The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-10
AMONG The ~GUTOMOBITTS
Ten THOUSAND SPECTATORS AT
HILL CLIMBING.
Fort George Contests Attract GREAT Crowd
walter G. white Makes Fastest Tine
Hundreds Of Automobiles Parked
Near Starting and FINISHING Lines.

~Nuuufeue " AuNuhiooANs EethO
Near Starting and FINISHING Lines
More than ten thousand persons witnessed
the hill climbing events Of the oafnival week
celebration yesterday afternoon on the Fort
George hill. and 20 well was the AFFAIR man
aged by the ~oflclAis and the police that
seventy-one cars we're sent up the grade
J inside an hour and three quarters without
the slightest accident. Altogether eighty
five entries had been made for the clever
events. arranged according 70 the price elias
sinoatlons Of the cars, and the fact that there
we're but fourteen scratched out Of the very
large entry list aroused a great deal OF Ia
vorable comment from both spectators and
! o%flci6ls.
spectators lined both sizes Of the hill from
the start to far beyond the finishing line. and
the sloping hillside on the right Of the drivers
as they assembled the grade afiordeda vantage
ground for thousands OF those who witnessed
the events. The gathering OF automobiles,
both at the top aud the bottom OF The hull
was one Of the most notable features OF the
! afternoon. More than one hundred cars
were standing in Maggie avenue, at the 100
OF the hill, near the starting point Tor the
climb, and II was estimated that about q
thousand automobiles carried from two TO
seven spectators each TO the scene OF the
hill climb.
Atthe bottom Of the hill, near wherethe COM
peting cars began their journey uphill, there
were scores of machines holding spectators
but the assemble &c OF motor carsinSt Nicholas
avenue. In the vicinity Of the finishing line
was one OF the most numerous gatherings
ofautomobiles that has been seen In New YORK
for some time, a great majority OF those
who drove out to the hillclImb going to the
finishing line BY way Of 81. Nicholas avenue.
The hillclimb officials declared that the
police arrangements we're the best they had
ever seen. As the start Of tho climb was
located at the dividing point Of two inspection
districts there were two inspectorson hand,
Thompson and MoCloskey, In addition TO
Capt. Kreuscher, These officers had three
or four score patrolmen and mounted men
under their command and At no time during
the afternoon was there the slightest danger
that any Of the spectators would be injured
by competing cars, as the mounted men
and patrolmen kept the course free whenever
a machine was on the bill.
The patrolmen at the foot Of the grade
worked out a system OF wigwag signals
given by waving their arms, and as soon as
a car was brought 10 the starting line pre-
paratory 10 Starter Wagner sending II away
they would pass the word along up the wind
ing course that a car was coming and no one
would be allowed beyond the curb line until
the car had passed on its upwardgourney,
The mounted men were kept busy mostly
at the bottom and top OF the hill. Those sta
toned at the beginning OF the grade rode
their horses up and down The street where the
competing cars we're lined up waiting for their
turn and the mounted police were called upon
several times to help clear the space around
the subway station when r large number OF
spectators would arrive on a subway train
and swarm ont onto the street. The pillar
Of the subway elevated structure that was
struck by a practising car al the billclimb
last ycar was covered with white bunting
Yesterday so that there would be M danger
n any Of The drivers striking II.
This latter danger was also minlmizsd b"
the adoption of a rolling start, 10 which the
competing cars we're sent away from q stand
ing start. with about seyenty.lve feet Of
level going on which 10 gather speed before
they began the upward climb. The distance
Of the climb was 100 feet and the grade IL
said 10 average about II per cent. II was
vsry windy both a. The bottom and top NJ the
hill. which resulted In many Of those Who
went 10 The climb by the subway losing their
hats for the moment when they walked out
OF the subway station. This happeped sew
eral times Just IS cars were being started.
but the policemen AZ this point were 81. vlgi.
liant that none of the hatless ones risked being
struck nv the cars. a. the patrolmNn made
them Keep on the course until The cor had gone
on mp The hill. even " their hatt were run
over. as occurred IN several lnstances, An.
other preCaution taken was the, roplhg of Of
ell thn dar naFOuC UlaFNq At hOth the hOttnm
The special prize offered for the car max
ms The best time ofthP afternoon VaeANarded
no @obiis "SerIpb. Who wS%,'I hsVdi Non v% he jTee for S"s ali
with a 20 horsepower White steamer. IN
% Is seconds There IL a. possibility thai
some oil the contestants will object 10 this
award, as the car driven by Mr.. White had
not competed in ans event except The free
for all, and il is asserted that 4 free for all
event does NOT come within the usual meaning
Of the wording the car regularly entered
and competing In ne LegOlsr Ciasses' LsaE,
the free for all event. the faetest climb Of
the afternoon was that made BY p. j. Robinson
with n big six cylinder stevens uryPa.
whose time was a. A. seconds In the event
iHbann Si.oCo
To automoDinsts mo remembers T.. Ej6,a
car contests for several years past there
was convincing evidence that the automobile
industry las made great and astonishing
progress. for there were cars allowed 10
compete vest erday under the definition Of
stock cans" that would have been Classed
as racers a couple OF years ago To- THIS par
limit which the officials insisted must be
adhered 10, IS Edgar Apperson discovered
when he tried unsuccesstully to start In the
event for four cylinder gasolene cars selling
racer. lie was allowed 10 drive II in the
free for all, however, and finished third with
It, the first two being White steamers.
The contest was a notable one for the
great number OF well known drivers who
drove various competing cars, One drive
who attracted considerable attention was
VI. Robert GuRgenhelm. the wealthy young
New Yorker, who has entered MS own $3.50
road contest this month, He drove his
Renault in two events yesterday, lust 10 see
how il would behave itself on the West
chester county hills on April ~ Other
fortunes Yesterday were Baney Oldheld
and Guy Vaughan In their Stearps cars
and Emanuel Cedrino In, one Of the Fiat ma.
chimes. A. j. Pickard, formerly oniclal
starter for race meets, was out yesterday
with his Stea rms and finished sixth In a field
Of thirteen In one OF the events.
one OF the most interesting drivers Of the
lot yesterday was r, S. Crawford, Who, makes
the Crawford car at HRRerstown, Md. Mr.,
Crawford is about Al years old, but he likes
10 drive fast, and he not only goes into most
ali the hill climbing contests In the Eastern
States and drives his W car, but last year
he competed in a t~wenty-fouT hour track
race. Another twenty-four race veteran,
james B., Ryall, drove a Matheson racer In
the free for all.
Among the other drivers were Arthur
Warren, who was mechanic for George
Robertson when the Apperson Vanderbilt
cup candidate wa wrecked before the 1909
elimination trials; Howard Hodson
and Charles Miller. the StoddArd. Dayton
campaigners; Charles Fleming. who has
driven Maxwells Ia tours and contests for
several years, Robert Burman, the jackson
contest specialist; j. W. swan. who handles
IEE--NsI t.. GVgvn. R..N. d Lab