Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-13
AUTOS MAKE
START FOR
LONG RACE
NEW YORK TURNS OUT IN BIG
EVENT
MACHINES EXPECTED TO BE OUT
SIX MONTHS
One American Car to Make Run to
Paris Against Five of Foreign
Make-Motors Look
Queer

p, Associated Press.
NiIW YORK, Feb. 1.-THE six auto
mobiles contesting in the New YORK TO
Paris race started from Times square,
Forty-second street and Broadway, at
11:15 today, cheered by throng of sew
eral thousand persons. Accompanied
by more than 200 motors of all descrlp-
lions the racing machines MADE theh
way up Broadway and Riverside drive
to the city limits, where they turned
north on the road to Albany.
From that city. the route to San
Francisco, which Is the objective point
of the first stage of the trip, lies across
New York state to Buffalo, thence
through Cleveland and Toledo to chi
caro, to Omaha, to Cheyenne, ogden,
Reno Goldfield, San Luis Obispo ana
San Francisco.
Mayor Mcclellan was to have given
the word to start, but was delayed, and
Colgate Hoyt of the Automobile club
of America took lis place. All trathc
in the vicinity of the Times square was
stopped a half hour before the start.
Automobiles closed the intersecting
streets and blocked the route for many
blocks up Broadway. No such aggre-
CATION of machines has been seen in or
about New York since the last Wander
bilt cup race was run.
Band Plays Anthems
A band in the official grand stand
played the anthems of the nations as
the cars lined up for the start, pistol
shot sent the contestants away amid
the shouting of people and the hoarse
hooting of thousands of automobile
horns.
The contesting cars are the queerest
looking machines ever devised for
motoring purposes. With their heavy
equipment of stores and camp utensils,
several of them were modern repre-
sentation of the old prairie schooner.
One resembled hook and ladder truck
with long running boards on the side,
equipped with axes, shovels, ropes and
dozen other articles. The clothing OF
the drivers varied from black bearskins
to a pure fur outfit and head dress
worn by a French team.
Three French cars, one German, one
italian and one American started in
the race
Three men constituted the crews of
the foreign machines, but there were
only two in the American car. The
three French cars are steered by G.
Bourcier, st. Chaffray, NJ. GODDARD and
M. Pons; the German car by Lieut..
Koppen of the Prussian army, the
Italian car by Antonio Scarfolgilo and
the American car by Montague Roberts.
Machines Carry Flags
Each machine carried the flag of it's
own nation and that of the United
States. They were plentifully decorated
with signs and placards, so there could
be no mistaking their identity wher-
ever seen. The buildings surrounding
Times square were decorated with
flags and bunting and the start was
quite spectacular. Estimates vary as
to the length of time the race will re-
quire from six to nine months, it is
believed, will be consumed. All the
drivers are confident of reaching their
destination through the frozen fields of
Alaska and Siberia.
Steamers will transport the machines
from San Francisco to Valdez, Alaska,
and from Nome to East Cape, Siberia,
across Boring strait.