The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-10-08

Two husoreo sho FhNy
Saw Grand Contest For Third AM
as.i Vanderbilt Cup Race NJ Mas
sss Cssaty Circuit o. Leas Island.
Fre.ch Drivers Tesk First, Third
aad Fo.rth Places, the Second Co.
fss % Italy, with Germany Fihh.
Ds.er Of Trophy said That cour 90
VIII Never AGsi. Ne Used on Ae-
count Of Fatalities a.d Future Da.-
ger 10 Public.
NEW YORK, Oct. s.-Belchng blue
flames from lts exhaust pipes like some
demon uenster Of the lower world. the
10 horsepower Darracq racer, guided
by the master hand OF Wagner OF the
French team. Numbered across the I'm
ish line at westbury. N. Y, the winner
OF the third annual Vanderbilt cup race
over the tertuous Nassau county cir
cult.
After tho closest and most thrilling
contest ever recorded In the annals OF
automobile road racing In this country
or perhaps In any other Wagner snatch.
cd the palm Of victory from I.ancia OF
the italian team. who piloted 40
horsepower Fiat. by the small margin
OF 3 minutes IS rs seconds. Lancia in
turn was only 10 seconds ahead OF Du-
ray Of the French team. who drove a
I'D horsepower Lorraine Dietrich car.
Fourth to fnlsh was Clement OF the
French team. who piloted 100 horse
power Bayard- Clement. while fifth
came Jenatzy Of the German team in
a 40 horsepower Mercedes. So close
was the finish between these FIVE cars
that at the beginning OF the last lap
any one Of them had a good chance to
win.
Wagner. the winner, covered the
297.l miles OF the course In 4 hours 80
minutes 10 20 seconds, which was an
average OF % minutes 1-25 seconds
for each lap Of 29.7 miles, or at the
rate Of 6l.46 miles an hour This time
Is Just tribe slower than that made
by Hemery last year, when he won the
race In an eighty horsepower Darracq
and averaged 81.51 miles An hour.
II was the general opinion, despite
the strong leaning Of the crowd to-
ward Lancla, that Wagner deserved to
wiu. From the moment he got away
and took the lead he held 1t against
the field.
Wagner will be remembered as the
team mate OF Hemsry In the last Van
derbilt cup race, which was won by the
latter with Darracq car.
Wagner won tho French Chateau
Thiery and Gallon races, which were
run up steady incline, with many
rocks and sharp turns that taxed the
nerves and skill Of the drivers to the
utmost.
During the greater part Of the year
1904 Wagner spent his time In the
French army.
Among the five to finish there was
not enc American car. lie Blon, drlv-
ing Thomas, made the best showing
He was Ne. 8 at the conclusion of the
ninth lap and was still running when
the race was called OF. Lawwell was
dropped from the score board after the
fourth round.
The race was not without Its fatali-
ties, rs Shepard, who piloted the 1870
horsepower Hotchkiss car, the high
est powered racer In the contest, ran
down and killed q venturesome spec
tator named Kurt Gruner of Passaic,
N. j., who wandered cut on the course
near Krug's corner, while Weillschott,
In one of the big Flats, ran wild on the
steep Manhasset hill and, ditching and
wrecking his machine, fatally injured
a boy. Weillschott and his mechanic,
though badly bruised and stunned, es-
capped as II by miracle.
After the race William X. Wander
bilt, Jr., the donor of the trophy, said:
II am convinced that 1t is not advisa-
BILE to hold race Of such Importance
as that just completed near large
city. unless military protection is fur
nislNd to keep the crowds back"
Jefferson De Mont Thompson, the
chairman Of the racing board, said:
"Mr. Vanderbilt and myself were
both surprised that there was not re-
corded larger number of fatalities
because Of the manner in which the
crowds behaved. 1t was almost mirac-
ulous that hundreds were not killed.
We are deeply shocked and grieved
over the loss of one life.
"The cup will go to France, that
country having won It three times.
This race will be, I presume, the last
race Of like Importance contested
| here"
Sheriff Glldersleeve was asked IL he
intended to place Mr.. Shepard under
arrest In connection with the killing
of Gruner, and he answered in the neg.
alive.
Mr.. Thompson said that as far as he
could learn from eyewitnesses three
cars were travelling close together at
the time that Gruner was killed. He
said he had been informed that after
the first car had passed Gruner jump
| ed out into the road to look at the one
coming along after 1t. When the sec