The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-10
AUTO DISASTERS
WITH TWO VICTIMS
One Car Wrecked by
Loss of Tire and Own /.
er NJ an G led.
SPEEDING AUTO
RUNS ON WRECK
Walter Christy, Trying for New
Record in Great Racing Ma
chine, Collides With Wreck
ed Car While Moving at
Terrific Speed
Rate.

PITTSBURG. PA, September 9.--One
man is dead and two others are Sc
riously injured as result Of two ac-
cidents at a series of automobile races
that were held at the Brunots Island
track, near this city. to-day. Theid dead
man is Rex Reinersten, thirty. five
years of age, president of the Autorlo-
bile Repair Company. of this city who
died of fractured skull while being
taken to the hospital. Walter Christy.
i twcnty-siS years old, of No. 51S West
Eighteenth Street, New York City, who
was one of the drivers In the Wander
bilt cup races at Mineola. Long Island,
fractured his right forearm and sus-
talned scalp wounds and bruises of
| the body. 1t Is also feared he has
been internally injured.
| Clarence Bastion. who was mechani-
clan for Reinersten. and was riding
with him at the time, received In
juries to the spine that are serious, be-
side bruises and cuts. Policeman Frank
| Farnol. OF Allegheny, was struck by
one of the flying cars and hurled about
| fifty feet. He was badly cut and
| bruised.
| Reinersten, who was driving in a
race called the "ffty-mile derby" was
one of the front tires came off and
the machine turned over. Reinersten
and Bastion were caught beneath the
car. while a score of other contestants
shot by. Women screamed and tainted.
Reinersten was unconscious, but Bas-
ton was able to direct the rescuers
! in the moving of the machine. Reiner-
stem died on the way to hospital.
Rnn Into Wrecked Chr.
The wrecked car was left at the edge
| of the track and, after order had been
restored. Walter Christy attempted to
| make new track rec rd in new Ia
| horsepower car. Christy crossed the
tape at a speed that could hardly he
estimated. He APPROACHED the wrecked
/ car a. a speed that carried him too fai
/ out The crowd in the grand-stanc
/ rose to- its feet There We're cries ant
! shrieks. and Christy's car hit the OBJ
struction on the track fairly. head-on
The big racer bounded fully fifty
feet in the air and Christy was hurled
like a catapult a long distance ahead
of It, AS he was thrown from the
machine the steering wheel caught him
across the stomach. and 1t is from this
1t is feared he has sustained internal
injuries. AS Christy struck the Ground
1 the machine, which in it's flight ilad
hurdled the wreck, came down on him
and he lay buried among mass OF
wreckage from which he was taker
and sent to the hospital.
Barney Oldfeld, who tried for a
/ new track record, also did mile ii
II 1:10.
i A coil shook loose and struck hin
in the leg, painfully but not seriousl,
injuring him.
4 Ten minutes before Christy startet
on his fateful run he received word o
the critical illness of Mrs. Christy. a
IRedge. Bergen county. N. j. Friend
tonight are making every effort t
keep the news of the accident from
her
. The races are scheduled to continu
to morrow, but Superintendent of Po
lice John Glenn. of Allegheny, ha
Il served notices on the management tina
the races will not be permitted unles
physicians and an ambulance are a
the track to care for any one tina
might be injured.