The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-07

made out now which gradually developed
into things that began to TAXI on the forms
OF nearby houses and trees. The track
was beginning to stretch away ina brownish
line and quite clear Of autos and pedestrians.
The. da wn was breaking. A tense feeling
seemed to quiet the crowd. Every seat
seemed to be occupied. Telegraph saunders
could be heard clicking over in the direction
OF the press tent. Things we're going to
happen.
FIRST CONTESTANT ARRIVES.
Suddenly from far up the course to the
eastward-as far a. the mist hal still hung
over the fields would permit one TO see-
came trailing a low car, with red o
still gray in the half light. with a sputtering
sndAl and bark, a olOud Of vapOr and jets
Of flame from the exhaust sticking out
from the left side Of the hood.
From the middle of the oar that skinned
obstreperously toward the starting point
stuck up two white blurs that proved to
be the sweaters OF Jenatzy, the driver OF
the German Mercedes No. 3 On the score
Garland his mechanic. The crowd caught
its breath for a moHlcnt and then there
was applause and an excited babble as
Jenatzy brought his car to a stop o
lDD YhTNNN Dttllllu " thiO oiN w NHS he-N
Of the course. There we're two brown
ovals above those sweaters with goggles
like the port holes Of a cruiser where the
eyes should be. The driver of the German
! car leaped lightly out on the oiled road.
removed some of his football ~headgear
for comfort and with his mechanic began
to preen and manicure his red pet.
The onlookers had scarcely settled to
...o,ok o,.r, Y,aDN.a of tho driyar al he
! crawled around his car while babbling a
running fire Of talk with his assistants
and track officials when there was another
bark and splitting way back to the east
! and out of the gloom slid a blue car with
long gray rood and the number , painted
on the front. This was Heath and his
French Panhard and he took his place
across the track from Jenatzy on the even
number side and slightly in advance OF the
MercedaS
MR.. VANDERBILT ARRIVES.
There were more distant catfghts and
down the course tipped No. I, another
Mercedes. with HUttgen driving. A
momen later a gray car came up in front
OF the grand stand with a referee sign or
the hood and William X. Vanderbilt, Jr.,
donor of the cup. seated with the driver.
I Mr.. Vanderbilt bowed TO the applause
that greeted the sight Of his nifty gray
motoring clothes and the badge of office
around his coat. sleeve. Mr.. Vanderbilt
| nodded to a pretty young woman in a box
next to that occupied by the cup commits
sion. This was his wife, who wore a black
straw hat that tilted decidedly from port
to starboard, a black veil thrown back over
| the hat and a tailor fashioned gown OF black
and white stripes. The crowd had found
Mrs. Vanderbilt and turned to the thunder-
ing racing machines that were Gathering
into line very rapidly now.
LIE BLoN AT THE TAPE.
Shepard driving his French Hotchkiss
varied things a minute later by passing
the grand stand and wheeling around
suddenly in a hair raising way to take his
place down below the east end Of theg grand
stand. And then came lie Blon, No. 1.
with his American Thomas car. to bring
up short at the tape opposite the centre
Of the stand where all might see.
The popular French driver Of an Ameri-
can car got a sendof from the stands. A
bedraggled looking gray skull cap with
side flaps held everything shipshape about
his head and beneath was a suit Of what
looked like brown khaki fashioned like over
alls. When lie Blon jumped out of his car
and removed some of his facial amor he
uncovered the reddish brown beard and
the long straight nose that one could dis
tinguish even after the race had started
and he was whizzing by at express train
speed.
People may talk about the excitability
of tho Erapoh hat Nharc was nOna If ii
evident in the quiet way this tall man
walked over to lean against the stand snc
stay there almost motionless, seemingly
lost in thought.
Cheer up. old man. said a gray clac
official passing lie Blon. The remark
was made half iokingly, but the officials
voice took on a more serious tone as hi
stopped momentarily and added;
You've been driving too long to be think
ing about accidents 40 moodily."
NO, / was thinking about the adjust
ment OF the carbureter." replied the tai
Frenchman with a quiet smile.
IL was 0 O'Clock. The Official starring tim'
had now arrived and stretching up th'
course toward the east we're all the car
that were to compete according to pro
gramne, with the exception Of that Of Fox
nan heenes wiz udu CIdChtl n CfHlhuc
Of the Mercedes he intended to drive anC
was unable to get a new pair that suiteC
him in time.
; Back along the stretch were seventeen
. cars in. all, representing the manufacturer
Of France, America, Italy and Germany
: They were numbered Consecuttvely iron
> one to nineteen in big white letters, eXcep
: that superstition had entered to the eXten
Of causing the numberers to omit the mum
her thirteen. Also there was no numbe
eleven entered, which had been assigned {
/ Mr.. Keene.
FIRST MAN OFF.
D The start was delayed when 0 o'cloc
3 arrived because of a discussion betwee
< Jenatzy, who since Weighing in the da
before had added long leather mud guarc
70 his car There was much gesticulatin
z and chattering before the mud guard que
2 ton had the kinks pulled out Of il and the
the stands drew another breath "a Starte
Wagner and Chairman J. de Mont ThomT
" son Of the A. A. A. racing board stood b'
aida Ta Rlon watchea in hand