New-York tribune., 1908-04-24

RUSH TO AUTO RACE
Continued from first page

wished they'd bought while they were az
the bakeshop.
The spectators who came by train began to
unload all about the course from o'clock on
ward this morning Special trains from the
Grand Central brought the all night crowd TIE
morbid and the seekers after thrills hiked for
the dangerous curve what they thought
would be the most dangerous turn. So they
camped out. waiting for the dawn and the first
roar of the racing machines.
Despite the many accidents and hairbreadth
escapes of the three weeks of practice. Arthur
Campbell of the Allen Kingston car. was the
only driver to withdraw on account of injuries.
He had smashed the he using in
Wednesdays practice. and to-day his place will
be taken by Ralph de Palma, his mechaniCian.
who was with him in the accident. but got OF
with few bruises Felix Prossen. whose fam
lily protested against his risking his life on the
course. also stepped aside in favor of Paul Sar-
tori. who is pilot of the BanChi.
There were no ambulance calls about the
course yesterday morning. but this like tn,
quiet just before battle. The fact was no
prophecy of what generally expected to
happen to-day. Very few of the cars were
taken out in the two hours allowed for rip
ping up the speed limit between and
o'clock a m. The drivers in most cases did not
wish to firt with fate at the last hour and by
some nishap lose the benefit Of their hard prac-
tice. Besides, there were all sorts of cars on
the course, despite the requests of the commit
tee that motorists and carriage drivers leave a
clear track for the racers. Among those. how
ever, who gave their cars a final tuning up
were Cedrino and Parker. the Fiat drivers;
Vaughn and OIdfeId. of the Stearns trio: Rob
ertson. of the Panhard. and Michener in a
Lozier.
When the lid of the speed limit had been put
back the for the rest of the day, how
ever. the drivers who this morning began the
great contest went slowly the roads for a
last. lingering look, to speak. at the curves
and grades and bridges that might in a few
hours become scenes of tangled metal and in
iured men There lap of the course
about ninety turns. worthy of the name
and some worthy of stronger terms One motor
fst who went over the course yesterday said
that in a single lap he was obliged 10 shift his
| speed lever fifteen hundred times, which shows
| the need of nursing" any car that is 10 get
| about safely.
The intricacies Of the course. with its terrible
| strain on a driver in the race. made the reduc-
':on in the number of laps advisable. And even
| with the two laps taken off. 1t was generally
| conceded that the driver who finishes by 1
o'clock this afternoon will be obliged to have
| "the goods road pilot.
Since the race started at 4:45 O'Clock this
morning. and the cars. according to the pro-
| gramme. were To be sent off at one minute in
| tervals the last car to start off close 10
| half an hour later. The time limit for the use
| of the road is eight hours and fifteen minutes
Since there is a ten-nnute control over the two
I miles through the village of Mount Kisco where
| the speed limit has not been lifted from the
| main street. a car will need about forty five
minutes. inclusive Of this time. to go around the
| course once