Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
DEMOGEOT WON
HAVANA AUTO RACE

HAVANA, Cuba, February 13.--Vivtor
Demogeot, driving an eightyhorse-po power
Darracq machine. won the international
automobile race here yesterday. covering
the 217A miles in three hours thirty-eight
minutes eighteen seconds, or at the average
rate of CO.'S miles hour. 1t was practl-
cally a walkover for the man who was
crowned the speed king at Ormond. for
Maurice Bernin, In Gould Brokaw's ninety
horsepower Renault, fell 50 far behind In
the first half of the race that he withdrew.
and Lancia and Cedrino both came to grief
in their 110-horse-power Fiat machines ar
ter going about forty miles.
Lancia was the first to meet with mis-
hap. While passing through Artemssa, In
which town there were several sharp turns,
Lancia lost his mechanic, Ajassa Battesta,
who was thrown out. Battesta's legs were
fractured and he was badly cut and bruised
in every part of his body. Lancia con-
tinued his swift flight. as he felt sure his
companion had not been fatally injured
When he reached Candelaria he discoy-
cred that Cedrino's car had plunged into
a ditch while taking a sharp curve. Lancla
Immediately quit the race and devoted his
energies to helping Cedrino, who, besides
being bruised and cut up. was suffering
from internal injury. Cedrino's machinist
was also badly hurt.
Bernin Had Tire Trouble.
Bernin was in the lead at the end of the
first control. his time being ffty-one min
utes four seconds. On the way back to the
starting point Bernin had tire trouble and
he ended the first half of the race at Camp
Columbia over sixty-three minutes behind
Demogeot, who had covered 10S5s miles in
forty-fye minutes thirty-tWo seconds. From
this point Demogeot had things all his own
way.
The race was started from Camp Column
bta, six miles nearer Havana than Arroyo
Arenas, and extended to San Cristobal. This
course was covered four times.
The start was set for 10 o'clock, but It
was after II o'clock before the cars got
away. The cars were sent away at three
minute intervals in the following order:
First, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Renault, entered
by w. Gould Brokaw, New York; Maurice
Bernin, driver.
Second 110-horse-power Fiat. entered by
2. ]. Connell, Havana; Vincenza Lancia,
driver.
Third, 11O-horse- power Fiat, entered by
Gustave Book, Havana; Emanuel Cedrino,
driver.
Fourth. eighty-horse- power Hemery VAN
derbilt Darracq. entered by Louis Marx,
Havana; Victor Demogeot, driver.
Demogeot's machine was the same one
Hemery drove to victory in the Vanderbilt
cup contest.
When Demogeot started on the last lap
he was accompanied by three Havana driv-
ers. who had a little race Of their own for
a wager Of $4,000. The winner proved to
be Dessanssois in ]. Rabell's thirty horse
power Clement. which made the lap In
2.0452, or at the rate Of fifty-two miles an
hour for the 10Sss miles. Brick, in Louis
Marks forty horse power Mercedes, was
second IN 214OO, a rate of forty-eight miles
an hour, and Blick, in J. ArguelIe's thirty
horse power Mors, was third in 235. 90,
averaging forty-two miles an hour.
President Palma a Spectator.
The wealth and fashion of Havana turned
with hundreds Of officials Of the Cuban gov
eminent. was present at the starting point.
There were fully 1900 people at Camp
Columbia, and when the race was over
there was great rush for the electric cars,
which were entirely too few in number to
handle such crowd.
The result was genuine riot, during
which the would-be passengers came to
blows. seats were overturned and the car
windows smashed. The guards were obliged
to charge the crowd before order could be
restored. Many persons were hurt by glass
and were otherwise injured, but none very
seriously.
Cedrino was brought to Havana In the
evening by George Tangerman. Cedrifo
was not very seriously injured, nor was his
assistant, Capra, much injured. Capra had
wiped Cedrino's goggles. which had got
dirty, and had almost got them back on
Cedrino's eyes when a hard turn known as
the s curve was reached. One tire burst.
lLS ndSLiuS iutO uile uilCu
Batista,, Lancia's assistant, who fell out
while going at terrific speed. Is badly cut
but seems to have no broken bones Tan
german ordered him brought by ambulance
here and put in hospital lest internal in
Juries develop
AS Demogeot was driving a Darracq car
for Luis Marx of Havana, the big trophy
won here last year will not leave Cuba
The rate Of speed in the Vanderbilt cup
race, sixty-two miles an hour, would have
been almost equaled but for the fact that
Demogeot had one delay OF eight minutes.