Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-10-06
THE BIG AUTO RACE.
Seventeen international Contestants
Will Go for Vanderbilt Cup Today.

MineOid l.. l.. oct. 5-Seventeen high
power automobile racing machines will
start tomorrow morning beginning at
O'Clock in the third international race
for the William X. Vanderbilt. Jr
cup. The course which begins at a
point near Westbury on the Jerico
turnpike. leads over some of the best
roads of Long Island and is PRACTICAL
Il rectangular The course will be traV-
erscd 10 times making the distance of
the race 29I1 miles There is Il great
dip III the course about the center of
the northern boundary and this leads
down to the sO-called "Hairpin' turn
which is more like an inverted L. This
is regarded as one of the serious dan
ger points along the course. but there
are number of other especially short
turns, at any of which an incautiouS
driver may come to grief. Lately the
American and foreign drivers have
taken these turns at a speed of less
than % miles an hour and there is a
general belief that they will not hazard
their lives by Il greater speed in the
race tomorrow. There are numerous
long straight and broad stretches
where the speed of the cars is expected
to reach a maximum of so miles an
hour or more.
Originally IS cars were scheduled to
start in the race. five representing
America. five France, Il similar num-
Der from Italy and three from Ger
MANY. One of the German cars entered
and scheduled to be driven by Foxhall
=. ke,rn. was officially declared out of
the contest today when keene did not
weigh in with the rest of the field. Sew
eral days ago, Il pair of cylinders in
Mr.. Keene'S car became cracked and
he was unable TO secure another pair
in this country. The cars will be sent
ut one minute intervals. The time vii!
be taken at the minute assigned I"
them. whether they are able TO start at
the moment or not.
In anticipation of the race thousands
of automobiles from New York and
surrounding cities came down INT"
Long Island today the roads leading
from the Brooklyn and Long Island
CITY terminals being choked with the
whirring cars during all the afternoon
anu until late tonight. Here IN Garden
City. where the Vanderbilt committee
makes its quarters. more than 2ooo au-
tomoGileS are packed in front OF the
hotel. Scores of tents have been pitched
here and at various points along the
cup course. and i'll some OF these az
many as eight persons are sleeping.
Others less fortunate and less opuleiit
are sleeping on the lawns. Hundreds
are spending the night in their auto
mobiles, heavily wrapped in furs, ana
All sorts of warm parapherhaila'
brought along for the occasion.
The course itself is lined with sleep
ers All will be astir by A A. M. how
ever. when the pilgrimage TO the van
tacc points stationed along the route
for the race will begin. Many thousands
of rcrsons will be in the immense
prardstand erected at the start ana
finish line.
Some 100000 persons are expected !"
witness the race, 50 or more Specldi
trains will be run down from New YORK
CITY beginning shortly after midnight
These pcople will make no effort 10 Sc
cure any sort of a post other IMAM
room enough along the road I" eaten
an occasional glimpse of one 81 tne ny
ina ,naohincs. The Weather TO-DAY Wa
cr,oycry but the course was III idli y
c,,l condition. the roads beng bEitk
!, nj, Rain tomorrow will not inter-
r,.r,. with the running Of the race ~
though il will make the attainment 81
hjSh speed Impossible.