Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-21
FORMER RECORDS BROKEN IN
ANNUAL ROAD RACE
klssEL MAKES FIGHT IN FACE
OF REPEATED DELAYS
Mark Of 4:1s for Hundred-Mile Run
Over Desert and Mountain Roads
Cut to s:a5 1-2-Piucky
Driving
BY FREpERIoK PABsT

~ OUIhERN CALlFOhNlA LluSl
II unique of all automobile road
~ races, from Los Angeles to the
summit OF North Baldy mountain, was
won yesterday morning for the tnird
successive year by III. d. Ryus ana a
White steamer Leon T. Shelters kis-
selkar, beaten but not disgraced, TOOK
second honors.
The Kissel was the first of three con-
testing cars to complete the course IN
the annual races, finishing 1874 minutes
behind the White.
The winners time for the 101 miles
was hours and 351s minutes, and the
Kissel finished in ABBY. The previous
record for the course was 4:1S.
Over $4,000 changed hands as a re-
suit of this race, and while only two
cars contested the interest was in
tense and the largest crowd in the
history of the event saw the cars make
their dash over the tortuous road to
the 3nountain tops.
The winner came through without
a stop other than to take on water
and gasoline, but when 1t rounded the
final sharp curve of the narrow noun
tain road at the hnish 1t was seen to
be pounding along on a fiat rear tire.
The accident, which might have cut
time off the Whites record had it hap
pened earlier in the race, occurred just
ldll d Illl6 lIOll IhC iihioi iAAiS. 40
the car topped the summit of one of the
most difficult grades over which auto
mobiles are asked to go in California
a sharp rock put a hole in the tire.
With but short distance to go and
most of this slightly down grade, Ryus
chose to run on the dat rather than
take the time for repairs.
Captain Ryus drove q brilliant race
and shares in the honors with the ma
chine. His mechanic was A. Forbes
better known as Happy Hooligan."
That plucky little road driver, Bert
Latham, piloted the kissel and did
some sensational work. He was ac-
companied by G. p. King.
s While not taking any of the credit
from the winner, 1t was truly hard
luck race for the loser. A broken car
bpretter and two punctures caused de-
days which were fatal. The nrst
trouble was experienced at Burbank,
not a dozen miles from the start. The
air valve in the carburetter was lost
and the car completed the century
run without this important part of
the delicate instrument. AT time
when valuable minutes were being lost
on account of this missing valve a long
wire nall standing point upward in the
road penetrated the casing and inner
tube and more time was lost In max
ing change.
TtCOi0do y
The car stopped at San Fernando
and an effort was made to repair the
damage Precious minutes flew by
and when an attempt was made to
start the engine again the absence OF
an air valve to perform its particular
function required many minutes or
cranking to set the motor humming.
Meanwhile, the White, which had
left Los Angeles at $50, topped New
I.a In fnrfU-pif1a AS
the minutes rolled by and no Kissel
car appeared. the crowd on top of Fre-
mont pass began to speculate as to the
cause of the delay. Fifty-nine min
Etes after the White had climbed the
steep hill the Kissel chugged its way
UP. This meant a loss of twenty mine
minutes Although facing terrific
handicap Latham stuck pluckily TO
his task and the car fairly ate up the
ground
The White was at Saugus fifty-eight
minutes after the word to start had
been given at Fourth and Broadway,
Los Angeles. From there began the
winding road to Lang, and on through
the Soledad canyon to Acton. Ryus
drove skillfully over this dangerous
stretch and Acton was reached at 7:l4.
For twelve miles, from Acton to Palm
dale, a smooth, fast road stretched out
ahead. The White passed Palmdale
lsO1 IL
across the desert to Littlerock.
Shoemaker's ranch, ninety-two miles
from the start, was reached at 1898.
Seven minutes later the car passed
Old Point Comfort and the final climb
OF seven miles of 1000 feet began. The'l
White was in good shape and made
the last seven miles in twenty and a
half minutes. Ryus did not take ad-
vantage of the last watering station
which had been established near Old
Point Comfort.
Meantime Latham in the Asselkar
was fighting desperately to make UP the
time which he had lost. His car fair
ly flew down the north side of New
hall and the speedometer showed 60
in the dash to Saugus Latham went
through the Soledad like streak and
at Acton had made up II minutes of
the 20 which he had lost. The 12-mile
run from Acton to Palmdale was made |
in 1917 minutes.
When the car neared- Palmdale the
Kisselkar supporters began to take
hope once more, but at this critical
point another nail jabbed its way into |
the tire and another stop was neces- !,
sary. With a new tire on Latham
drove like demon across the desert,
making the ten miles to LittlerQck in |
IA minutes. At this point the Whites |
lead had been cut down to 10 minutes,
but the carburetter began to act badly |
again and from there on the Whites /
time was not approached.
Trainmen All Warned
The racers encountered number Of
teams on the road but there was no
serious interference. The Southern
Pacific officials had issued orders that
trainmen keep lookout for the racing
machines. and the five circus special |
which went down the canyon at time
when the race was at it's height kept
W continual screeching of the whis-
ties to warn the drivers.
There were crowds at many points
along the course. the largest gathering
being at Newhall grade. All along the
road between Burbank. Fernando and
the grade, motorists had lined up in
cars to see the racers dash by. There
was another crowd at Acton and a
select gatheripg at Paln1dV IF c.
s'eiinef saw the race from 1pAlmdale
nnd iQlH the last car Ap 10 Old
Point Z, where a joltdeation
eoaiau aued on Page Two,