The Delta independent., 1906-10-19
GREAT AUTO RACE.
CUP WON BY
FRENCH MACHINE.
PHENOMENAL TIME MADE
Two Hundred Thousand People View
the Contest on Long Island Roads
Too Venturesome Spectator In
stantIy Killed.

New York.-France Saturday won
the third international automobile
race for the William X. Vanderbilt,
Jr., cup. completing a record of three
straight victories in this event, which
Is run over the turnpike OF Long Is
land, the center of the course being
about twenty miles from New York
City. Italy was second in the race.
France filed 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 29.71 miles in length. The
total distance of the race was 29I.l
miles. and Louis Wagner. driver OF
the winning car. made the distance IN
29O minutes. 10 2-5 seconds. speed
of more than a mile a minute for the
entire distance.
1t was 6:15 Saturday morning. cold.
gray and misty after a night OF fog.
when the first car was sent away on
its long journey. The others followed
at one.m mile intervals The first big
freak racing machine was showed to
the tape. The engines crashed in
deafening roar at starting. The sec
onds were told off by an official. Be
ginning at ten" he counted backward
to "one" and then shouted in the
drivers ear. Co
There followed sputter OF fire. the
clank OF gripping clutches, cloud OF
oily dirt flung from the rear wheels
and the car was gone from view. the
start and finish OF the five cars which
completed the entire distance, fol-
lows:
No. 1ol, Wagner. French-Start,
6:24 a. m: finish 11:14:10 IS;
elapsed time 4:50:1o 2-5.
No. 4. Lancia. Italian-Start 6:1s;
finish 11:1l:2S As; elapsed time
4:5s:2s As
No. IS. Duray. French-Start 6:3l;
finish l1:24:44 As: elapsed time
4:53:44 4-5.
No. l5. Clement. French-start
s:ss: finish 11:29:5s AIS; elapsed
time 5:Gl:59 As.
No. 3. Jentatzy. German-Start
6:17; finish l1:21:3s; elapsed time
5:04:3S.
The Vanderbilt cup again goes into
the possession of France, and the next
time the cup will be raced for in that
country. The race was held in Am
| erica this year through the courtesy
| OF last years winner.
| One OF the more than 100000 spec.
tators who lined the course faid with
his life tho penalty OF too great curl
osity He was Eear the dangerous
turn in the course known as krug q
corner. Two cars had flashed by when
the man ventured out on the road to
get a better view of the others com.
ing.
| With the rush and roar OF throbbins
| engines the French car driven by
Elliott F. Shepard. an American,
| dashed into the man, who. In the view
| Of thousands was hurled high in the
air.
When 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 fright.
fully crushed. After few minutes he
was identified as Kurt l.. Gruner OF
| Passaic. n. J.
| Shepard plunged ahead at 90 miles
| du HouT dlOuS tut budiEHt SitSNSh
leading to the judges stand.
He was completely unnerved. how,
ever, and did not finish his seventh
| lap. II was given out that he had
broken n crank shaft. Shepard was
running sixth, and was in n contend
ing position when the accident oc
Cured.
Joseph Tracy in his American car
crashed into n crowd OF men and boys
and seriously injured Sylvester Bald
win. boy. OF Norwalk. Connecticut,
Several others were slightly hur,
Tracy held to the course.
Doctor Weilschott. an amateur
driver Of an Italian car. lost control
of his big 120-horse power machine on
the first round. He ran down two boys
on bicycle, thea plunged down n
S0-foot embankment. Both the driver
and his mechanician were picked up
| unconscious, but were quickly revived
| The injured boys are John Brooks and
Robert Ten Eyck, both living near the
| course.
1t was impossible to keep the i'm.
| mensa throng off the course. They
swarmed upon the roads, breakinr
down the danger fences, although
they were built strongly.
Tho blare OF the Sugle and the cry
| OF Gar coming had no effect upon
the crowd. They held their positions
on the course until the on.coming car
was within 100 yards.
Then, like the opening OF an in.
verted wedge, the crowd gave way
with reluctance. leaving barely room
for the rushing car. with its powerful
enanes splitting fire and flames and
roaring like n battery OF small calibre
| artillery. to dash through.
One false motion OF the hand clutch.
ing the steering gear. and an accident
like that of the express train crashing
into 100 people would have resulted
The accidents that did occur were
early In the race. before the majority
L Of hx, M l.,l 4