The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-10
DEATH HOvERS
ABOUT SAUCER
ON RACE NIGHTS
Riders at Bicycle Track Appar-
entity Tempt Fate With
Their Terrific Speed.
NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS
MARK EVENINGS EVENTS
FIVE COMPETITOR CRASH INTO
PoST-oTHERs RENDERED UN-
CONSCIOUS AT SALT PALACE.

Death lowered over the saucer track
last night. All evening it seemed to
be searching for victims. once a
madly rushing bicycle rider dropped in
heap at the bottom Of the track. un-
conscious, but he was soon revived.
Then five riders fell i'm plunging pile,
to be slowly untanged from the mass
of broken wheels by willing hands.
A pine post on the north bank of
the saucer track stands as a mute wit
ness of how a kind providence some
times watches over people. This four
by four post is half cut in two, great
splinters are taken out Of il as II
struck by a cannon ball, but il saved
the lives of many behind IT, Three feet
above the railing T. NJ. SamuelsOn and
his motor travelling Il a 1.2O clip, hit
the post. Six inches to etieher side and
man and motor would have been plow-
ing through people who had not time
to think. and who couldn't have raised
a hand to protect themselves If they
had. II was probably the most thrill
ing incident in the lives Of the big
crowd that breathlessly watched the
scene, and it was certainly the mar
rOwest escape at the saucer, where
for ten years motor riders have been
flirting with death.
An Evening of Accidents.
The crash was the grand climax of
an evening of accidents. 1t was the
result of another accident in which
only the best of luck saved a mans
life. While going at speed Of mile
in 1:20, Whittier, one of the motor
riders. lost control Of his machine and
was thrown headlong on the east SIDE
of the track. T. NJ. SamuelsOn was
close behind. and in order to dodge the
falling rider and his machine. was
compelled to run high on the bank.
Whittle slid for thirty feet before
going to the bottom Of the track, far
away from his chugging machine,
with it's Iimb-grinding chains and
gears going at full speed. Samuelson
continued until he hit the curve, and
! then he was unable 10 make il, as he
was too high on the track. His ma
chine started to climb the railing at
the top Of the track and cleared the
three feet of horizontal bank. Going
at a tremendous speed, the machine
| left the railing and started through
space for the mass of people packed
| in every inch of available space. But
right in the path Of man and machine
stood the pine post, from which an
arc light hangs. SamUelsOn and the
motor hit this post fully three feet
above the top Of the railing, and both
dropped back on the track and slid
down into the arena. Luch again
/ favored the rider, and they fell apart.
Happened in Fraction of Second.
| The whole thing happened within a
/ fraction of a second. and before the
crowd could realize what had hap
/ pened both men jumped 10 their feet
/ unhurt and in an instant cheer from
/ the north end of the track announced
| that none of the spectators had been
/ caught in the crash or hurt by flying
| splinters.
! The place was in an uproar in
minute when il was learned that no
one had been hurt. The crowd cheered
and yelled with delight that such
] scene could pass before their eyes and
/ the principals come out of il without
/ even a scratch Both SamuelsOn and
/ White were on their feet in an in
slant and shut the power off their
own motors before help arrived.
Whittle was unable TO control his
machine, and it was noticed early IN
the race that he was in danger Of fall
ing. On each curve the motor wOb-
| bled and those who know the danger
of riding a poorly steered motor real
lied that he was i'm danger Of falling
] Samuelson had tried to pass him sew
eraI times, but had TO shut off power
each time he neared Whittle because
of this unsteady riding. When they
reached the fourth lap of the last mile
the crash came. and in an instant il
| was all over.
TurVIle Knocked Unconscious.
! While this was without question the
worst accident that has happened on
the saucer track in the ten years Of its
/ existence one happened earlier in the
evening that sent a man unconscious
to the bottom Of the track for the first
time in the history of racing in this
city. 1t was Glenn Turville, and until
he was brought back TO life the crowd
thought he had broken his neck. On
the finish of one of the heats in the
mile, Turville cut through on the ce-
ment and won a place. AS he tried to
climb back on the track beyond the
tape, going at full speed. he found
Jack Burris had the right Of way.
TurviIIe tried 10 steer clear OF col
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