The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-26
AUTO RACER INJURED
Fred Marriott SeriOuSlyHur
and the Bug Wrecked.
GOING 125 MILES AN HOUR
Driver Is Knocked SenseIess by Ex-
rIOsiOn Which Follows when Pipes
Record at Time OF the Accident.
Fast Time of Meet just Made.

IIotel Ormond, Fla, Jan. 25.-The most
dramatic incident in the racing history
of the Ormond-Daytona Beach, by which
Fred Marriott almost lost his life, and
the famous Stanley Bug" steamer was
smashed into flinders, brought to-day's
programme to a PERCEPTIONS end.
Marriott is the only man who knows
exactly what did happen, although he
has not yet been asked to tell what he
knows.
The only thing, therefore, to do is to
take the testimony Of two or three per-
sons nearest the spot where the accident
occurred. These agree that the hood be-
came loose. seemingly being lifted by the
wind, while the front wheels were so
tilted upward that they did not strike
the sand Of the beach by several inches.
Marriott was running against the wind.
The only fastening of the hood Is four
small wooden pins, so this hypothesis is
reasonable. Then the bug" made a
sharp curve for the ocean, but as il did
so it turned over two or three times. The
tubing. of course, broke, and the car was
enveloped in a cloud of steam.
Trying to Lower Mark.
Thousands of eyes were upon the We
hic!e, for Marriott was making his de-
termined third attempt to lower his mile
mark Of last season, which was the fast
est ever made anywhere by any class of
vehicle. He had got nearly out Of sight.
being almost at the end Of the mile
when the upset came. The spectators on
the high clubhouse balcony could see that
there had been an accident. first noting
the escape OF steam, which caused an
explosion, then the tangent taken by the
racer toward the ocean.
Marriott was going fast. and the bright
sun reflected on the ocean, dazzling all
eyes. In an instant half the crowd had
started for the scene, bur they were not
half way there when they met the Rolls
Royce car with MarriottS his face covered
with blood, lying insensible across the
laps Of two men in the rear seat. He was
taken 20 the clubhouse OF the Florida
East Coast Automobile Association.
Three Ribs Are Broken.
Doctors were on hand there, and he was
carried 20 the upper front piazza, which
overlooks the beach. He spoke while be
ing carried upstairs and cried out In pain.
Once upon a stretcher it was found that
three OF his ribs had been broken, and he
complained that he could see nothing out
Of his right eye
As no other broken bones &C "a be
found and no internal injuries we dis
covered, he was taken six miles up the
beach TO the Hotel OTmOnd an hour later
on an impU0vised automobile ambulance.
This evening the physicians reported Mar
riott as resting fairly comfortable and
showing improved chances for recovery.
His wife. who lives in Boston, was tele-
graphed for.
The wreck Of the car was complete.
Was Trying for Record.
At the time of the accident Marriott
was going at the rate Of I2j miles an
hour, It is estimated. The mile record is
. Is seconds. II was made here last
year In his first trial to-day Marriott
could do no better than o As.
In his second attempt Marriott made
the mile in . 3-5 seconds, the fastest OF
the meet
An interesting six-miIe flying start
match race between two Cleveland Tuna-
ahOuts of 80 horsepower, one driven by
James LaUghlin and the other by r. VI.
Bond was a rafting duel, Laughlin
beating Bond by seconds in 7:35 So.
r. A. AlcCready in Capt Hutton's %
horsepower Rois-R0yce, then went
against DR.. Stiuson and his a0-horse-
power Franklin in a race Of twelve miles.
20 GrmOnd and back. Despite a cracked
cylinder. the BFitisher was the winner IN
1872 3-5. the Franklins time being 1872 3-5.
a new worlds record for motor cycles
was made by Walter Wray, of Brooklyn.
who scored a % seconds for the mile
i'm a two-cylinder 14-horsepOwer French
Simplex.