New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-27
fBy Telegraph to The tribune ]

cs,-annah Nov 26.-Coming from third
mace il the last lap. Louis Wagner, in lZO-
horsepower Fiat car. representing Italy, won
=. .oa-nile international road race for the
,--.,d Prize of the Automobile Club Of Amer
"a here to-day. heating Victor Hemery, in a
,oo horsepower Benz. by 80 seconds Seven
.,ss and twenty seconds behind Hemery
- Falioe Nazarro. in another Fiat which
-,s-.e5 the last lap with lead Of more than
.,o minutes. Wagner's time was 81; Hem
s-,--s 6.11:z7: Nazarro's, 6:1S:47-
wagner in winning made q new record for
mad racing in this country. George Robertson
f. the Vanderbilt Cup race Of 25S miles last
month drove al the rate Of 64.3 miles an hour
For rbe longer distance Of 402 miles to-day,
Wagner fairly few over the course at the rate
Of 655 miles an hour, He averaged twenty-three
minutes to each one of the sixteen laps that
measured 25.l3 miles His fastest lap was made
.n 21.50 but the lap honors OF the day went TO
Ralph De Palma at the wheel Of Fiat. No IS,
who twice made the circuit in 21:26. at an aver
age speed Of about seventy miles an hour
The race was the greatest ever run in this
country. an official estimate OF the crowd that
saw il from ali parts Of the circuit placing it
al 100000. and so perfect was the arrangement
of every detail that not single spectator was
allowed TO encroach the course
IN excitement. in speed. in everything that
goes 10 make an automobile road race what
Il has come to be. to-days contest was the most
magnificent this country has ever seen. The
cav rras perfect. after q fog that delayed the
start for three-quarters OF an hour had been
cleared away by and wind and, though il
was terribly hot. no one made much complaint
As Z there had not been enough excitement
in the thrilling finish OF the first three cars.
Hanr,ot who had led in the second Benz for
I've laps. had barely enough gasolene to carry
ASH was. the gssolene gave out and the big car
rolled over on its momentum. the engine having
s.opped lust before ii reached the line. In fifth
place was Heutvast. in a Clement ayard, No 13
which finished in 6.34:06: Hanriot's time having
beer e-2s-12. Strang. in q Renault- was sixth
in s.4337: Rigal in the first Clement, was
ss-enth in e:45:49: Henri Fournier, In an italia
vas eighth in 6.46:32 and Ralph de Palma,
whose Fiat did two laps in q Sc each the fastest
of the race was ninth, in 661:34.
The accident 70 the Benz car No 10. running
in fourth place at the end of the tenth lap. was
the ONLY serious nlishap OF the day. Il was first
reported at the stands that Erie, the driver. had
been killed As matter Of fact his escape
from death was miraculous The steel studded
tread of the non-skid tire the right rear
wheel broke just as the was attaining
maximum speed Of more than 90 miles an hour
down the four mile stretch of White Bluff
road.
one Of the loose ends Of the flying tread
struck Erie q terrific blow the hack Of the
head and for the fraction of a second his hands
or the steering wheel ealtered. A moment later
the tarobbing racer had torn from the road.
struck stone and turned turtle Erie went
f,-ing in one direction and his mechanic in an
other The latter picked himself up unhurt.
but Erle's nose and jaw We're broken. Althoug'I
tuffering intenee pain he walked some distance
10 a car which took him to a hospital for med
ical attendance
START OF GREAT RACE.
The fce shat hung over the course at
O'Clock Vas the thickest Savannah has seen
since the cars arrived for practice. The sun
seerned povverless 20 dispei it. and none Of the
drivers was at all disappointed when Mr.. Nor
reH ordered the start postponed after a swift
dash around the course in the official car: he
came IN dripping wet. as if he had been out in
rainstorm The fog was slow 70 lift but
Fred Wagner finally, after a long consultation
among the officials, called Rigal and Gilbert to
The line in the big blue Clement Bayard. that
vas 70 have the honor Of starting the biggest
race America has ever seen, 10 the line That
vas 20 minutes after g. when the start
vas 70 have been made, and the huge engines !
had been roaring as If in sullen anger at the |
check put upon them Henry SOuther, chair |
man of the technical committee, had given every
car clean bill Of health. and when Wagner |
finally walked up and stood by Rigals Shout |
Ger great cheer went up from the thousands |
who had been waiting patiently to g II. Watch |
II hand Wagner waited, and finally began TO |
call the seconds. Ten, nine. eight sever, six, |
five, four three, two-go," and a slap the !
Shoulder started Rigal his four hundred mile
Journey through the fog and mist that hung all |
over the course.
America had its chance TO cheer carly, for
then, following Rigal minute apart, went the
Luzier with MulforS at the wheel. Seymour in
the Simplex BUrInan. ready TO face the hazard |
of the road in Buick again after his great
race yesterday, and Haapt IN the Chadwick
Nazzaro, winner OF the Tsrga Florio and En-
perors cup races and Of the Grand Prx in
France in 1901 was the Arst Of the great for
eigners 10 get of There a great cheer
for him as ne shot the big red Fiat away on The
jump. Eighth in line Was Hemery. in his Benz
car, IN which he added to his reputation ~
winner OF The 1905 Vanderbilt Cup race here by
taxing second place IN this years French
Grand Prix contest.
Du-sy shot the De Dietrich off ard Szisz !
cams Up with his Renault. Szisz vas popular
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