New-York tribune., 1907-01-26
FREAK AUTO WRECKED.
MARRIOTT FACES DEATH.
Car Turns Ousr and OUer Whsle
Racing at FrightfuI Speed.
~ rslsrzaph . 20 Tr!bune. J

orznond, Fla, Jan. 25-Fred Marriott faced
snstant death in the automobile speed carnival
on the beach here to-day. He driving the
stanley steamer called 'the bug in an effort
10 break IFS own worlds record OF % Is SEQ
sonds for mile. and was fairly flying over the
sand course as a rate OF speed OF more than two
miles minute. when the met a slight bump
in the beach and was hurled into the air and
yshatteTed Co fragments when II fell and hurled
Aslong the course. Marriott was seriously but
mot fatally injured
That Marriott escaped with his life is re-
Esrded as iitls short OF miraculous. He was
hebsoluhely helpless after the car struck the
obstruction and sprang into the air. His e.
forts 70 bring it under control when It struck
the beach after a tremendous leap had no ef-
sect whatever. and it wabbled ana plunged. and
slnally turned completely over.
Marriott was pinned into the machine as Il
was hurled along. rolling and by its
lown fearful momentum. until It finally was
shstteUed almost 20 splinters. He ultimately was
ltreed. and his unconscious form sid along for
yards before n came TO q stop. The boiler Of
the engine rolled down the beach great dis
lfanoa
Marriott regasoed consciousness quickly. but
81 was seen that he had suffered severe IN
3uries. He was picked up quickly by willing
hands and carried 10 the clubhouse. where a
cursory examination OF his injuries was made
Eumors that his tight eye was probably lost
were quickly contradicted. and a further exam
snation showed that no bones were broken, al
though the hair scraped from his scalp
The scalp, face and hands and arms were gashed
and torn. and internal injuries may develop, al
though he is believed TO be out OF danger.
Il is believed that Marriott owes his escape
from instant death to the fact that the fuse
plug IN the boiler blew out at the moment OF
fhe accident and permitted the steam to escape.
After Marriott had regained consciousness he
4 explained brokenly that the car had been
'shzown IN the air by an uneven spot IN the
beach. He said:
was running at the rate OF 125 miles an
hour and must surely have covered the mile
1n twenty-five seconds fat when the car
seemed TO leap over a slight gully and was
tossed IN the air. It landed on two wheels and
OF ooIITse at that speed you can't go far on two
wheels. may have leaned a little TO one side
also, and that threw the car over completely
zen steam pipes snapped of and the car and
I rolled over two or three times, imagine. or
until there was no more TO turn over.
forgot Efter that.
The conditions were favorable for speeding
that Marriott was confident he could make a
new worlds record for one mile. He failed
however, IN two attempts, although IN one trial
he thundered over the sand course in % 3-5 sec
onds. which was only one and two-hfths seconds
behind ths mark The accident happened while
znaldng his third trial, some five or six sec
onds arter the start
The other races to-day furnished some good
sport The big event outside the record trials
was the tWelve-Enile match race between DR.
Stinsons SO-horsepOwer Franklin and Captain
Euttons 2O-horsepower Rols-ROyce The start
eno finish were at the clubhouse In Daytona
with turn at Ormond, six miles away. The
Rolls Royce had a cracked cylinder but this
proved no handicap, and Captain Hutton earned
g LEAD OF almost mile TO the turn and won
easily In 1S minutes IL % seconds
IN special six-Tnile race between Bond and
Laughlin in two Cleveland runa abouts LaughIin
wo4-by q few feet IN q stirring finish The time
was minutes 35 3-5 seconds.
The sx-nlile handicap for amateurs was won
oy Laughlin in q 30-horsepOwer gasolene car
81 minutes s 2-5 seconds actual running time
Leughlin had a handicap Of / minute g seconds
William Ray, Of Brooklyn. made a new mile
record for two-cylinder motorcycles. His time
was - 2-5 seconds.