New-York tribune., 1908-10-04
NEW COURSE COMPLETE
READY FOR AUTO FLYERS.
Forty Entries for Sweepstakes to
Open Vanderbilt Course.

The Long Island Motor Parkway has been
pleted. the state roads which 10 be used in
conjunction VITA It, TO form the 1903 Vanderbilt
circuit have been thoroughly oiled and rolled, and
than forty entries for the big Motor Parkway
Sweepstakes which opens the course, on Sat
urday, have been received.
The Vanderbilt Cup commission which has
charge OF the event is confident that the list OF
entries will exceed that of any other automobile
rac9 ever held IN America. Every racing expert
who has been over the course is enthusiastic and
the universal opinion is that the larger in the
sweepstakes will make better average time than
was attained in the last Vanderbilt Cup
The entire circuit OF twenty-five miles Is supposed
10 be so much faster than any other racecourse
that is very difficult estimate what this average
speed will be. but if the leading in good
trim they should make, despite the fact that they
stripped stock cars, between sixty-fve and
seventy miles hour. It is possible for the racing
cars to pass easily at any part of the circuit and
in many places three cars could travel abreast at
speed The interest lies on the cement part of
the course, which has been built upon scientific
lines. and the engineers believe that the theoretical
speed which has been the basis Of their caIcula-
tons EiI be greatly exceeded in practice. There
are nine miles of this cement parkway, twenty
two feet wide at the narrowest point with many
picturesque and symmetrical curves and eighteen
cement and steel bridges crossing ntersectng high
ways. The bridges and curves graded and
banked that the racing may dash at them
without any slackenng OF speed.
AS the cars fly these bridges the spectator
viii have novel sight The appearance from
distance Is that of roller with surround
ins country fat in many parts a desert.
throwing into plain view this wide ribbon of light
gray coored cement, rising and dipping gracefully
over the plateau like some great monster crawling
and winding its way off toward the hills which
appear in the horizon and in which the lines Of the
parkway are lost they join the state roads, OF
which there are fourteen miles in the circuit
In the construction of this parkway. which is
built Of Hassam paving, 10000 cubic yards Of grad
ing have been necessary in order get the desired
result In the nine miles Of straight stretches
curves and bridges the contractors have used 700
cubic yards of concrete. 1900 cubic yards of paw
ing, nine miles Of wire netting bind the roadhed
together $4,000 barrels Of cement $4,000 tons o.
stone from the Hudson Valley. and in order to
fence this in on both sides twenty-five miles Of
steel wire fencing I'VE feet high and held BY cedar
posts set at intervals Of fifteen feet have been re-
Quired-
The grandstand. which seats about five thousand
persons, has been completed, and the entire park
way Is fenced in. so that IT is now Impossible 10
it except through one of the three toll lodges
which have been established at Meadow Brook
Massapequa and Bethpage- The Meadow Brook
Lodge which is situated at the eastern entrance.
is reached by the old Westbury Road which inter
sects the Jericho Turnpike. about three miles east
Of Krug's Corners From the intersection Of the
old Westbury Road and the old Country Road
which leads directly to the parkway from the
Garden City Hotel. a new dirt road, twenty-five
feet wide has been built at the expense OF the
Motor Parkway Corporation This new road wlhds
south from the intersection of the old Nestpury
and old country roads across the Hampstead plains
and terminates at the Meadow Brook Lodge Ihe
lodge is slightly northeast from the famous Meadow
Brook Hunt Club.
From the Meadow Brook Lodge the general ol-
rection o< the parkway is east practically paTai-
leIing the old Country Road and the Hampstead
branch of the Long Island Railroad The grand
stand "a midway between the Meadow Brook Lodge
and the Nassapequa Lodge. The other loage i
about four miles east OF Msssapequa, and at 'nis
point the racing cars will leave the cement ana
turn through new cut dirt curve which gOIS
what is known as the Round Swamp Road IFaV-
cling almost due north along the Round Swamp
and Plain View roads thu racers viii have very