New-York tribune., 1907-09-29
DEATH STEERS AUTOS,
MFRS MORRIS PARK RACE.
ysoysana Midnight Uatchers See
pLHOur Contest End.

---s5 IN 10 2 note OF painful expectancy py
,-,,,Iadae that one chauffeur was dead.
-. nsrsons were perhaps fatally hurt and
-. o-t7a-s injured. not TO mention those
=. rea almost nl;-ac culously escaped death.
.bo,,eand men and women sat in the damp
"a ,,i,d a. Morris Park racetrack until close
-oias- midnight. watching the twenty-four hour
raoa draw to an end at the second meet OF the
--orrse Park Motordrore Club. But the hnlsh'
e.e- driving rain of seven hours was lar
from record breaking. as even the dealh DEFY
ing ctaufeurs realized that the ring OF splash-
snr mud which formed the track must he treat
cs with consideration for tires.
/ W Srlelser driver Of Lozier car No j. died
~ Fors7harn Hospital of a fractured skull re
ceived as the result Of crashing through a
f.rce In the same accident two persons near
1se fence were seriously injured. John Clark
os 2a5th street and Nosholu Parkway sus-
tatned Internal injuries and Fred O Pope III
teen years old. Of No. 9o1 East 1e1st street a
fracture of the right leg and internal injuries.
Charles A Embleton. driver Of the Packard
car No 6 was bruised and shaken up when
his car skidded through the inner fence in front
Of the clubhouse in the eighteenth hour. thre"
him and his rnechan:cian and then turned turtle
Although the nechanicians Of both the wrecked
cars escaped without a scratch. many specta-
tors at the LoZier's smash were knocked about
Both these accidents occurred before the after
noon crowd began 70 arrive OF course, there
had been the high geared. water cooled, SIX
cylinder enthusiasts who had stayed IN the
erandstand al night from ever since the
1venty-fcur hour race was started, ar nj
O'Clock On Friday night. Then there had been
q few more who had drifted in along toward
noon From that time on the crowds continued
10 increase. The number Of automobile parties
arone would have made up a good attendance.
Fully four hundred cars came TO the track. and
there were 50 many that there was pot room
for all on the parking ground in front Of the
gran6stand- The late coners were obliged 10
leave their automobiles along the entrance road
and take seats IN the grandstand-
And as for those who could not afford motor
cars they turned out as on a summers day
Il was anything but pleasant weather for
travel in the open cars Of the public convey
ances. but by > O'Clock in the afternoon there
were close 10 three thousand persons in the
grandstand and on the covered beachers. The
stories OF the death and fatal accidents seemed
20 be the topic OF greatest interest to the sur
face car crowds and such comments as Isn't
.t awfulr' and 4 wonder if anybody elsel be
killed. were heard frequently.
Those who witnessed the first accident Of the
Gay received one OF lIlt greatest lltliiiS bidL
has attended a motor race in this vicinity
srnelser. in his white bodied 4o-horsepower
Lozier was favorite early in the race For
the third fourth fifth and sixth hours he had
held the lead Then the Fiat No. u. driven by
Z. Cedri1o and Edward Parker, crept up and
tied him in the end Of the eighth hour From
that tire on Lozier No. s continued TO fall be
hind. AZ the beginning of the thirteenth hour
Srnelsers car was fifth Everybody who had
followed the race closely realized that he was
trying 10 regain position when he rushed past
the grandstand a. rate Of speed which seemed
make the car grayish blur against the
brown track With the usual almost sidewise
skid, the took the banked turn by the club
house. righted itself under the skilled direction,
and of over the outer stretch
81 The far turn which would bring him back
over the stretch in front Of the grandstand
there was q report as q front tire exploded.
The car skidded, smashing through light outer
fence and then tearing onward hurled group
Of infield spectators right and left Srnelser
stuck 10 ais wheel with Frederick Hall, his
mechanician. crouching low beside him But
there Still another fence. heavier and carry
ing iron pipe. As the car struck this, its
upper body was partly torn OF. a beam hit the
driver OF the side OF the head hurting him out
unconscious and dying.
Hall was also thrown out but by the r1erest
buck fell in such manner that although stunned
he was Enhurt. The accident. three-q quarters Of
4 mile from the grandstand. was all the more
terrible because, IN the surging. tossing bodies
about the plunging car in the distance # seemed
that many must have been killed
Il was just after Snelser and the two injured
spectators had been taken 10 Fordharn HOSPITAL
thai Mrs Smelser arrived at the track with the
Intention Of watching her husbands perform
ance- She swooned when she learned his fate
she hurried into an automobile
and 70 Fordharn Hospital, she arrived Just after
he had died. The news Of this touch Of do
rnestic tragedy spread q gloom over the crowd
that even the bands music did not dispel for
some time Shortly afterward Lozier car No |
2 driven by H Michener and r. Afulford was |
Withdrawn out Of respect TO the memory Of the /
dead racer
The skidding Of the Packard in the eighteenth /
hour was viewed by large crowd. for il was /
at z O'Clock. hen the clubhouse veranda was /
well filed At the high banked turn by the club /
grounds. tire slipped of. and the car skidded, /
striking a stout post on the outer fence This (
turned II and sent IL spinning down the grade
OF the bank through the inner fence which is