Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-26

the finish
The onrushing cars were visible toda,
for a mile or more down the stretch to the
thousands gathered in the grandstands
which were constructed at such an angle
10 give each spectator a view of thu
course as far as the elbow" where thu
flying contestants flashed into view from
time to time.
All Savannah Present.
Business in Savannah was entirely sus
pended today because of the races. ant
the city proper was deserted long before
the hour set for the start All along the
course the crowds gathered. and there
We're the usual COMPOSITIONS about the dan
gerous curves where excitement Is Away:
to he found Many country folk. mos
of them negroes came from the nearby
farms and plantations in covered wagon:
drawn by mules and made picnic of the
day. eating sugar cane, singing and dane
ing.
The first signs of activity along the
course were in the supply pits. located
Just in front of the older of the two big
grandstands. which seated some 14.OO(
or 15.oH people. Mechanics and supply
men were early on hand filling their al
lotted spaces with spare tires and cans o.
lubricat ting oil and gasoline.
Soon the first of the contesting ma
chimes came rushing up to it's pit station
with loud exploding engines ready for g
final grooming. Other ears quickly fol
lowed and there was a deafening roal
from the many unmuffied cylinders.
Hooded drivers in Oil-begrmed clothes
with earfiaps tied down tightly to stifle
the noise of the hurricane created by the
rushing speed of the straightawaS
stretches, and yet permit of hearing the
slightest unusual murmur from beneath
the engine hood busted themselves will
their charges in the last preparations fol
the start. Their mechanicians similarly
CARRIED to almost the last detail, were
constantly at their side. and when bOtl
were seated at last in their slantine
bucket seats they appeared more like
popular conceptions of Mephstopheles ir
everyday working clothes than mere hui
man beings.
Orders and instructions in French. Ger.
man. Italian and English mingled at times
with the babel of the motors.
Colors Show Nationality.
The cars of the foreign competitors were
entered in groups. Racing machines o
the different nations were painted in dis
tinsuishing colors.
The five cars entered in the name o.
France were all of royal blue. The Italian
entries were gay in solid dressing o.
red. The three stolid German cars were
all white and looked impressively pow
erful and heavy. The six American en-
trants all appeared with white bodies an(
red runninggear.
The French cars consisted of team
of two Clement-Bayards, a second team
of two Renaults and an individual Deit
rich. The six Italian entrants were made
up of two teams of three Flats and three
1talas.
The three Germans all belonged to the
Benz team. The American cars were al
individually entered. there being a Lozier
Simplex. Buick, a Chadwick. a Ma
ton and an Acme on the list.
The dense fog that hlnp oy-er ha courSe
last night left it damp and slippery
In spite of the quantities of sand which
were scattered over the black-oiled sur
face late yesterday afternoon. All the
cars at the supply pits put on studded
non-skid tires on their rear wheels.
Groups of officials and spectators with
privilege cards admitting them to the
course, gathered about each new arriva
at the pits. The foreign cars were fairly
smothered with the attentions of the me
chanics and onlookers. The American
machines also came in for close in
Spection.
There was much speculation before the
start as to whether or not the slippery
course of the morning would interfere
with the record breaking speed expected
from the drivers
The fastest time ever made in a long
distance road event is accredited to Felice
Navarro. who started today as the driver
OF the Italian Fiat, No. 6. In the Floric
cup race in Italy this year Navarro. driv-
ing the same car as today. made the
startling average of 74.3 miles an hour
for the entire :,2S miles covered.
In the Grand PriX race of the Automo
bile Club of France this year the averag,
speed of the winner for the total dstanc,
of AIS miles was 50 miles an hour. The
record for the European Grand Prix il
io9 miles an hour. made in 1907 anC
again 1t was Navarro who set the mark.
SZisZ, driver of Renault No. 10 in to
days race. was the winner of the Crane
PriX in 1906.
Robertson Not in Race.
The American road record for long dis
lance was set this year in the Vanderbilt
cup by George Robertson. who maintain
ed an average of more than Ga miles al
hour for the 2JS miles distance.
Robertson is the only Vanderbilt CuI
winner of the last three years who did moi
have mount in today's race. Louis
Wagner, the Frenchman who won in 1906
was today member of the Italian Fia
team driving No IA. while Victor Hemery
another Frenchman who captured the cur
in 1895. was today driving the German
Benz car No. s.
Hemery was the favorite in the betting
with Navarro second choice and Wagner
third. The spectacular interest in The
race seemed to center about these three
famed drivers
The American hopes in the race, accord
start conferred in the Chadwick siX-cylin
der car driven by William Haupt. mere
boy in years and experience as compared
with the foreign drivers.
Other than the 5000 gold cup to Tho
owner and the $4,000 purse to the driver
of the winning car today, there were
many other prizes at stake. For the see
ond driver there was purse of $1,000
for the third $1,000 for the fourth s7Ja
and for the fifth a consolation of $3.50
various foreign
of America In the CONDUCT of the race
were given seats of honor i'll the ''roya
box" opposite the judges stand. today.
The exact measurement of the course
today is BIB miles. The sixteen laps
TO the race bring the total distance VI
10 iG20S miles To negotiate this route
called for the taking of eighteen banked
turns and sixteen fiat curves on eacl
lap
appearing at O'Clock. seemed to thicker
up again and the course was so murk,
that a postponement of the start to 9:4:
O'Clock was ordered. The weather was
so damp little after O'Clock that some
OF the foreign drivers began to cover the
grips of their steering gears with pow
dered chalk. The fog thickened up agar
at this time.
Hautvast. the Frenchman at the whee
of the Clement No. -. was one of the
most picturesque drivers on the course
typically French beard and his hal,
stands in bristlng pompadour The
misfortune that befell car No. IL on the
very first lap of yesterdays race center
ed attention in the big blue racer bear
Ing the fated number in big white