Evening journal., 1907-01-30
MANY VICTIMS
OF SPEED MANIA
Automobile Racing has Prov
en- a Very Dangerous
PaStime

The list on men WHO nave ipFi Autii iiFt9
in the pursuit Of automobile raciag b "a
Ions one. quite long enough TO stamp the
game as one OF extraordinary hazard. by
the mercst stroke Of good fortune IN
name of Fred Marriott, whose car was
smashed TO pieces al Ormond Beach on
Friday win not be added 70 H. but he
joins the even larger company OF th0ss
who have faced dire peril in uhe effort u
win prizes or break records with high
powered creations and lived 90 relate thcir
sensations. Yet the mania for speed never
dies out and The number Of would-bo rec
ord-breallors may safely be said to nearly
approximate the number of automobiles
sold At sometime or other tho desire TO
push car to its limit comes TO every
man who grasps steering wheel
Legislators have warrcd against the
automobile sc3rchor. cites, towns and
villages have passed ordinances porscrlb-
ing fines and imprisonmonts for those WHO
violate the speed limit: thousands and
thousands OF dollars have been paid OUT
so placate the municipalities whose rcgu-
latons have been broken-but the sc0sca-
crs multiply. Describing the speed MAJ
mia, CHARLES Jarrott the veteran English
driver Of racing cars, says:
u have seen "a gentle old man-almost
a patriarch In appearance-inoapab in
ordinary life Of acting inconslstently to
anyene-but who. when seated behind
the wheel OF powerful car. seemed 10
be possessed by the concentrated energy
OF thousand nends and, regardless Of
everybody and everything on the road.
he has dashed along. having the sole
idea In bis mind of travelling fastor and
still faster Men not possessing sufficient
courage 20 enable them to climb q high
ladder on tho side of house seem. never
thcless, TO be abe to drive a motor car
nc great speed without turning e. hair
ana without feeling that the perform
ance is attended with danger either to
themselves OF other users OF the road
The intoxication of speed seems TO nft
them out of themselves and change them
into new creatures"
Prominent among those whose lives
have been sacrificed IN the pursuit Of
speed with automobiles may be mem
toned Ernest Seelcr, whose death oc-
currcd at the Point Breeze track, near
Philadelphia. few weeks ago; Day. who
was killed az Milwaukee; Frank Croker.
who was pinned under his car AT Or
mond Beach two years aso in an acci.
dent very similar to the one that hap
penod to Marriott; Risby. who was killed
ON Long Island. and Tom Cooper. whose
death occurred in Central Park. New
York "a few weeks ago. Cooper was the
only one who did not meet death In actual
racing, but apparently his car was going
at racing speed.
Marriott Joins the list OF injured. among
whom may be mentioned the following
whose cars have run through fences.
turned over in competitions. or who have
been tossed hcadlong through unexpected
breakdowns; Webb Jay. injured at Buf-
falo. retired; kiser injured at Cleveland.
retired deg ampuiateD; Dr. Thomas. In
jurod at Chicago, rc.ired. Smith, Nelson.
Hawlcy, Cunningham. Chevrolet. Benin.
Wursis, Basil and Wddgeway. crashed
through the fence, retired. John Fisher
and Champion thrown from car injured.
retired Carl Fisher Winion. Fournier.
Graham. Gorndt Burman. Tracy and
Newklrk retired.
Nothing seems able 10 KIN the speed
mania. Probably Marrlotts greatest re-
gret was that the accident, IL Il had 10
happen, did not occur after he had passed
the finish line in his dash for glory. An
hour afterward he announced his intsn.
tion OF going back TO the ruclng game as
scon as he RECEIVERS Even conservative
old England IS Interested just now in tho
construction OF "a track at Brooklands.
and one of the first competitions after
its completion IS likely to be a race I'm
which the winner must average. accord.
Ing to the prescribed conditions. speed
or GO miles an hour for a hours.
The proposal TO hold a al-hour race on
tho new English track comes from S. T..
Edge. who asserts that he seeks to show
that the ordinary touring car. IN its pres
ent state Of perfection, can run an entire
day az high speed; but the test would
hc regarded. nevertheless. as one OF ex-
trcmo sgoed