing new record for the course.
He made his fifth circuit of the 29.71
mile path in 26 minutes, q seconds.
The drivers slowed down to twenty
tiating some of the turns, Then to
orlng their average up to the sixty
miles an hour notch it was necessary
TO pound along some of the straight
stretches at ninety miles an hour and
more. The official grandstand was on
one of the best Of the long stretches
and as the cars roared their way
through the cheering thousands, they
were reeling off their fastest miles.
1t was 615 o'clock this morning, cold,
gray and misty after a night of fog,
when the first car was sent away on
It's long journey. The others followed
At one minute intervals. The first big
reak racing machine was showed to
he tape. The engines crashed in a
ieafening roar at starting.
The seconds were tolled off by an
official. Beginning at ten" he count
I'd backward to "one" and then shout
I'd I'm the drivers ear "go" There
followed a sputter of fire. the clank
IF gripping clutches. cloud Of oily
Yirt flung from the rear wheels and
he car was gone from view. The
tart and finish of the FIVE cars which
completed the entir,, distance follow:
NO. 10, Wagner, French: start 6:24
l. M, finish ii;14;1o 2-5, elapsed time
i:5O:10 2-5.
No. A. Lancia. italian; start 6:18.
inish 11Il;2S 2-5. elapsed time
No. 49, Duray French; start 6:31,
a, ~