Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-12-09
RIDING AT 70 MILES AIN HOUR
sensations of Passenger on His First Trip With Driver
Robertson
Machine Throws Out Flame and Roars Like Battery of
Calling Guns

q vi ENt ILL "a CooACAA Va tLC SA~NN.---
sations experienced by the men WAC
are 10 drive automobiles on Saturday
in the Vanderbilt cup race over the
Long Island course, Times reporter
Yesterday took the seat of the me
chanician in the Locomoblle car, NO
l6. next to the G4iver, George Robert
son, in his practice drive. The report
er before this had practically no eX-
perience in automobiles and had new
Or in his life so much as touched any
of their mechanism. Robertson drove
the course OF 2$1a miles in 201a min
utes averaging 20 miles an hour, tax
ing the straightway stretches of track
at much greater speed, and failing by
only half minute to tie the record
for one lap.
To the reporter the speed seemed
terrific. He started with fear in his
heart, but this was soon displaced by
a sensation of exhilaration. The day
was perfectly still, the leaves on the
trees we're motionless, yet as the low
gray car gathered speed in the
straight places. rushing forward, now
with a thousand short bounds, now
swaying and swerving on softer earth,
with the wind forcing the men back
in their seats and the million rafting
explosions of the engine, the car
seemed to be running straight into
the teeth of tornado.
The 20k minutes taken in covering
more than a score If miles, leapin9
down the incline of hills, rushing
through bridges which shrieked with
metallic ring, swinging around des
perate curves, seemed to the reporter
not more than seven. Trees flashed
by, houses, fields of corn, men with
waving arms passed across the rae
ers. yet so brief was the glimpse OF
these that the brain had not time to
take an impression; so rapidly did
one danger pass to make place for
another that there was no time acIu
ally to realize danger; no time to &c;
the sense of fear.
George Robertson, young man OF
about % is reputed a daring
chauffeur. Driving the Simplex he
won the Brighton Beach race ias'
year, and he won the founders week
race in Philadelphia two weeks ago
He has driven the Fiat Cyclone and
the Fiat Tornado, and several times
" taking desperate chances, he has
crashed through fences at the side OF
the course, ana at the Brighton Beach
race he struck a man at headlons
speed, killing him.
The car which he drove yesterday
L,ocomobiie Sixteen, won the eiimina
ton race in 1906 with Joe" Tracey
at the wheel, and with the same driv
er made the fastest single lap OF the
course in the Vanderbilt race in 1906
and many automobiles, who have
watched Robertson in the practice
runs this autumn. believe that ne will
win the race of Saturday,
The reporter who volunteered t.
ride beside Robertson in a trial for
the record left the Times building a;
O'Clock Monday morning in large
touring car with several others. He
had begun to wish he had not yolun-
teered. He had just read in the
morning paper of an accident ON the
track the day before-of a car burst
ing a tire or a straight of the track,
smashing into a telegraph pole,
throwing out mechanician and driver
in such way as to injnre them seri-
ousIy, probably fatally. He had also
gust heard many other accounts OF
fearful accidents from men who had
covered" automobile races. He felt
strong premonition that there was
trouble about. Yet it was too late &,
withdraw.
The touring car ran very fast
through the night when we'll into
Long Island, for there was no danger
at that time from the police. 1t ran
at what, to the reporter, seemed 4
terrific pace. AS it neared the Van
derbilt course, various points where
men had been killed or injured were
pointed out cheerfully. At one point.
it was said, four men in q fast car
had locked wheels with a wagon, and
all four had died; further on a tire
had burst. and the driver had struck
his head against a stone and had new
er recovered; finally the spot where
the catastrophe of a few hours be
fore had occurred was reached and
pointed out and it was with feeling
of great compunction and in shaky
state that the reporter stepped out Of
the car at Powell's hotel, Jericho,
from which point Robertson was to
start.
II was still dark; the reporter was
taken into the garage to inspect the
car. 1t looked terribly fragile; his
seat was about three inches from the
frame. and there appeared to be 10th
ing to hold on to. He noted that one
front tire was worn and SCARED, and
he felt that that surely meant an ac-
cident.
When Robertson came running into
me garage at about 5, the reporter
was a little treasured by his appear
ance-his jolly self-conadeut express
sion his strength OF build. his oper,
bovish face Robertson, who was
dressed all in khaki turned whistling