Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-24
THE BIG AUTO RACE
Rebsrlses Came h First su6 Lyile Wss Second -ExeIlISg
 IIoIsh.

starting line at 6:3 Ca. m. to-day, started the Vanderbilt cup automo- bile race, in the presence of a crowd which. counting the people all along the course, was estimated at approxi- mately 100000 persons.
 No 2, Knox 40 horse power, driven by Dennison, followed one minute la ter; then came Stricker, with his Ger man Mercedes, and they were follow ed, minute apart, by Nos 4, 5, 6, q, l8, g, and so on. No 10, the French Brasier entry, did not start. When the last entry, No 20, Knox, driven l by Bourque, left the line at 6:49 a. m., the French Renault, No IT, had not yet started, and she did not get off until 7:14.
 Florida, No 1, was the first to con- plete the course, his time being given oficially as 23 minutes, 10 seconds, but the best time on the first lap was made by Robertson, driving the Lo- comobile, No 16. His time was 20 minutes, 54 seconds,
 Soon after the start reports of trouble began to reach the grand stand. Foxhall Keene, who had not been seen since being sent away at the start, was reported with his car ablaze at Locust Grove. In a few minutes, however, he was again in the race and as he passed, completing the circuit, there was autter of handkerchiefs and clapping of gloved hands from the grand stand. Patschke, in No II Acme, however, Twas out for all time, having broken a cam shaft after completing two rounds.
 Matheson, No 15, driven by Chew rolet, has cracked shoulder, at Jeri- cho, and is out of the race.
 A cold and penetrating drizzle which however had no appreciable ef- feet in reducing the multitude which had journeyed miles and stood hours to witness 1t, ushered in the running of the fourth Vanderbilt cup race to- day. As the day broke, sinister and cold, much of the picturesqueness of the scene vanished.
 The grand stand had filled in spite of the unpropitious skies and in the very front notabless of society and f. nance sat in huddied discomfort, the fine spray covering them with a shim- mering dew. Here and there umbrel- | las were raised. Remnants and flags Tapped damply and even programme linen appeassda dlGpa fftotf There s4dl la stir of interest when the officials appeared and the motor cycle couriers were sent on to clear the road of automobiles and vehicles. In the Esunken pits in front of the grand stand the tire repairers stood ready, piles of inflated tires and spare cans of oil and gasolene close at hand. l The Thomas, No 8, which, being overweight, had been refused permis- sion to start, came snorting up to it's repair station apparently all ready for the fray. Upon investigation 1t was found that the car was not the original entry but a regular .45 horse power stripped stock car which had ibeen substituted at the last moment for the original entry. J. M. Sey- mour was at the wheel.
 While the final preparations were being made at the starting line, con- fusion reigned at the Westbury turn where a stout hawser was drawn across the Jericho turnpike to pre- vent belated automobiles from invad- ing the course. The crowd at this point overfiowed into the road and for while 1t seemed as If the scenes which marred the last Vanderbilt race would be repeated. The rain stopped as one by one the big racers took position back of the tape. The first to arrive was Fitzpatrick in the 125 horse power No Hotchkiss. Close behind. Gill in the Thomas No IS came sputtering. w. K. Wander bilt, Jr, the donor of the trophy at- tended by Starter Fred Wagner and Jefferson De Mont Thompson, chair man of the racing board, assumed management and the Irish volunteers cleared the course In quick time. By this time all the racers were in line awaiting the word. Promptly at 6:30 Starter Wagner sent on Flori- da. who started we'll and ramming in his top speed, romped down the road and swung neatly around the turn to the left. his motor firing a fearful volley. Both men were equipped in rubber ponchos and were prepared for wet roads.
 l At the end of the 9th the race had been hair raising struggle be- tween Robertson and Lytle. In spite of having to literally plow their way through surging masses of humanity
 that only parted wide enough to let both pass clear now one now the other hurled over the Soden course
 at speed of 67 to 6s miles an hour . record only surpassed by Lancia
 the dare devil Italian In the 1905
 Vanderbilt race. At the end of the
 10th lap Robertson led Lytie by four
 minutes 10 seconds and the excite ment was at fever heat.
 Robertson's time 240 minutes
 4S Is seconds. Robertson won the race by one minute 4S 15 seconds Robertson averaged 64 3-10 miles per hour. thereby breaking all prev. fous American records Lytle finish. ed second. The race was declared off before the third car came in. The first accident of the day to a spectator occurred shortly after the finish of the race, when the crowd swarmed on the track. Florida driy, ing his locomobile. ran down David Schuh. aged IT. Schuh's leg was broken and he was otherwise badly bruised. His injuries are not thought to be fatal.